Bourbon Barrel Aged Siberian Night - Thirsty Dog Brewing Company

lanamj

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

64oz growler shared with friends.

A- Pours a nice coffee black with a minimal caramel head that dissolves quickly.

S- Nice balance between malts, chocolate, and bourbon. I feel like the balance here is perfect. I love the evolution of this nose as this stout reaches room temp.

T- Chocolate and malts dominate this ale. I get some bourbon but not as much as revealed on the nose. I feel this is a very well balanced ale nothing over powers the palate.

M- Like chocolate milk smooth. So silky and the abv is masked perfectly. A little thin but manageable. Low carbonation but expected for the style.

O- A great barrel aged stout, a little thin but still very silky. The nose is my favorite part, i could smell this beer all day. The balance in flavors makes this a very approachable barrel aged stout.

Serving type: growler

10-05-2011 16:40:00 | More by lanamj

ATLbeerDog

Georgia

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours pitch black with a huge light brown/tan super frothy thick head that is very slow to recede. When it does, it leaves a very heavy coating of lacing the completely covers the inside of the class – you don’t see that everyday! Smells of chocolate, coffee, and a tad of bourbon comprise the nose. First sip is creamy smooth with sweet chocolate malts hitting first that quickly move aside making way for intense bitter coffee/dark chocolate finish. Not as bourbony as I would have hoped but it is there. Mouthfeel is as good as it gets and if I did not know for sure that it is C02, I might just think this bad boy was on nitro. This is World Class for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2011 02:42:14 | More by ATLbeerDog

Jesse13713

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at laundry 101 in Kent. Apparently I was the first the buy it because everyone yelled LOOK HOW DARK IT IS when it came out of the tap. Yes mah ladies. That this an imperial stout. They also gave me free three hour old hungry Howie pizza with this beer. My friends, that is what I call a bullseye.

Appearance - Pitch black. The dog sure is in the syberian. Must be a husky because he is DARK. A rich foam sits atop that coats the glass like milky cream. Completely opaque. Appears rich and chocolaty.

Smell - Smells like a true imperial stout. You can definitely tell from the nose that it is aged in bourbon barrels. I can almost taste the bourbon through the nose. P..s. this is the fourth day or maybe seventh day I've been drunk in a row. I love beer. Heavy sèmoky chocolate with a burn. smells delicious and reminds me of my day spent at Jackie Os with the heavy fruit notes.

Taste - Served in a twelve oz. Snifter. Extremely milky and creamy. Surprisingly smooth. Light plum in the background. Strict coffee and chocolate milk. Heavy on the Bourbon and alcohol actually. The bourbon does leave a nice burn on the tongue. A light fizzy fruit burn as well.

Mouth feel and overall - A delicious, fruity and chocolate burn. As I said, milky and smooth. Very rich but not too heavy bodied. A nice, smooth burn. A very solid offering from thirsty dog that still reminds me of my trip to Jackie Os in Athens.

Serving type: on-tap

09-05-2011 19:20:33 | More by Jesse13713

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.7/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

i have actually had this twice, once a while back and again recently, it just keeps finding me!

thick, black oil like liquid which had a tan head that really very slowly faded leaving behind lots of gooey sticky brown lace.

strong, main hints were of caramel, with some chocolate mixed in and a strong bourbon presence. Lots of sweet vanilla and almost a mocha smell as well, It was smooth, with not alot of carbonation. Huge bourbon whiskey type taste hit me right away as did the alcohol, this was not something to be messed with for sure. Very creamy thick feel and very strong alcohol presentation. Hints at french vanilla and a touch of chocolate rounded out the back side and added a bit of sweetness.

Overall this is probably one of the strongest tasting, in the sense of the upfront alcohol taste, I have had in a stout. A definate sipper and probably could use time to sit down in the cellar for a while. I would be intrested in trying some if it were bottled and sat/

Serving type: growler

08-21-2011 17:36:06 | More by mikesgroove

JDizzle

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got a growler of this at Party Town in Florence, Ky. Gotta say I was pumped to find the BA version of this! The ABV said 12%.

Pours extremly dark-espresso like. Tan foamy head with great lacing. There is still a ring at the top of the glass after drinking most of it.

The nose is lighter than I thought it would be. Roasted malts, chocolate, espresso, oak, bourbon, and tobacco-not too impressive compared to other big stouts.

The taste is much better than the smell. You get a strong Oak and bourbon blast up front. It finishes with some chocolate and a little of the tobacco I smelled-different?

