Imperial Eclipse Stout - Elijah Craig (12 Year) - FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

deereless

Colorado

4.68/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A: Medium viscosity, tightly packed head that dropped quite quickly and kept a espresso colored ring around the edge of the glass, the beer itself is obsidian dark with only a hint of light sneaking in at the edge - 4.50, S: Intensely sweet nose of candied figs, pureed dates and plums, there is also some noticeable whisky and deep charred wood, amazing nose all-around - 5.00, T: The nose did not mislead the palate on the sweetness factor, extremely sweet - candied prunes and baker's chocolate, vanilla and whisky are also evident, mocha-like flavor and a hint of smoke buried in the beer, the layers of malt don't disappoint - 4.50, M: Medium mouthfeel with a velvety chew, envelopes the tongue - 4.75, D: All around an exceptional beer and a wonderful sipper, the nose is one of the most exciting and complex I've experienced in quite a while - 4.75

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 23:56:13 | More by deereless

Kraig

California

4.99/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Excellent Stout beer. Slight honey flavor was outstanding. I also enjoyed the oak barrel flavoring. The oak barrel flavor and the honey flavor compliments each other greatly. This is an extremely dark beer and definitely named appropriately.

I highly recommend this beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 18:30:27 | More by Kraig

Damian

Massachusetts

4.46/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Drank from a 22 fl oz bottle
Served in a snifter
2012 vintage

Review #475

Pitch black with a creamy, frothed saddle brown head. Spotty lacing and a wispy film on the liquid.

Strong bourbon notes in the nose with toasted oak, vanilla, tobacco and chocolate. Sweet and boozy. Roasted dark malts, smoke and a boatload of barrel.

A heavy-handed helping of bourbon came through up front with sweet barrel character and oaky tannins. Chocolate, molasses and vanilla lead into the robust back bone. Lots of roasted dark malts. Boozy chocolate cake, brownies, tobacco and a dash of smoke. Finished boozy and warm with lingering vanilla.

Full bodied, milder carbonation. Creamy, sticky and smooth on the tongue.

Overall, an excellent beer even though this probably was not worth the $30 price tag.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 01:02:01 | More by Damian

alpineclimber

Alberta (Canada)

4.54/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Vintage 2011, bottle #1431, purple wax, poured at cellar temperature

A nice dark mahogany brew with a slight foamy tan head.

Awesome sweet caramelized sugar with notes of bourbon and vanilla, slight alcohol in the nose. The nose is all about the bourbon.

Taste is of the amazing base stout and the sweet bourbon and vanilla. The big malt flavours typical of an imperial stout are slightly subdued. Great mouthfeel.

Overall a very easy drinking bourbon barrel aged beer. The bourbon barrel aging is perfectly combined with the base stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 04:00:32 | More by alpineclimber

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Pitch black color with a nice brown head. Leaves some small lacing.
S: Tons of chocolate. Some vanilla and sweetness. Bit of bourbon at a distance.
T: Very sweet flavor. A bit of honey/vanilla followed by lots of chocolate fudge. Tastes almost like a brownie. Very good flavor although a bit lacking in the bourbon/barrel department.
M: Full bodied with nice carbonation for the style. Feels a bit creamy and sticky. A tiny bit of booze at the end.
O: This is another great variant from 50/50. I did prefer the slight spiciness and barrel character of the Rittenhouse Rye version but this one is very solid.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 08:22:14 | More by standardcherry

ngeunit1

California

4.44/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark black with a touch of brown and a finger of frothy khaki-chocolate head. Fades normal.

S - Chocolate and dark caramel malts, molasses, Bourbon, vanilla, oak, black licorice, dark cocoa, raisin, coffee, booze.

T - Sweet chocolate and bit of caramel malts, smooth Bourbon, vanilla, oak, molasses, coffee, black licorice, bitter dark cocoa, raisin and other dark fruits, and some booze.

M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth and a bit syrupy with a warming and sweet.

D - Great barrel aged stout. The bourbon is very present, but very smooth and balanced.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 04:43:30 | More by ngeunit1

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Received in a trade. This is a 2012 batch. Cracking this in honour of Wrestlemania!

A - Poured into my Duvel glass a a nice dark brown with a rich almost two finger dark chocolate hued head that slumped down to leave a nice quarter inch head that left some light side lacing.

