Got in a trade with GreenBayBA. 12 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 6/5/2018. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a small fairly dense and fluffy khaki head with solid retention, that reduces to a a minimal spotty lace cap that lingers. Minimal spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, fudge, marshmallow, vanilla, cream, bourbon, toasted oak, and dark bread; with light notes of coffee, nuttiness, licorice, molasses, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, leather, smoke, char, herbal, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, bourbon barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, fudge, marshmallow, vanilla, cream, bourbon, toasted oak, and dark bread; with light notes of coffee, nuttiness, licorice, molasses, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, leather, smoke, char, herbal, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Very mild herbal/roast/char bitterness and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, fudge, marshmallow, vanilla, cream, bourbon, toasted oak, dark bread; light molasses, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, char, herbal, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, bourbon barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a great roast/hop bitter/sweet, and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying/acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness, and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety, and slightly slick/sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Mildly increasing warmth of 13.5%, with minimal barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged American imperial stout! All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, bourbon barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV, with the mildly bitter/tannic/drying finish. Very clean and rich malt complexity, with amazing barrel integration. Not overly boozy/tannic on barrels. Mild fruity yeast and earthy hop balance against sweetness. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on style example. This was a great experience of developing complexities as it warmed up as expected.

Got in a trade with GreenBayBA. 16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned in 8/2018. Pours fairly hazy/cloudy deep golden amber/light orange color with a 1 finger dense off white head with great retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big lightly tart/tangy mango, melon, pink guava, passion fruit, papaya, lemon, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, berries, citrus peel/rind, light pepper, pine, wheat, cracker, biscuit dough, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops, mango, guava, and moderate bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big tart/tangy mango, melon, pink guava, passion fruit, papaya, lemon, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, berries, citrus peel/rind, light pepper, pine, wheat, cracker, biscuit dough, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of mango, melon, pink guava, passion fruit, papaya, lemon, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, berries, citrus peel/rind, pepper, pine, wheat, cracker, biscuit dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops, mango, guava, and moderate bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and minimal lingering hop astringency after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/grainy/sticky, and fairly resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5.3%. Overall this is an excellent NE APA. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops, mango, guava, and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with modestly bitter/resinous/drying finish, not overly aggressive. Definitely feels like Mosaic/Citra. Great balance of juicy hops/fruit, with some dank/earthy notes; nice malt backbone, with minimal residual sweetness from lingering dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and well made style example.