Couple bottles drunk 2/2 and 2/3/19. Pours a clear, dark chocolate with a small, light tan head that fades to a ring rather quickly. Nose is a lovely helping of rich milk chocolate and slightly darker prune and baker's chocolate mixing in on the end. Vanilla starts of slow and subtle with richness emerging, as well, on the end. Cookie and light caramel-like malts easily balance the acidity of the roast and the lactose is light and well-integrated with no alcohol or flaw noted. Soft, silky and creamy at times with low but engaging carbonation and a malty, but mostly well-attenuated body/texture. Vanilla bean character adds spice and liqueur-like notes as well as traditional vanilla flavors to the milk chocolate, raisin, prune and caramel base. Silky, rich and yet with enough dry roasted acidity for balance, the beer never gets close to too sweet, IMHO. An excellent double shot, even more impressive given how polished it comes off for its youth. They really are killin' it with their stouts these days and this is one of my favorites I've had from them.

Bottle pour into tulip glass from the brewery. Appearance is opaque inky black with no sparkle, fizzy, finger-width light brown head with reddish overtones, poor retention and trace lacing. Aroma is strong, decadent chocolate covered espresso bean with vanilla with a hint of barrel aging. Taste is really rich chocolate and vanilla, milder roasted coffee/malt and hint of cherry(?). Palate is medium bodied with heavy, thick texture (like a slightly watered down chocolate syrup), pleasant esophageal warmth, soft-to-average carbonation and sweet finish as taste. Overall, what a decadent treat for the senses. The chocolate and vanilla are really the stars of the show with the coffee playing a supporting role and not offering much bitterness. Rich and sweet without being cloyingly so. Amazing aroma and flavors and a palate to die for!

Growler at Monday Night Tasting. Pours black with brown head. Nose/taste of coffee bean, vanilla bean, toasted coconut and toasted chocolate. Medium body.