Drinkability is really great considering the high ABV. It's not so heavy to be one and done, and the taste is really solid, just not quite up there with the Elite.

This was my first beer from Thirsty Dog-well done!

Serving type: growler

07-27-2011 22:29:28 | More by JDizzle

ne0m00re

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

06/26/11- On tap at Mad Mex in a 12 oz tulip.
A: Opaque, VERY dark brown, dark tan collar and film and lacing.
S: Molasses, chocolate, sweet caramel, well-rounded barrel and bourbon character, blackberries and figs. Good.
T: Almost menthol like, like hot cocoa with mint and espresso with coffee liqueur, crisp bourbon alcohol. Decent. Interesting orange character.
M: Thicker, creamy with a crisp linger.
O: Good. Glad I got to try it, but I'm not overly impressed.

Serving type: on-tap

07-18-2011 01:05:44 | More by ne0m00re

jrallen34

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Growler... Light black body, light tan head, nice lasting tan head for a ba beer...the nose is too light, sweet bourbon, a little chocolate, disappointed, a bit of a fruity nose as well... The taste is also disappointing, this destroys the base beer roasted chocolate notes, mostly a sweet bourbon stout, boring... Had such high hopes, let down

Serving type: growler

07-17-2011 21:32:26 | More by jrallen34

AgentZero

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to Jason for sharing this recently filled growler.

A - Black beer with a small tan head that left some spot on the side.

S - I get some interesting apple smell off of this. Some oak, whiskey, little bit sweet. The barrel kind of killed the underlying beer here, with only a little bit of roast and chocolate peaking through.

T - Tastes a bit like apples too, with some sweet darker fruits, lot of hard oak, sweetness, whiskey. Really kind of hot and hard to get down. Some of the roast and chocolate come through, but this is one of those times where I like the regular version much better than the barrel aged.

M - Barrel has thinned this one out. Lower carbonation, kind of slick.

O - Not really impressed, this beer didn't taste as good as the regular version, and was actually really hard to drink much of. Like the regular, pass on this.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 21:31:06 | More by AgentZero

MasterSki

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Jason for sharing this one. Served in a variety of different glasses throughout the evening.

A - A finger of tan foam settles to a very thin cap, and spotchy chunks of lace. The body is black as night, wit only the faintest hint of brown at the fringes.

S - Initially this has a lot of sharp oak, with a tart appleskin note and maybe a hint of acetone. Reminds me a little of BA Everett. As it warms up there is more in the way of roasted grains, and chocolate, Plenty of bourbon flavor throughout.

T - The taste is less oaky and heavier on chocolate, dark fruits, and dark roast coffee. There's actually a light candi sugar note that is a bit surprising. Finishes with a mixture of bourbon bite and espresso bitterness.

M - Lower carbonation, medium body-full body, smooth and velvety texture, and light alcohol warmth. Quite nice.

D - This is pretty solid, although the bourbon and oak flavors obliterate a lot of the things I like about the base beer. This actually got better throughout the night, as the tart note mostly dissipated. Alcohol is well-disguised and this goes down pretty smooth.

Serving type: growler

07-16-2011 19:03:14 | More by MasterSki

kirok1999

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours black as coal, light and foamy head that dissipates quickly. Thick legs left on the snifter.
Dark chocolate smell, hints of creamy coffee and slight dark fruit. A pretty mild nose in all.
Taste is very nice, sweet dark chocolate is dominant with some coffee and bourbon as well. A very lingering dark finish helps the bourbon stick around for a while. Not sure what the ABV is but I suspect it's up there around 10%. Either that or it just pulled a ton of alcohol from the barrels.
Feels smooth, creamy, rich and dense. I wish they would bottle this, it's one of the best BA stouts out there.

Serving type: growler

07-12-2011 00:37:24 | More by kirok1999

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at The Brew Kettle, served in a snifter. A big sipper. Dark, thick, minimal head. Big on chocolate, and coconut and vanilla from the barrelling. A hint of booziness.Coffee, coco, roasted malt. Overall well executed, bitter but still balance.Roast in aroma.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2011 13:58:48 | More by northyorksammy

thegodfather1076

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer was served out of a tap and dispensed into a nice size sniffer glass.

Presentation - Poured into a brandy sniffer at the Thirsty Dog Tasting Room at Thirsty Dog Brewery in Akron, OH.

Appearance - Poured a deep brown almost black color with a 1/2 finger dark brown head that dissipates into a thick foam ring. Great lacing left all the way.

