8.5

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

(375ml waxed bottle from the BG18e brewpub) Pours black with a tiny ring of brownish bubbles, no head or lace. Aroma is rich earthy slightly nutty coffee (beans and brewed) mixed with milk and dark chocolate bars, well-integrated and sweetish bourbon, floral vanilla, underlying dark sugar/chocolate malt core that supports the adjuncts well, no real roast from the malt detectable and lets the coffee/cacao handle that. Flavour follows the nose nicely, rich brewed earthy coffee and dark chocolate that contribute a lot of flavour without much bitterness, deep caramelized sugar, smooth bourbon with well-integrated wood and a maple-like accent, vanilla is floral and fits with the barrel, moderately sweet for style with no real roast acidity and lactose in the background, long coffee/chocolate finish with smooth bourbon input. Medium-bodied, oily, very softly carbonated. Excellent adjunct stout that doesn't drop too far into the pastry realm, slightly thicker body would have been nice but the brewing is otherwise top-notch.

8

A deep dark stout with a thin dark brown head. In aroma, sweet chocolate with loads of coffee grind, vanilla, alcohol warmth , very nice. In mouth, dark chocolate with vanilla. Alcohol warmth. Lots of vanilla. Very nice and rich. On tap at brewery.