Imperial Eclipse Stout - Pappy Van Winkle - FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

jrallen34

Illinois

4.85/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thanks to Nerd for this ridiculous beer. Review #1500. 22oz bottle drank into my Narke tulip. Part of a blind PVW tasting with Rare and ORF, this one dominated...Pours mostly black with not much head...The aroma is really sweet, creamy milk, bourbon, and chocolate. Its awesome, but wish it was a little bitter to balance...The taste takes the aroma to a whole new level. This is easily one the best tasting stouts I've ever heard. Creamy in taste and especially in feel comes to mind. It literally is like velvet then just disappears on my tongue, I can't get enough of it. Its on the sweeter side with lots of smooth bourbon and maple, but balanced by a little roast, wood, and bitter chocolate. My biggest complaint about this beer is the size of the pour, 3oz is not enough of this bad boy. I need more right now.

World class stout that needs to be searched out.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2010 22:53:17 | More by jrallen34

jkane101

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev -1.3%

05-14-2013 00:35:12 | More by jkane101

mendvicdog

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev -1.3%

03-10-2013 17:00:28 | More by mendvicdog

oline73

Maryland

4.85/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This was in a bottle with pink wax signed by the brewer. Served in a tasting snifter.

The beer pours a dark, almost black color with not much head at all. There isn't much carbonation but that seemed appropriate. The first thing I notices was how intense the bourbon flavor still was after over 4 years. There wasn't much alcohol heat at all, but the bourbon flavor was intense and wonderful. The sweetness from the malt compliments the pappy barrel and there is some dark fruit and mild chocolate in the mix as well. The beer smelled almost as good as it tasted. I would love to have more, but I'm not sure I'll have the chance. This was a real treat.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 03:01:10 | More by oline73

duceswild

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev +4.2%

03-09-2013 20:55:45 | More by duceswild

jethrodium

California

4/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

650 ml bottle generously shared by cpferris. Big thanks to Chad. Pours a dark brown with a small tan head that settles to a ring and leaves some light lacing on the glass. The aroma is roasty with coffee, a bit of alcohol, some vanilla, light coconut, and light chocolate. The taste has some sweetness with vanilla, bourbon, coconut, and a decent roastiness. The finish has some oak and a light bitterness. Light body. Low carbonation. This was a good, but not great beer. I'm sure it was once great, but it seems like a lot of the barrel characteristics have faded. I would prefer most of the newer eclipse variations fresh to this.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 01:09:09 | More by jethrodium

cclark67789

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +9.6%

01-18-2013 22:53:59 | More by cclark67789

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.75/5  rDev +4.2%

01-16-2013 15:39:11 | More by yourefragile

spycow

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +4.2%

01-12-2013 06:43:58 | More by spycow

PaulStoneAnchor

California

5/5  rDev +9.6%

12-20-2012 04:05:23 | More by PaulStoneAnchor

HaveUSeenMyCellar

California

5/5  rDev +9.6%

12-07-2012 01:36:59 | More by HaveUSeenMyCellar

rmaste6282

California

4.75/5  rDev +4.2%

11-18-2012 16:06:30 | More by rmaste6282

monitorpop

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev -1.3%

11-11-2012 18:13:31 | More by monitorpop

t0rin0

California

4.5/5  rDev -1.3%

09-26-2012 22:37:57 | More by t0rin0

Fux

France

4.6/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2008 vintage. Pink wax. Signed by the brewer. Bottle number 90.

A: Pours a syrupy black liquid with no apparent carbonation. Head is faint but leaves some lacings for a while then disappear completely. Looks like motor oil actually.

S: Smell is huge, powerful, deep and mellow, with tons of vanilla, gourmet chocolate, mild oak and bourbon.

T: Taste follows the nose with more bourbon. Here also loads of vanilla, chocolate and caramel malts. Alcohol is very light despite the bourbon aromas.

M: Syrupy, oily. Not much carbonation. Not an everyday beer mouthfeel, but perfect for the style.

O: A great beer. The nose was fantastic and it was a perfect sipper to pair with the home-made blueberry tart !

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 08:20:41 | More by Fux

cosmicevan

New York

4.5/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Notes from a tasting on 8/15. thanks to totoropanda for bringing this one out. i had tried a small taste at a captain lawrence release a while back, nice to get a reasonable pour and some time to ponder the beer a bit.

a - slick and shiny. silk in a glass. no head at all. looks how a BA stout should look...love that barrel aged glisten.

s - chocolate. barrel. mellow, well integrated booze (kind of surprising since i tend to find that pappy aged brews are a bit in your face, which i do like)...but the pappy booziness definitely tickles your nose in a mentholated way.

t - mmmm...perfection. great chocolate and booze integration. pappy big time. lots of in your face bourbon, but well integrated and compliments the beer instead of stealing the show.

m - definitely a bit hot still, but pappy brews in my opinion are usually very in your face, this one was a bit more mellow, but the heat and booze is still evident. chewy and rich. body is great. super smooth and silky.

o - overall, a REALLY nice bourbon barrel aged stout...just my speed. the pappy has some of the in your face bourbon that i love, but the chocolate notes are super prominent and although hot, this is a well balanced beer. really smooth and really wonderful.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 02:18:51 | More by cosmicevan

jp7161

California

4.75/5  rDev +4.2%

07-11-2012 02:51:31 | More by jp7161

AndrewK

California

4.75/5  rDev +4.2%

07-07-2012 02:39:59 | More by AndrewK

leschkie

California

4.25/5  rDev -6.8%

05-29-2012 03:14:16 | More by leschkie

CelticAleMan

California

4.5/5  rDev -1.3%

03-11-2012 09:17:02 | More by CelticAleMan

Romulux

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -23.2%

03-05-2012 02:27:17 | More by Romulux

CheapBeerBuzz

California

4.5/5  rDev -1.3%

02-20-2012 20:53:43 | More by CheapBeerBuzz

mistakebythelake

Ohio

5/5  rDev +9.6%

02-19-2012 17:35:32 | More by mistakebythelake

penniwisdom

California

5/5  rDev +9.6%

02-17-2012 16:15:38 | More by penniwisdom

DarthKostrizer

California

4.68/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to JohnDoe8 for sharing this

Pink Wax final bottling

Look: Almost black in color with a 1/8 inch tan head that remains as a collar and leaves some spotty lacing

Smell: Oak bourbon chocolate and vanilla just a wonderful nose

Taste: The beer starts off similar to all the eclipse variations with copious amounts of chocolate and then you are hit with a vanilla and coconut sweetness which is amazing. The beer finishes with the great pappy bourbon character

Mouthfeel: Full body low carbonation and silky smooth

Overall: Exceptional beer age has been kind to this and I am stoked that I have a bottle all to myself

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 02:57:46 | More by DarthKostrizer