S - Very nice chocolate notes here, no sweet malts. The rich bourbon is noteable from a slight distance. Smooth, rich, well rounded with light typical bourbon sweetness, faint vanilla and barrel notes as well. No alcohol on the nose either.

T - Taste is just delicious. Would like more chocolate as there is quite a bit of bourbon. Its tasty, sure, but a bit too bourbon heavy. Would like to see more notes of chocolate like say, cocoa powder, bakers, that sort of thing. Again, its there but its all rather overpowered by the bourbon.

M - Mouthfeel is awesome though, super creamy with just a little bit of carbonation. Light bourbon alcohol as well.

O - Overall its a darn tasty beer, but, for the money or going trade rate there are other damn good bourbon aged stouts for a fraction of the cost of one of these. Glad I got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 23:27:34 | More by rudzud

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.96/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

650 mL bottle poured into an Eclipse snifter. 2011 bottle. Bottle #1491.

Appearance - Murky black with transparent edges. Not much of a head. Wispy surface.

Smell - Slightly sharp bourbon character, not quite as harsh as others. Very sweet smelling. Chocolate. Vanilla.

Taste - Lots of sugar, very sweet. Sweeter than other variants, which I don't understand. Maybe the EC barrels add sugar, but I don't understand why that would happen. Bourbon flavor is nice, rounded out by the sugars. Chocolate and vanilla.

Mouthfeel - Slick and creamier than the base beer. Medium carbonation. Sweet and barrel booze finish.

Overall - Similar to the Elijah Craig 20, without quite that great barrel character.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 13:55:25 | More by Alieniloquium

lighthabit

Oregon

4.55/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

another sampler from my bro over the holidays, so just an impression . . .

smooth, refined, everything i would expect from this style, but a bit subdued on the front. the finish lingers long after you're done with that sip (it's a sipper, most definitely) and make me think of something subtly smoky/spicy. a unique, and very tasty, interpretation of the style.

Serving type: growler

04-04-2013 05:38:10 | More by lighthabit

JohnQVD

New York

4.83/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Pours black with a thin bubbly head. Heavy bourbon smell, kind of sweet. Medium-thin body, with light carbonation. The bourbon taste is heavy, with some roasted coffee in the background and a very small amount of carbonation bite. Mild aftertaste with a slight lingering astringent bitterness.

This is well-balanced for as bourbon forward as it is. This is one of the best bourbon-barrel aged beers I've had.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 20:47:27 | More by JohnQVD

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into snifter - 2012 vintage - thanks Penguin3200

Pitch black pour with a creamy, frothed brownie colored head resting on top. Creamy retention, spotty lacing and wispy film swirl around in the brew while drinking.

Stiff Elijah Craig bourbon scents with toasted oak, vanilla, tobacco and chocolate. Sweet and boozy, roasted dark malts, smoke and a boatload of barrel. Bullseye.

A heavy-handed helping of bourbon right up front with sweet barrel character and oaky tannins. Chocolate, molasses and vanilla lead into the robust backbone with roasted dark malts. Boozy chocolate cake, brownies, tobacco and a dash of smoke. Finishes boozy and warm with lingering vanilla.

Full bodied, milder carbonation, creamy, sticky and smooth on the tongue. It's a toss up between this and the EC 20 year for my favorite Eclipse treatments, both of which have a substantial leg up on the others I've tried. These probably aren't worth the $30 tag they fetch in Philly, but I still seem to keep buying them.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 17:11:07 | More by xnicknj

weonfire

Kentucky

4.45/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A - Black murk. light mocha head, pencil thickness.

S - Chocolate, toffee, honey, bourbon and vanilla.

T - Initial: Swirl of sweet chocolate, vanilla, toffe, aged fruits and honey. Finish: contained delicious bourbon, roast, chocolate and a low level of hops.

M - Very frothy, perfect carbonation, soft as silk and high viscosity.

O - Excellent. Could actually taste the specific 'Elijah Craig' bourbon (which I enjoy). Flavors were blended superbly. A thin layer of head remained throughout entire brew- very impressed. Only downside was the nose- it was rather minor. With all these excellent flavors- I hoped for something really dank. But...at a $24 price tag- with so many incredible BA stouts out there- i can't say I would 'highly' recommend the purchase.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 19:03:25 | More by weonfire

oline73

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was lucky enough to try the 2009, 2011, and 2012 versions side by side. Served from the bottle into a tasting goblet. This review is of the 2009 bottle with some differenced noted.