Smell - Smells of vanilla and roast chocolate/coffe with hints of bourbon. Can definitly detect the alcohol but its not intrusive or overpowering.

Taste - Tastes of dark chocolate and dark roasted coffee with slight hints of vanilla a woody bourbon barrel again alcohol is masked very well in the taste.

Mouthfeel - Full bodied, thick, and creamy mouthfeel with little to no carbonation.

Drinkability - Very drinkable if you like the style. Feels lighter even though its thick and full bodied. Could probably only drink one or 2 because of the thick nature and higer alcohol content.

I loved this offering. Seeing as how I really enjoy stouts this is one of the more complex stouts that I've had. The flavors meshed very well together. I would def recommend trying this while its available.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2011 23:18:03 | More by thegodfather1076

Brent

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Blake for lining this up for the tap at Chuck's. Jet black with a deep mocha head. The flavor profile delivers not much bourbon, but more of the bourbon flavor components - brown sugar, vanilla, a touch of oak and light coffee and unsweetened chocolate background. Teetering on boozy, but no heat from the alcohol. As one would expect, a bit sweet and dense, but within appropriate bounds. Well executed.

Serving type: growler

06-27-2011 19:02:13 | More by Brent

nrbw23

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours pretty much a black color or really dark brown with a small light brown head. Head turns into a ring of bubbles around the edge and leaves some nice layered lacing.

S- Smell is dark roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, and a bit of darker fruits. Bourbon is very nice in this brew. It really jumps out at you along with some vanilla and wood.

T- A good amount of bourbon that is nothing over the top. Just like the nose darker fruits are here more than in the nose. Roasted malts, touch of coffee, and chocolate.

M- Fuller in body and on the low end in carbonation.

O- Very solid brew and just what I expected.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2011 18:46:14 | More by nrbw23

Spider889

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to MbpBugeye for sharing this growler. I had no idea TD was barreling anything until this growler hand-off at Jackie O's occurred.

Pours a thick black licorice color with a generous finger or so worth of sandy head. Pillowy carbonation/head leaving great stripes of lace on my snifter.

Smells of sweet dark chocolate with some fruity bourbon mixed in. Very light aromas of vanilla and oaky char.

This is a very well-balanced tasting barrel-aged stout. The bourbon is definitely secondary to everything else. Lots of char. Heavily roasted barley provides some black coffee notes and bitterness. Dark fruit, namely raisin is also detectable. Vanilla is on the finish.

There's some strong heat to this one felt deep in the throat. Full-bodied and dry.

Overall an excellent offering from Thirsty Dog. As far as barreling goes this could use a little more bourbon flavor to really make it stand out. That said, with a base beer like Siberian Night, you can't really wind up with a bad beer.

Serving type: growler

06-08-2011 17:00:50 | More by Spider889

mwill7287

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Blue Hills Brewing (MA) growler filled from tap at Whole Foods, poured into 11 oz. GLBC snifter.

Appearance: Dark as what a Siberian night would presumably look like. Maybe more like a black hole. No light is getting out of this beer alive. A mocha brown head lines the narrow opening of the snifter, floating gently on the surface of the brew. A decent amount of carbonation runs up the slopes towards the peak of the glass. A thin brown film of lacing, holey like Swiss cheese, is left behind on the snifter. Can't ask for much more from a RIS. 5

Smell: Very aromatic. The bourbon aging comes out first in the nose. There's a good blend of sweet, malty chocolate in there along with hints of coffee and maybe some dark fruits, though I couldn't tell you which. Especially with the bourbon tones, this is a pretty smelling beer. 4.5

Taste: Following the scent's example, the bourbon aging takes the lead in the taste of this beer. This baby lets you know she's been aging, just for you, for some time. Then, about halfway through the sip, the chocolate kicks in very markedly, washing over the palate to complement the bourbon with rich sweetness. The bourbon persists throughout the whole of the drink, especially as it fades into the aftertaste. The beer is medium hopped, leaving distinct traces of bitterness to balance out the hard-hitting maltiness of the chocolates, especially in the long-lingering aftertaste. As the brew warms, the alcohol begins to come out, giving it an ever so slightly boozy quality. Overall, the taste is in no way overpowering or taste-bud destroying, like many RIS. It's just dang good. 4.5

Mouthfeel: A thick beer, very creamy, almost like drinking a hot chocolate made with milk. Still, it's not much of a struggle across the tongue, especially with the relatively low hopping. The carbonation is, unsurprisingly low, only making itself felt on the initial contact of the sip. 4

Overall: I think this one is worth the local hype. It's a well balanced RIS, really enhanced by the bourbon barrel aging both in taste and, especially, in smell. Can't do anything to make the black-as-night appearance any better, and the consistency of the drink makes it pleasurable to quaff. Both an accessible and a very rich RIS. Hat tip to the Ohio boys on this one. 4.5

Serving type: growler

05-30-2011 00:38:59 | More by mwill7287

mcallister

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Black pour with a creamy thick half inch tan head.

