8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8

Very nice imperial stout, full of bittersweet chocolate and roasted java notes, with a wickedly dry finish steeped in bourbon. Starts with cocoa and dark fruit notes--raisins and black cherries with a little molasses-slathered fig thrown in for good measure--before the oak kicks in, giving the middle a woodsy flourish laced with vanilla. Whiskey kicks in on the IBU-laced back end, leading to an indulgent, booze-fueled bitter fade. Creamy, thick texture has no trace of alcohol (as it should be, since this RIS falls on the lower-octane end of the spectrum), and the nose offers up plenty of chocolate and char and bourbon. Delicious.