from Siris at meug festival 2022

The maple syrup barrel aged version of a coconut-flavoured imperial stout by Westbrook, sample from a three year old bottle from Siris, cheers kraddel. Pale beige, very thin and immediately open ring, quickly dissolving altogether on a black beer with burgundy edges. Intense and beguiling nose of indeed clear but natural coconut (as in fresh coconut milk), also Bounty candy, chocolate liqueur, thick sweet maple syrup clear enough too, very prominently vanilla-scenting oak wood, Belgian chocolates, toffee, walnut paste, ‘fondant’ chocolate bars, bourbon, mocha ice cream, cappuccino. Intense onset, sweet but not sticky, dense and concentrated – full of raisin, candied date, fig jam and hazelnut, softly carbonated with full, very oily mouthfeel. Thick layers of thoroughly dark-chocolatey, toffeeish and hazelnutty malts fill the mouth, deeply drenched in sweet and spicy maple syrup and scenting of vanilla from the oak barrels, until of course the coconut sets in – but in a very natural, ‘unforced’ and lovely nutty way, contrary to those artificial coconut aromas you often encounter in this kind of beer. Light tannins, lovely bitter roasty notes (coffee) but in a soft and elegant way, lingering coconut and vanilla, light peppery hops – all heated by a strong glow of bourbon- and brandy-like alcohol: a beautiful finish to a truly beautiful beer. Westbrook sure knows how to flavour their strong stouts in such a way that everything remains natural and credible without going all ‘pastry’ in a caricatural way as is so often the case – so even if this is very contemporary in its flavouring, the execution is rather old school, and truly stunning. I could easily down a whole bomber of this.

Pours black. Scent is full, roasty, to an almost smokey touch. Taste is full, intense, roasty, liquid chocolate. Mild maple, no smoke here, obviously. Coconut is very mild. lovely !

Bottle 650ml @ home
Pours black with a tan head. Aroma has notes of roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, vanilla, maple syrup, oak, caramel, alcohol and coconut. Taste is medium to heavy sweet and medium bitter with a long warm, roasted, chocolate, oak, caramel, coffee, vanilla and coconut finish. Body is full, texture is oily, carbonation is soft.

Panda thanks to Cloin: Poured a black with reddish edges, head is tan colored. Aroma is super boosted, roasted malts, maple, chocolate. Taste is boozy, bourbon, maple, chocolate, rich malt, alcohol burn in the finish.

Bottle shared in HW - cheers to Dave. Pours oily back with a creamy tan head. Medium to big sweet flavour, light oxidation, some coconut, milk chocolate, light roast. Medium to full bodied with fine carbonation. Sticky, lightly warming finish, gooey chocolate, bourbon, brownies. Really tasty.

Bottle shared at Colin's place. Many thanks to Wingman for this one. OILY black brown coloured pour with a lasting halo of tan head. Aroma is meaty roast, bourbon, oak, metal, coconut,. Flavour is composed of medium sweet. Sticky brown sugars, brandy snap sugars, meaty,