Imperial Eclipse Stout - Pappy Van Winkle (23 Year)
FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

Imperial Eclipse Stout - Pappy Van Winkle (23 Year)Imperial Eclipse Stout - Pappy Van Winkle (23 Year)
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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:
126
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:
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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
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, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of stevoj
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
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, 2023
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

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, 2016
 
Rated: 5 by t2grogan from Arizona

Mar 13, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by striker2160 from Minnesota

Dec 24, 2015
Photo of Pliny_the_Self-righteous
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
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
 
Rated: 4.86 by Rothobinide from California

Jan 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by wethorseblanket from California

Jan 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by akang from California

Dec 12, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by SocalKicks from California

Dec 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by fthegiants from California

Dec 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4.4 by Oakhtar from California

Nov 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Flabbyjandro from Illinois

Nov 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4.27 by cultclassic89 from Texas

Sep 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by jeff1973 from California

Sep 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by zestar from California

Aug 01, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by BuckTuckian from Kentucky

Jun 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by QuakeAttack from California

Jun 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by baybum from Pennsylvania

Apr 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by tbone1384 from Wyoming

Apr 13, 2014
Imperial Eclipse Stout - Pappy Van Winkle (23 Year) from FiftyFifty Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 99 out of 100 with 126 ratings