Immort Ale

Found a couple of 4-packs of this at Butch's in Down Town Holland. Butch's provides a large selection of craft beers (National and foreign) alongside wines and (probably Mead's) ciders. They are the pinnacle of fine dining with compliments of a back-bar, boasting craft taps and Framboise. Jen and I bought a bottle of this to share on Tuesday morning as we made our way down the street browsing the local shops after a long exploratory memorial day weekend. 
11 % ABV

Appearance: Deep bronzed amber with a subtle off white head, of mediocre stature. Carbonation is prominent as tiny bubbles are inherently present in a dense population as they rise to the surface. Lacing is minimal and wet. Clarity is anything but brilliant and falls into a midline character of murky, but still allowing light to penetrate.
Aroma: A smoked meaty scent bellows from the surface of the beer. Hints of smoked barley, figs and wood emerge in conjunction with the foretaste. Definitely a jerky/meaty undertone follows throughout, while a spicy oak makes for a balancing character
Taste: The beginning is noticeably carameled with a marbled rye and a smoked cherry wood flavor that run persistent through the flavor experience. This beer reminds me of Charkoota Rye, but with a mellowed out smokiness and a comparable spicing for balance. Peat malt? Notes of maple are easy to distinguish, but meld into the overall whirlpool of flavors. Vanilla is a minor player, but one can pick out hints of it in the end of the beer. Smooth and delightfully floral. At the end as the beers warm, surely one can notice the fruity undertones emerge in a coexistence between figs an other dark roasted fruits (maybe raisins). I could certainly see this conglomerate of flavors pairing extremely well with aged cheddar! and even olives
Mouthfeel: Medium to heavier body with a finishing character of alcohol to warm the throat and chest. Flavor is fulfilling and anything but thin, while the carbonation helps to loosen the liquid but still provide a girth to amp up the texture. The finish is drying but not hot. For what hops are present, they reinforce a drying bite at the end alongside the alcohol to aid in preventing a overly thick beer.

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Overall Impression: I was quite impressed at how drinkable this beer is. For aging in oat and the rich smoked malt that makes up a large portion of its flavor profile, this beer crowns a easily drinkable persona about it. without having the label there to give clues, the maple stands out alongside a brief fruit flavor and an overall oak element that formulates the base to this beer. Worthy of sipping, but not to share - you could easily finish a bottle solo...