XI.I Samhain

The color is a very dark, almost black and impenetrable mahogany with a head that also has a mahogany color. The aroma is bold and rich with notes of dried fruit and medicinal herbs which is unusual for a barley wine but very appealing. The bouquet has scents of dried figs, gentian, rue, root, raisins and toasted hazelnuts with nuances of bitter orange in the background. The mouthfeel is very soft, nicely balanced and rounded and, strangely, is not alcoholic in the sense that the warmth is integrated and perfectly balanced by the bitter sensations of hops and a return of medicinal herbs. Licorice and nuances of iodine close the long aftertaste that throughout has been characterized by a subtle and persistent effervescence.

This brew is wonderful by itself but it can also be paired with chocolate cake, perhaps with some jam which of course must be pumpkin.