8.3

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

Bottled April 13, 2016, drunk 10/21/16, thanks to Blisscent.
The usual perfect pour from a bottled HF product. Dark ebony-cocoa body of undetermined clarity. Large, dense head, strong retention, etc....
Right away the first thing I notice is that it’s significantly less boozy than the port barrel version, which is odd since this is much younger than when I had the port. Anyways, bourbon character is moderate, definitely a big portion of the nose, but not dominant and it’s backed by cocoa, prunes, fudge and very even, mild roast. Vanilla, graham cracker and caramel on the finish, show the malt depth and the bourbon dries out the finish, with spicy liquor notes and light wood. Low on the alcohol, with just a hint of warmth and no flaws.
Rich, of course, in the mouth with plentiful bourbon notes backed by rich fudgey malts. Cocoa, cola, cherry, vanilla and caramel all present a fairly straightforward Imperial as the chalky, mineral-rich water of HF works its magic on the less tangible character of the beer. Velvety, but not syrupy, malty but not cloying, with tight carbonation and very light alcohol warmth. Delightful. Thanks, Nelson.

10

Late checkin