We had 5 people who participated in the tasting. After the tasting, we each ranked the beers first through third. There was no clear winner, although, the 99 vintage got two first place votes. After that, it was scattered with 05, 04 and 02 each getting a first place vote. In general, the range of 02-04 got the most votes.
Here are some of the comments.
98 - Dark fruit, raisiny, molasses flavor. Slight tartness. No hop flavor, good bitterness.
99 - More sweetness than 98. Bitterness and Sherry notes not as intense as 98. Very smooth mouthfeel.
00 - More fruit and bitterness than 99. Smooth and balanced. Not as tart as the others.
01 - Tobacco and chocolate notes in both aroma and flavor, lower hops. Earthy, coffee like. Vegital aroma.
02 - Smooth integrated caramel. Faint sherry notes. Dry hopping noticeable. Lighter in color than others.
03 - Sweet on palate. Not as bitter. Hops in the aroma. Darker than others. Sharp bitterness lingers on back of palate.
04 - Malty marshmallow aroma. Very malty.
05 - Vegital aroma. Sharper, caramel more prevalent. Good bitterness. More carbonated than others
06 - Big ethanol aroma. Ethanol/airplane glue in flavor. Astringent bitterness. Harsh aftertaste.
07 - Rounded fruit balanced toward sweetness. Low aroma. Slight oxidation.
08 - Balanced more toward sweetness than 07. Very little aroma. More carbonation. Pronounced bitterness. Not twist off.
09 - Sweetest yet, good carbonation, good foam, lower body. Sweeter aroma with some floral hops. Lots of hop flavor and taste.