Thanks John K.

12 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 4/3/2017. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger dense khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lasts. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, wood smoke, vanilla, caramel, toffee, bourbon, toasted oak, molasses, and dark bread; with lighter notes of cherry, raisin, licorice, charcoal, and roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready/smoked malt, cocoa/vanilla, and bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Very mild booziness in the aromas as it warms. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, wood smoke, vanilla, caramel, toffee, bourbon, toasted oak, molasses, and dark bread; with lighter notes of cherry, raisin, licorice, charcoal, and roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Light-moderate roast/char bitterness and light bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, wood smoke, vanilla, caramel, toffee, bourbon, toasted oak, molasses, dark bread, light dark fruit/char, and roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready/smoked malt, cocoa/vanilla, and bourbon barrel flavors; with an awesome roasted bitter/sweet balance; and zero cloying/acrid flavors after the finish. Light dryness from roast/char bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness, lightly increasing through the glass. Light-medium carbonation and very full body; with a very smooth, thick, creamy/bready/silky, and lightly slick/chalky/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is awesome. Alcohol is very well hidden; a small pleasant warmth, with mild barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an incredible barrel aged imperial stout! All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready/smoked malt, cocoa/vanilla, and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV. Supposedly a re-brew of last year’s 21st Anniversary, but this is far better overall. Way more rich, roasty, dense, and complex; more barrel presence with less booziness. A highly enjoyable offering.

Bottle from Whole Foods Market Fair Lakes Aroma: chocolate, woody, bourbon, smoke, vanilla Appearance: black with a tan head Taste: medium sweetness, medium bitterness, Palate: full body, thick feel, average carbonation, long finish, Delicious