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ABV: 9%
RateBeer rating: 86
Calories: estimated at 200 C
Volume: 12 fl oz.
Glass: Dimpled mug, English pint, Stein, Yard
Purchased at: Circle Liquors Super Saver, Pennington, NJ
Price: $3.50
Consumed at: home

Tanka beer review:

bubbling gold and white
sand and leather, sawdust sweet
long lasting sweetness
honey, chives, silt and barley
traveled from a thousand years

aroma 8 out of 10
visuals 4 out of 5
taste 8 out of 10
palate 4 out of 5
overall 17 out of 20

First Impression: Aroma is alcohol, raisins, prunes, fruity, wineish.  Visuals are an exquisite ruby body, a very small tan head but great legs and lacing. Taste is grapey, full of various barleys, chocolate, cocoa, and flowers, perfume, rum, prunes, figs, sand. Palate is wet and thick to start, but with a quite dry, long, finish. A very deep and luxurious feel. Much more enjoyable as you get used to the overwhelming nature of it. Much like the 120 minute IPA, appreciation comes with time. Second Impression – a very deep, slightly off balance, but still very amazing beer. You have to sip it and pause to enjoy it, but if you take a calm approach, you’ll be thoroughly rewarded. On second thought, you’ll be amazed.

Aroma: 10 out of 10, Visuals: 4 out of 5, Taste: 9 out of 10, Palate: 5 out of 5

Overall: 17 out of 20. A very rich, intense experience, and quite enjoyable, if you give it a minute.

ABV: 18.5 %
Calories: estimated at 300 C
Volume: 12 fl oz
Glass: Trappist
Purchased at: Circle Liquors Super Saver, Pennington, NJ
Price: $5.99
Consumed at: home

Impression: A beautifully dark, deep ruby color, slightly hazy due to bottle conditioning. The alcohol is present even in the aroma, but it is also a mix of chocolate, raisins, and sweetness and flowers. The taste is just too much for me. Very much like the 120 Minute IPA, it simply overwhelms the palate, and tastes almost like syrup, but an alcoholic syrup. It demands to be lightly sipped. Just a bit on the tongue is all I can enjoy, and I’m not that big a fan of raisins. It makes one’s eyes cross. Affects all areas of the mouth. Rich like molten lava cake, it’s hard for me to enjoy, though I’m glad I found my limits in this latest batch of tastings.

Aroma: 9 out of 10

Visuals: 4 out of 5

Taste: 6 out of 10

Palate: 3 out of 5

Overall: 15 out of 20

ABV: 21 %
Calories: estimated at 300 C
Volume: 12 fl oz
Glass: trappist
Purchased at: Circle Liquors Super Saver, Pennington, NJ
Price: $8.99
Consumed at: home

Impression: Wow. Knocks you over. 0-60 in 3 sips. The aroma fills the room with flowery hops. The malt is jumping. The bottle conditioning is a nice touch. I like a little haze in my 21% ABV ale (!). It’s syrupy with sweetness. It seems like a barleywine style, except for the IPA overtones. You are absolutely forced to sip and recover. The aftertaste is long, palate damaging, and delicious. I would find it hard to pair this with anything but the richest foods. This is the death by chocolate of hoppy beers. Thick yellowish head reduces to a wispy white foam with nice lacing. The reputation of this beer precedes it and it does not disappoint, though I thought I would enjoy it a bit more than I am, it simply whacks you over the head. It’s like trying to drink coke syrup. It’s exactly what I asked for, but as they say, be careful of what you ask for, they might serve it to you in a 12 oz bottle for 9 bucks.

Aroma: 10 out of 10

Visuals: 4 out of 5

Taste: 8 out of 10

Palate: 4 out of 5

Overall: 18 out of 20 I liked the overwhelming nature of this beer, but it is at the same time its downfall. I think this would be a great beer for a wine enthusiast to try to enjoy, but for me, I think I’ll stick to the 60 or 90 minute IPAs from this same great brewer. At the very least those are more affordable. For me they would also be a bit more enjoyable.