Smells of bourbon, sour cherry, very woody with vanilla and other black fruits. Bourbon overpowers.

A bit cardboardy and full of wood tannins. Gritty consistency in the middle, light dark chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, cherry, and some earth. Vanilla and bourbon mingle well with the oak. Nice but just missing something.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2011 18:03:17 | More by mcallister

b3shine

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Draft to snifter. Looks good; cola black with a little more head than normal for its type. Smells of good bourbon. Tastes great; silky smooth stout with a bourbon back. Excellent. Mouthfeel is good too. Definitely a sipper. I really enjoyed this beer, even at $9 a snifter.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2011 21:11:46 | More by b3shine

prototypic

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one arrived looking onyx. Absolutely pitch black. Light was rather dim, but it didn’t seem to penetrate through at all. It’s topped with a darker, mocha colored head. It’s roughly a finger tall, and dissipates somewhat quickly. Lacing was sticky, and a little lighter in volume.

The nose is quite impressive. A strong whiff of roasted coffee greets the nose first. I’m a coffee fan, so I love that about it. A mix of chocolate and roasted malts follows. The chocolate smells like bittersweet dark chocolate fudge. Very nice. I’m honestly not getting much bourbon at all. There’s hint of it. Oak and vanilla are noted and come through equally as strong as the bourbon, if not a little stronger. Alcohol is there, but doesn’t offend.

The flavor rocks! The malt base is very tasty. Dark chocolate fudge and roasted malt notes are abundant. They’re complemented extremely well by a rich, roasted coffee flavor. The coffee flavor is relatively intense, and may be a little much for the coffee averse. Bourbon is a little noticeable, but is very tame in flavor. It tastes excellent, but I wouldn’t mind just a little boost in bourbon here. Oak and vanilla are perhaps a little more noticeable and add quality depth. Hints of molasses and anise are noted on the tail. Alcohol is there, but isn’t warm or hot. A java-malt-oak combo wraps it up.

The body is a bit lighter than expected. It’s best described as medium. Light carbonation helps it to attain a smooth feel, but more body would be a good thing. Nonetheless, this stuff goes down like a dream. I wouldn’t mind another.

Barrel-Aged Siberian Night is definitely good beer. It impresses in a lot of ways. It’s not quite as good as Siberian Night. I believe a bit more bourbon would improve the nose and the flavor just enough to surpass it. I generally prefer a lighter bourbon presence, but this one almost seems too light. I’m curious how long it might have spent in barrels. In any event, this is impressive stuff. If you have the opportunity, grab it!

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2011 03:18:42 | More by prototypic

seeswo

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Jampics2 for the growler. Pours black with a good sized tan head. The nose is bourbon and chocolate, roasted malt. Smell is very nice. The taste is a big burst of roast and chocolate, with a lesser, melded flavor of vanilla, wood and smoky/burnt malts These flavors are really well blended. My only complaint with the flavor is that there is a touch more bitterness in the chocolate flavor than I prefer. That said, this is a really tasty beer and the barrel again represents a major improvement over the base beer. Mouthfeel is decently creamy with good carbonation, though this isn't where is beer shines. Overall, this is a really good barrel aged imperial stout.

Serving type: growler

05-01-2011 23:32:58 | More by seeswo

jampics2

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Winter Warmer festival.

I must have missed this on my first couple trips around the room, but luckily I got to it before the getting was gone. I actually stayed way past my session time enjoying this with some of the Thirsty Dog & Hoppin' Frog peeps! Thanks!!

The beer looks nice – it’s pitch black with a nice head and touches of lace leftover. Nothing unexpected, and, actually, nicer depth of color and retention than expected. Pretty great start!

The nose is where this starts to shine. There’s the typical roasted malt that Siberian night features, but it’s a bit more subdued than normal instead of being the feature. There are mild notes of oak as well, lending some vanilla to the fold.

