8.4

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled in 1/2019. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, medium roast coffee, cinnamon, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, fudge, brownie/cake batter, roasted nuts, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, char, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, bourbon barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, medium roast coffee, cinnamon, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, fudge, brownie/cake batter, roasted nuts, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, char, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Light herbal, grassy, roast, char bitterness; and cinnamon, bourbon, oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, medium roast coffee, cinnamon, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, fudge, brownie/cake batter, roasted nuts, dark/brown bread, light molasses/smoke/char, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, bourbon barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with an awesome roasted bitter/sweet, and bourbon/oak/cinnamon spiciness balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness and cinnamon/bourbon/oak spiciness. Medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, and lightly sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mildly increasing warmth of 12.8%, with zero barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an incredible mexican style spiced imperial stout! All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, bourbon barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV, with the mildly bitter/spicy/tannic/drying finish. Perfectly balanced rich malts, cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, and bourbon barrel presence/integration. Restrained fruity yeast and earthy hops against sweetness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing dessert style example. Not overwhelming on any aspect, and well priced for the ABV.