Actually, I've been having this a lot, and have come to enjoy it as a reasonable heavy-beer option .It's musty and thick and goes well with heavy pub grub .
I really haven't gotten any of that soda-like quality I found last year.
Smooth, almost syrupy, with the flavor of smoke on the back of the tongue. It strikes me as a combination of a stout and a soda.
And I'm afraid I'm not a big fan of soda-like beers.