--- Beer merged from original tick of Appervation (2018) on 22 Nov 2021 at 07:17

Pours black, small tanned head. Smell is sweet, boozy, roasty. Taste is full, roasty, intense, bit boozy, very intens. Nice.

375 ml bottle into snifter, 2018 vintage bottling. Pours dense pitch black color with a minimal spotty lace cap. Minimal lacing with some clinging bubbles on the glass. Aromas of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, nuts, and dark bread; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, date, smoke, char, leather, tobacco, pepper, and roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Lightly increasing booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts and bourbon barrel notes; with big strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, nuts, and dark bread; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, date, smoke, char, leather, tobacco, pepper, and roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Very mild herbal/roast/char bitterness and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, nuts, dark bread, coconut, licorice, dark fruit, light smoke/char/pepper, and roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts and bourbon barrel flavors; with a solid roasted bitter/sweet and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering roast bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness. Light carbonation and very full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety, and slightly slick/sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is amazing. Mildly increasing warmth of 13.5%, with no barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an amazing barrel aged imperial stout! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV; with the very mildly bitter/tannic/drying finish. Insanely rich malt complexity, with perfect barrel integration/balance. Not overly roasty/charred on malts, or boozy/tannic on barrels. A highly amazing offering, and top tier style example as expected.

24.03.2018, 0,375l bottle (2017 vintage) shared with Desverger @ Himmeriget:
Nice fizzy-creamy mediumlasting head, deep dark pour. Aroma is slightly rich and dry sour-ish boozy, mild bourbon, dark malts, oak, minerals, dark sugar, bark, raisins, fruit stones, raisins, old rope, hay, caramel, vanilla. Taste is slightly rich and dry boozy, bourbon, minerals, oak, dark malts, dark sugar, old rope, grass, chocolate, caramel, hay, coffee. Medium bitterness, slightly sweet boozy mouthfeel. Nice.

Bottle shared@Himmeriget Stoutfest 2, Copenhagen - black pour with tiny thin small beige head. Sweet and light roasted malty with chocolate and caramel, prominent bourbon, exquisite smooth velvety palate mouthfeel into the sweet malty finish. Gorgeous!

Bottle with huge props to Chris! Pours opaque black, small tan head, dissipates quickly but leaves some lacing behind. Aroma is cocoa, vanilla, bourbon, hints of molasses and marshmallow. Flavor is medium sweet, light plus bitter, hints of smoke and toasted oak blend with the bourbon cocoa. Full body, creamy. Pretty grate.

--- Beer merged from original tick of Appervation (2018) on 01 Dec 2018 at 19:28 - Score: 9

(375ml bottle @ Himmeriget, Copenhagen, Dec 15/17) Pours black with a tiny tan ring of head. Aroma is a big hit of rich dark chocolate, bourbon-soaked wood, dark malts with a toffee/molasses feel, oaky vanilla tones, roasty tending towards burnt. Flavour is dark chocolate, moderately roasted malt, raw sugar, dark toffee, prominent bourbon, burnt wood, char, slightly nutty, some vanilla oak, notably boozy. Sweetish to start but finishes medium dry, very oaky, burnt malt, cacao, fairly high roast bitterness, spirit heat is almost peppery. Medium-full body, soft tingling carbonation. Quite good, but the exposed booze makes it more difficult to drink, compared to Derivation this is hot and rough.

Bottle during Tasting; dark opaque brown pour with a thin tan head, aroma has chocolate with some spirit, taste is creamy smooth action, hints of vanilla, dark fruits, really good