Hakusekikan Crystal Ale
I had this one at Popeye's under the impression it was a barley wine, but I agree with the assessment that its most likely closest to a Belgian Strong Pale. Rich golden body with a wispy off-white head, showing the graceful maturation that the past 8 years have added to this beer. Sweet, fruit aroma, with touches of honey and oak. Malt heavy flavour, with vanilla being strongly prominent throughout, with sweet honey backing it up. Its perhaps a touch one dimensional at this point and the vanilla is a touch too heavy, so I'd hazard a gues at saying that its peaked. Heavy, chewy mouthfeel and limited carbonation. It was a neat experience to try a beer aged for this long, but perhaps others would hold up better?