Appearance: Deep
chestnut, moderately bubbly with a decent beige head, and brilliantly clear (4/5).
Aroma: Mmmmmm…
nice. Dried stone fruit and jammy
grapes. Brown sugar and caramel. A touch of oxidation, but an acceptable
level. In fact, it adds an additional
layer to an already beautiful and complex aroma (4.25/5).
Taste: Surprisingly
hoppy with a bitterness that lasts.
There is a little woodiness from what I am assuming is some degree of
barrel aging, with a little vanilla, bourbon, and a touch of tobacco. There is also some staling, but again not
inappropriate. It would be interesting
to know if that was intentional or just a “benefit” on sitting on a big box
liquor store shelf for several months. The
bitterness steps back a touch toward the latter end of the pint as the beer
nears room temperature (3.5/5).
Mouthfeel: Full body
with medium carbonation. There is a
light warmth from the alcohol and a puckering quality from the hops. There is also an interesting “thickness” that
develops when the beer warms that feels almost chalky. Not a negative note; more of an interesting
observation (3.75/5)
Overall: This is a
very nice beer, but the flavor comes across a little dramatic. I would love to have this same beer dialed
back about twenty five percent in both the bitterness and the alcohol. 80 IBUs seems to be a bit much here. The aroma is incredibly inviting, but once it
hit my mouth it became a little obnoxious.
But in the end I am impressed (3.75/5).
-Matt
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