Flashlight does not show through, no real head retention, smells of coffee, hot chocolate, and vanilla. The taste is rich and bold with big flavors of coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla and just a hint of maple on a smooth full body. The finish is long and moderately high in bitterness, featuring notes of dark chocolate, herbal hops, charred oak, maple, vanilla, and a whisper of bourbon. Overall, the maple syrup doesn’t show through as much as I had hoped, somewhat surprising given the base beer, but the bold coffee and chocolate make up for it and there’s a nice interplay between them that evolves throughout each sip. I’m not sure if I will, but this would be interesting to try after a few more years in the bottle.
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