5

Pool pudelist oli välja lekkinud, aga no ticki saab vähemalt kätte... magus, mõru, väga kuiv, alkone, väga tanniiinine, puidune, tammene. Selle kohta võiks vist öelda, et hea näide miks kauem vaadis ei ole automaatselt parem, liialt intesiivne.

7.6

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

One of - meanwhile - many variants on the Antwerp imperial stout by Galea simply called 'Antwerp', this time aged on a bourbon brand (Blanton) I never came across. Rather thinnish, immediately opening, dark beige, moussey ring and flat 'islands' of foam over a black robe with vague burgundy edges only visible under bright light. Intense bouquet of mint-filled chocolate bars, toffee, kahlua, Poire William, hard green apples or pears, fresh figs, cashew nuts, liquorice (not too intrusively though), quince jam, cocoa (actually added) and even more obvious cinnamon (dito) even though the latter is not too overpowering, vanilla-breathing oak, molasses, Tia Maria coffee liqueur, bourbon but not as vanillin-like as I am used to it, caramel sauce, shoe polish, fresh paint, faint stale sweat, Worcestershire sauce and Camembert. Sweet, appropriately dense onset, strong pear and green apple mixed with fresh fig and medlar impressions, with the softest blackberry-like sourishness underneath but no real umami; finely tingling, even somewhat prickly effervescence. Thick slabs of malt ensue, caramel candy, dark chocolate, molasses, pecan nuts and treacle all piled upon each other, with considerable syrupy sweetness and only little coffeeish or toasty malt bitterness to counterbalance this sweetness; sticky, yet remaining smooth (and thickly oily). The Blanton bourbon cannot wait to unveil itself, effectuating a rather 'methylated spirit'-like astringency and eventually pure ethereal booziness, over the expected notes of spicy hops (failing to provide enough 'anti-sweetness' though) and vanilla-like oak wood (dito). Faint notes of Worcestershire sauce and 'drop' linger in an intensely boozy, demanding, long and fiery finish, where Poire William or 'raw' cognac seem more likely as the added liquor than any kind of bourbon I know. The added cocoa accentuates the overall 'chocolateyness' of this hefty stout and the cinnamon indeed lingers as an extra decoration. In any case the tail is quite peppery - because of the alcohol and nothing else - a bit too much so for me, but what was I expecting of a 14.5% imperial stout anyway... Too boozy, sticky and hot for me personally, but that raw green apple- and Poire William-like 'greenness' of it all is admittedly entertaining.

7.9

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

Mossy rim over deep, red-highlighted brown-black beer. Alcohol, fusels, pear, dried prune, raisins, booze, Bourbon & vanilla. Sweet, mild roast, vanilla. Alcohol & fusels. Character as from a 'Calvados' made with pears. Fiery alcoholheat and -burning. Thick, viscous. Good carbonation. Very serious attempt at emulating the great American Imperial Stouts. Meritorious, but (only) just falling short.