8.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8.5

Draft at Barcade. Silky smooth. Ebony pour with small creamy head. Aroma is roasty and sweet. Taste brings more soft sweetness, consistency is incredible . Hints of bitterness, chocolate. No sign of the ABV. Really wonderful.

7.1

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

355ml bottle [A big thanks to David!]. Jet black colour with small, thick, creamy, moderately lasting, minimally lacing, beige to tan head. Sweet-ish, dark malty aroma, notes of treacle, molasses, some chocolate, a touch of vanilla, nut liqueur. Taste is sweet-ish, slightly roasty, dark malty, hints of molasses, treacle, a nuttily touch, minimally dry, woody overtones, a touch of warming alcohol in the finish; full body, viscous texture, smooth and soft, creamy palate.

7.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

12oz capped bottle. No date. No idea what brewery this is. Black body, mediun tan head. Aroma had lots of barrel and spicy rye. Very woody with lots of spicy rye. Woody dry black malts. Lightly evaporating alcohol. Dry. Flavor is similarly dry but not acrid black malts with bitter malts and strong spicy elements. No strong alcohol. Very drying and not big but alcohol present.

8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle. Pours near black with a thick brown head that lasts throughout the beer. Aroma has a good amount of roasted malts with a bit of bitter dark grain and a rye whiskey bite supporting. Flavor has a nice combination of roasted malts and rye whiskey with a bitter, dry dark grain backbone.

8.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

This was poured into a mini snifter.
The appearance was a dark brown close to black color with a thin tan head that dissipated within less than twenty seconds. Speckled lacing clings and falls adequately.
The smell has a wonderful combination of spicy rye to blend into some chocolate and coffee. Light sweetness runs about to entice a light vanilla to even show its face.
The taste was slightly sweet with the roast to also allow a nice little bit of rye spice. There’s a sticky sweet and semi-spicy rye aftertaste to lead into the finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a medium to heavy on the body with a nice sipping quality about it. Carbonation seemed good for the style as it seems to have a nice smoothness to it.
Overall, this was a well crafted Imperial Stout and to add the rye whiskey was a nice touch. If I had another, I’d love to age one.

7.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

Bottle. Pours dark brown tan head. nose/taste of whiskey, black licorice, chocolate, rye, flaked oats and alcohol soaked dark fruit - medium body.

6

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottle thanks to Daniel. Pours a cloudy brown with small beige head. The aroma is roast and wood. Thin mouth, sweet roasted malt, dark chocolate, good.

7.8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

Tap. Pours deep mahogany, small creamy tan head, nice lacing. Aroma is whiskey, cocoa, rye spices. Flavor is very rye whiskey forward, which is no skin off my nose. Light body for style.

8

Cask

7.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

12 ounce bottle into snifter, 2013 vintage bottle. Pours dense pitch black color with a small tan head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of green apple, pear, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, roasted malt, vanilla, toast, toffee, oak, clove, whiskey, herbal, and roasted earthiness. Ok aromas with solid complexity; yeast off notes are quite strong, but don’t completely mask the whole aroma. Taste of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, roasted malt, light char, rye, vanilla, toast, toffee, oak, whiskey, herbal, and roasted earthiness. Fair amount of herbal/roasted bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, coffee, rye, light char, vanilla, toast, toffee, oak, whiskey, herbal, and roasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity of dark/roasted malt and whiskey barrel flavors; with a great malt/barrel flavor balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very creamy and moderately slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very good barrel aged imperial stout. Even though the aromas were flawed, the taste was very nice with good complexity and balance of malt and barrel flavors. A nicely enjoyable offering.