No real “bourbon” flavors come through on my first sip, but there’s some added depth and a nice touch of vanilla in the end of the taste. I get mild notes of apple skin and brown sugar as well. Add that to an already fantastic base beer, and you get great complimentary notes of coffee, chocolate and a hint of smoke/burned malt. From what I've learned, this was in the barrel for 30 days (even the brewer didn't know the barrel type) and I think it worked better than a wet barrel and 6 months would have.

The mouthfeel was good, nothing too burly, but nice thickness and creamy carbonation. The beer was just a touch syrupy. Overall, this was a wonderful tasting beer that didn’t go all-out in the barrel aging. I’d love to have it again side-by-side with the regular as I feel more nuances would be notable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2011 18:43:30 | More by jampics2

Ryan011235

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Delirium tulip on 4/4/11

Thanks to MbpBugeye; really stoked to try this.

Inky, dark brown; almost black. I managed to get over two fingers of tanned brown foam. Said foam thins out over five minutes to a bubbly island surrounded by a filmy layer. Lots of lace for the style - walled at first, drying and cracking over time.

Really subtle bourbon note; just a twinge of sweetness in the aroma, though it does gain momentum as it warms. Oak and earthy notes are quite prominent in the mid-section. Unsweetened chocolate and some roastiness are situated underneath. Perhaps a faint spot of vanilla. The aroma smooths out over time.

My first impression after taking a sip is that this is a simple, well-composed beer. Reasonable amount of roastiness but it's mostly obscured by semi-sweet chocolate. Bourbon is appreciable, especially on the finish. It's actually pretty hot with some straight bourbon heat. Roasty, dry finish. Oak, of the slightly musty variety, permeates the flavor profile with suggestions of vanilla.

Full bodied and offering a modest graininess. Carbonation starts off pretty low and mellows even more over time resulting in a nice, viscous feel. As mentioned above, it does get boozy. More mustiness and oak as it warms, too.

On the whole I dig it. There's a prime point after it has warmed up a bit but before it opens up too much. I'm really happy I was able to try this; didn't think I would. Thanks, Seth!

Serving type: growler

04-11-2011 05:24:08 | More by Ryan011235

MbpBugeye

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks are in order for WhyBeNormal for scoring me a growler of this Ohio rarity.

Appearance
Very minimal head. You'd really struggle to get a massive crown on this beer but there is a respectable khaki colored ring. Its not the deepest of blacks, it has colors of root beer and charred reds.

Smell
Rich chocolate truffle kicks things off with a decadent touch. The chocolate teams up with dark roasted coffee to form aromas of chocolate covered espresso beans. Bourbon aromas are very deeply integrated. This is far from a bourbon bomb. The bourbon barrel notes push forth some vanilla and oak that seems to bolster the rich bitter chocolate. As it warms alcohol becomes more noticeable and licorice and dark fruits open up

Taste
That rich truffle found in the nose starts off big in the taste. Its dark and bittersweet, but very creamy at the same time. Vanilla comes out a little bit to push this creaminess. Very light bourbon brings more creaminess, especially as it warms. Once fully opened up a layer of dark fruits becomes evident. The bourbon barreling is very integrated and nuanced. This beer is not a bourbon sledge hammer.

Mouthfeel
Not crazy thick and I may even remember the regular Siberian Night being more thick bodied. Low carbonation with a creaminess only cut through by a little bit of alcohol.

Overall
A very nice beer. Its nice to see that the awesome base beer isn't buried behind a slab of bourbon barreling. I hope to see and try more barrel aging efforts from the guys at Thirsty Dog.

Serving type: growler

04-10-2011 21:25:59 | More by MbpBugeye

largadeer

California

4.38/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to drgonzo3705 for the growler.

A shade lighter than black, though completely opaque, even when thinned. A hard pour left me with two fingers of tan colored head that eventually receded to a film.

Oh man, this smells good. The bourbon barrel is present but understated, lending a chocolate truffle sweetness that balances really nicely with aromas of black coffee, charred malt, black cherry and licorice. It's reminiscent of FiftyFifty's Eclipse in many ways, but with less up front barrel character.

It tastes every bit as delicious as it smells. Iced coffee is the first thing that comes to mind; it's an almost refreshing beer (for the style). Bittersweet chocolate and licorice meld with subdued caramel and vanilla from the barrel. The body is medium-full. It's by no means thin, but it isn't a huge or syrupy; the beer is almost dry in the finish, leaving lingering flavors of licorice and burnt malt.

Serving type: growler

04-02-2011 01:05:33 | More by largadeer