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Imperial Eclipse Stout - Pappy Van Winkle (23 Year)
FiftyFifty Brewing Co.
- From:
- FiftyFifty Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 9.5%
- Score:
- 99
- Avg:
- 4.5 | pDev: 10.22%
- Reviews:
- 61
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Nov 29, 2023
- Added:
- Feb 02, 2009
- Wants:
- 414
- Gots:
- 22
2008. A few (aged) cases were released in 2010.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BrewerB:
Reviewed by BrewerB from North Carolina
4.67/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.67/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I'll admit...when this was made available for sale at the 2011 Eclipse Release party at $125 for a 22oz bottle, I chuckled to myself. And when my buddy Kevin offered to buy a bottle for us to share at City Beer Store the following day, as repayment for me picking him up a few of the 2011 releases, I thought he was joking. Big thanks goes out to Kevin for being serious! Would likely never have sampled it without his offer.
Poured into a snifter. It's a still, dark brown color. No head formation visible from the pour I received. Viscous with clinging legs grasping the sides of the glass.
Inviting aroma included toffee, tahitian vanilla, cocoa. Picking up on some toasted wood as well. Given the strength on this beer, the nose is susprisingly smooth with alcohol being well-masked.
Flavors included some you'd expect from this burly style of beer - burnt toffee, caramel, campfire smokiness. Slightly sweet at the end. Moderately bitter.
Moderate full body. Low carbonation. Smooth and warming.
Quite a treat to have sampled this one. I realize it's considered a whale by many and I did my best to not let this cloud judgment. Certainly sampling 7 varieties of eclipse and a BART the night prior helped factor into my assessment.
Very complex, layered flavors. Exactly what I like to find in a beer of this style. Sip after sip tore off another page in the taste book and made one of the most enjoyable sessions I've had. One of the best imperial stouts I've sampled and definitely the best Eclipse I've had. Perhaps one of the many bottles from the 2011 vintage can match up given an equal amount of time in the cellar.
Dec 12, 2011Poured into a snifter. It's a still, dark brown color. No head formation visible from the pour I received. Viscous with clinging legs grasping the sides of the glass.
Inviting aroma included toffee, tahitian vanilla, cocoa. Picking up on some toasted wood as well. Given the strength on this beer, the nose is susprisingly smooth with alcohol being well-masked.
Flavors included some you'd expect from this burly style of beer - burnt toffee, caramel, campfire smokiness. Slightly sweet at the end. Moderately bitter.
Moderate full body. Low carbonation. Smooth and warming.
Quite a treat to have sampled this one. I realize it's considered a whale by many and I did my best to not let this cloud judgment. Certainly sampling 7 varieties of eclipse and a BART the night prior helped factor into my assessment.
Very complex, layered flavors. Exactly what I like to find in a beer of this style. Sip after sip tore off another page in the taste book and made one of the most enjoyable sessions I've had. One of the best imperial stouts I've sampled and definitely the best Eclipse I've had. Perhaps one of the many bottles from the 2011 vintage can match up given an equal amount of time in the cellar.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
4.25/5 rDev -5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Catch up rating form notes, 2014. Sampled at the annual Boise RIS tasting. Everything about this beer screams excellent. INky, silky black, small ring of tight beige head. Big boozy aroma, roasty malts, hints of chocolate. Taste has all of tha with a nice pleasant warmth that gradually seeps in. Wonderful!
Nov 29, 2023Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
4.59/5 rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.59/5 rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Occasionally, an occasion calls for such a beer. Duh.
This one hits those black notes in the middle, an almost cherry cola like head on the top, 1/2" deep. Aroma dropped a massive amount of alcohol and chocolate in the nose when fresh, but is one of those rare beers that with age gracefully becomes so sexy and the booze wears off and the bourbon comes out more. Wafts into sweet territory after that. Cocao. Pulling tiny amounts of coconut and char as well.
Taste, smoother than the nose, heat not as strong. Even better sipped on an drank slowly. Plenty of hops here, that and the substantial roast result in a high degree of ibus, but this can handle it. Vanilla is a nice addition as well.
One of the best fiftyfifty beers for sure. Subsequent releases have been good, but often hotter when fresh. I like to let 'em sit awhile for sure. But when the alcohol is stabilized, the chocolate and bourbon really come out and make a rich experience worth savoring.
Apr 25, 2016This one hits those black notes in the middle, an almost cherry cola like head on the top, 1/2" deep. Aroma dropped a massive amount of alcohol and chocolate in the nose when fresh, but is one of those rare beers that with age gracefully becomes so sexy and the booze wears off and the bourbon comes out more. Wafts into sweet territory after that. Cocao. Pulling tiny amounts of coconut and char as well.
Taste, smoother than the nose, heat not as strong. Even better sipped on an drank slowly. Plenty of hops here, that and the substantial roast result in a high degree of ibus, but this can handle it. Vanilla is a nice addition as well.
One of the best fiftyfifty beers for sure. Subsequent releases have been good, but often hotter when fresh. I like to let 'em sit awhile for sure. But when the alcohol is stabilized, the chocolate and bourbon really come out and make a rich experience worth savoring.
Reviewed by Pliny_the_Self-righteous from California
4.73/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.73/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Bottle @ CBS on 4/14/15. Pours black with minimal tan head that dissipates quickly. Aroma of chocolate, vanilla, molasses, roasted malt and bourbon. Medium mouthfeel. Taste of bourbon, molasses, roasted malt, chocolate with some hints of oak and vanilla. Definitely one of the best Eclipses. Tough to tell if it's declined a little with age, as others have suggested.
Apr 15, 2015
Imperial Eclipse Stout - Pappy Van Winkle (23 Year) from FiftyFifty Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
99 out of
100 with
126 ratings
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