Ten-acious Brew
Newport Beach Brewing Company

I didnt know if this is a barley wine or stong ale or... and the waitress didnt know either.

A - poured a nice ruddy shoe-leather brown with a good finger of head.
S - sweet malt and wood are pretty present in this aroma. I couldnt detect much else, but that's okay... it was very pleasing.
T - as you would expect from the aroma. A good combination of malt with faint toffee notes and solid oak/wood character all on a sweet background. This is a good sipping brew. I'm rather tired of the whole wood aged thing but this complex gem is pleasing. I'd like to have it in a snifter by the fire place while i'm reading a book.

When I asked about this beer, the waitress asked if I had ever tried Arrogant Bastard. She said this was along the same lines. I was instantly skeptical, but this ended up being a tasty beer. It was brewed for NBCC's 10th anniversary which just past. Poured a dark red-brown, with a thick head that left a nice thick sheet of lacing. Smell was very malty and sweet, with a strong hop finish. Taste started out very sweet, with hops to finish it off. In the middle it tasted strongly of red wine. A very interesting brew, and an impressive offering from a fairly small microbrewery.