The first thing that hit me is the smokey taste. Then everything else kicked in with it. You get notes of chocolate and coffee. You also get notes of clove, banana and some spices. All the while there is still a lingering smokey taste. It is strange because it seems a little sour (not a fan of sour) sometimes but not consistently so Overall a complex beer. Well carbonated as you can see. I keep jumping back & forth between 3.5 & 4. I'll go 4 just because I love smokey. Had to grab the iittala mug just to go with the big bottle