The only thing I’ve been able to find out about this beer is that it won Gold medal at the World Beer Awards and is considered Asia’s finest barley wine! I don’t know that I’ve had any other barley wines from Asia, but this one would stand strong against any of my favorite American barley wines. It was very similar to Doggie Claws (which I had after this) in color and nose. Perhaps a bit more hop presence and definitely some wood. I tried to find if it is wood aged but the breweries web site is all in Japanese and the other beer review sites dont have this one either! An Ambassador First! It pours a nice burnt orange/amber with very little carbonation. Immediate nose of alcohol (10%), wood, sweet candied fruits, slighter toffee notes and a floral hoppy tinge. The taste is right on par with the nose! De-frickin-licious! Medium to high mouth and carbonation makes this extremely palatable! Long aftertaste of candied apples, honey, and oak! I will picking up more of these ones for sure! This one helped to wash down chocolate Buche De Noel!