Batch 2. Huge bourbon nose, deep roast, just loads of it, light vanilla. Flavor is deep and complex. Layers of bourbon, roasted malts and espresso beans. To me it’s like drinking an iced coffee, that was aged in a bourbon barrel for a few months. Finish has a long lingering coffee, roast and bourbon. Light alcohol on the finish but not distracting from the great flavors of this stout. No need to write a long winded review on this, simply put it was a pleasure drinking this beer.

Bottle 50 cl. Pours an opaque pitch black with a small, brownish head. Dryish Bourbon character in the nose, subtle roastiness. Rich and filling body if never exactly huge. Subtle roast, pruney, oaky - again in a dry way rather than sweet Bourbonish. Some late, warming alcohol. Super neat. 041213

I only received 1 bottle of this batch as a part of the Collected Works great. Kicking myself for not driving up to Hill Farmstead 3 times in a month to grab a few more of this amazing beer. Bottled 06/2013, sampled 12/2013. Probably enough age to finally open and sample this beer. I’ll say that I loved the Madeira version but was not wowed by it. Curious how this differs.

A - Completely pitch black. Looks very similar to Madness & Civilization or Everett. Pitch black, looks oily but pours non-thick. 2 finger express colored head that fades fast. I was able to put all 500ML in a single Hill Farmstead stemware..I don’t advise that but it’s possible.

S - The first thing I get is coffee....waves and waves of it! Just espresso mocha bean frappuccino coffee. There’s vanilla, cocoa and a definite booziness from the bourbon barrels. I would say it’s Eagle Rare / Buffalo Trace but I’m not a bourbon expert.

T - The three dominant flavors are Vanilla, Espresso beans and Chocolate Milk. Oak and tootsie roll sweetness persist. I get a mineral slate aspect an sugary dark fruits like rich dried figs.

M - Sticky and hangs around for hours after each sip. My teeth are covered with sugar. Full bodied and just enough booze to let you know what’s up.

O - This is really a 10% beer? This is either a BA, sweet Everett or a weak damon. Really seems bigger in ABV than the description states.

Bottle shared at Bruce’s pad, big thanks to Leighton once again for more HF goodness, 19/09/13. Pitch black with a thin dirty tan head that clears to a swirl at the edge. Nose is bourbon, dark malts, sugars, dark toffee, caramel fudge. Taste comprises chocolate, brown sugar, dark fruit tones, bourbonic oak, molasses, light spice. Full bodied, fine carbonation, roasty sugar coated finale. Top gear !

Bottled. A pitch black beer with a brown head. The aroma has notes of caramel, alcohol, over ripe fruits, and bourbon. The flavor is sweet with notes of alcohol, bread, malt, caramel, and wood, leading to a dry alcoholic finish.

50 cL bottle. Pours pitch black with a small chocolate brown head. Aroma is dark roasted malty and smooth bourbon. Coffee. Thick malty and chocolate. Smooth bourbon vanilla. Thick chocolate malty. Lingering dark malty finish.

Bottle shared at Bruce’s in London - big thanks to Laura! Pours black-brown with a frothy beige head. Gooey chocolate on the nose, some burnt wood, toffee. Medium to big sweet flavor, creamy chocolate, some chocolate cake, tangy wood, vanilla, faint mocha. Medium to full bodied with fine carbonation. Lightly warming finish with lots more creamy chocolate, more cake, some ripe berries, toffee. Rich, decadent. Great beer.