Appearance. Deep mahagony red in color. First pour is very clear, but becomes more cloudy as the yeast sediment gets disturbed after each pour. Many streams of bubbles rise from the bottom of the glass. Pours with 4 fingers of head that dissipate leaving a gorgeous helix of lacing around the side of the glass. About a finger of head is maintained throughout.

Smell. Substantially sweeter than its big brother abt. 12. Lots of prune, molasses and candied fruits. Also, somewhat floral, in a estery way.

Taste. Starts off a bit nutty, almonds and walnuts. Sweetness builds with some raisin and dried dates. A very slight (and I mean very slight) bitterness balances out the sweetness perfectly. Some lighter ester flavors come in and really dance on the tounge for a while. The finish is very balanced, with some of the sweetness, yeastyness and bitterness and is semi dry.

Mouthfeel. A superb amount of carbonation (the cork flew out of the bottle at the first chance it got). As soon as the beer hits the palate, it turns to wonderful froth, delivering the flavors perfectly (especially the yeast flavors). The body is moderate, but the quite dry the entire time.

For me this one was just amazing, though I may have a bias toward this type of beer. Hugely complex and a lot sweeter than its big brother, better looking too.