First sip is as thick as a vault door. It is smokey and fruity with the cherry taste very noticeable. The malt is grainy and still really, really thick - like drinking a milkshake. Other flavors are too subtle for a sip, but it's clearly pretty complex. It gives the impression of being very sweet, that's for sure.
A full quaff reveals a tip-in of sweet malt and cherries. There is a background of pan-seared brown sugar and honey. That's right - pan seared - no a wok or some crap like that. The middle hits the roof of the mouth with a bitter brush and carbonation edges. Toffee abounds in the continuing sweetness of all this precious malt. The finish is waves of sticky, sweet malt - just one after the other. The sweetness stays on the lips even as the bitter end of each wave grows more and more pronounced.
Bottom Line: The beer is a very strong tasting lager. I remember being more of a fan of this beer when I was younger, but it still has quite an appeal.
3.25/5