12 ounce
bottle poured into a tulip. 8.3%
ABV. Stored and served at 55F.
Appearance: Dark chocolate brown. A beige head billowed upon the pour, but immediately
sank into the glass. This bottle has
been in storage for a couple years and a fair amount of sediment has dropped
out of suspension over time. The glass looked
like a snow globe at night for the first minute or so, but the chunks
eventually settled to the bottom. Held
up to the light, the beer is brilliantly clear with beautiful amber highlights (4.25/5).
Aroma: Boozy, metallic, and oxidized. Deep in the background I can detect the smell
of dark malts, brown sugar, chocolate, maple syrup, and soy sauce (3.5/5).
Taste: Restrained sweetness with hints of coffee,
oak, toffee, burned sugar, and dates. There
is also an underlying bitterness that cuts the sugary base and balances it out
nicely. Maybe a touch of a metallic
taste, but the bottle has been stored on its side so that may explain it
(4.25/5)
Mouthfeel: Full body and light carbonation. Perfectly smooth and rounded (5/5).
Overall: The bottle stamp is apparently written in
Klingon, so I can’t say for certain what year this is from. But I believe I’ve been holding on to this since
the early winter of 2013. Avery’s
description says this beer is “cellarable for 2 years”, but I think that’s kind
of cutting it short. I don’t think the
age is hurting anything. In the end, I really
enjoyed this beer but it didn’t blow my doors off. It is often cited as a “commercial example”
of the style, but I think there are better options out there. I liked having the old bottle, but I’d like
to try a fresher sample to see if I’m missing something (4.25/5).
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