The beer pours a very dark brown/almost black color. There isn't much head to speak of. The smell of the 2009 was very different from the newer versions. There was hardly any alcohol, but I was getting lots of dark fruit and some mild roast. I thought there was a strong raisin presence in the nose. The taste is very smooth. You can tell this beer has some age on it, but it hasn't fallen apart too much. There is a roasted malt sweetness with the bourbon mainly showing up in the finish. I'm also getting some dark fruit and mild caramel/vanilla notes. I thought there was a mild peppery note as well. The body wasn't particularly thick and there was only a little carbonation.

I liked the 2012 version of this beer more than the 2011 even though it was hotter. I thought the depth of flavor was better in the 2009 version.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 02:44:42 | More by oline73

Star80

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

BR1 2012

A - Appears very dark, with a residual tan head. Very dark brown with little or no ruby highlights.

S - Smells like bourbon with a good dark, roasty smell, some char, some chocolate, vanilla, cherries, leafy tobacco and some licorice. It has a definite bourbon barrel smell nicely balanced with roasted malts.

T - Taste has a deep bourbon flavor and some heat, vanilla, toffee, char, and roasted malts. S

M - Big bold and yet smooth at the same time.

O- Overall a massive brew to tackle with lots of flavors going on at once. Extremely complex and has a fuller bourbon flavor than some of the others which makes sense given the amount of time the liquor has spent in that barrel.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 02:29:25 | More by Star80

jimmy82063

Connecticut

4.21/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2012 vintage poured into a tulip glass.

A) Jet black with a nice tan head that does dissipate rather quickly. Very nice lacing.

S) Bourbon and Vanilla

T) The oak and the bourbon really hit you up from, what follows is some vanilla, coffee and a bit of chocolate.

M) Carbonation is medium.

O) This is very good. I like the booziness of this as the bourbon really does stand out. What is scary though is that this is easily drinkable. As this warms starting to get some more flavors such as plum. This will be savored. Glad I have another bottle!

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 00:56:04 | More by jimmy82063

DovaliHops

California

4.48/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

2012 vintage. Pours an average Eclipse color...black, and this one has a nicely sized tan head that goes down quickly. Scent is heavy with the barrel characteristics...vanilla and oak. Some dark fruit aromas...plum and subtle fig. The bourbon is just so smooth in the aroma. Nose is VERY inviting. Taste is boozier than expected. I don't remember the 20-year being this boozy...but delicious nonetheless. Sweet bourbon booze with vanilla and toffee flavors. A bit of coconut as well. Some plum and raisin flavors with a ton of oak and chocolate...dark chocolate. Even though this is one of the "hotter" variants, it is up there for most complex of the Eclipses. Great flavors in this one. Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied and warming. Drinkability is surprisingly high. Overall, I love this beer. I need to drink my other 20-year bottle and review it to see which one I enjoy more. This one is pretty damn good.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 10:17:56 | More by DovaliHops

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.36/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22oz, 2012
Tired Hands glass

A: Pours really deep brown almost black. Reddish hues towards corners. Head is a light tan color. This is more head then other variations, and makes for a prettier appearance in the glass. Some lacing sheeting. Alcohol feet on the swirl.

S: I get the barrel immediately. Big vanilla and oak character coming through. Dark chocolate. Medium roast. Some blueberry underneath, like I have gotten from other ones. Some caramel flavors too.

T: Dark chocolate. Malt sweetness. Some barrel is there too. Vanilla is really nice. Blends well with base. Some bitterness in back end, but it's like a chocolate bitterness not hoppy. The mixture of base and barrel and roast and sweet is really pleasant on this brew.

M: It's full but not epically big.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 16:54:56 | More by inlimbo77

GonzoHomebrewer

Massachusetts

4.41/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2012 bottle

A- jet black, I think the negatives I've heard about the series are getting to me, but I swear this "looks light for a stout"....

S- Awesome. Everything I want in my BA stouts. Loads of oaky vanilla goodness, with some slight roastiness, but definitely oak vanilla dominant

T- more of the same, the roasted character comes through a bit more in the taste, I actually enjoy how the lightness of the body seems to lend to an urge or sense of need to drink more to coat more of the mouth to understand more of the taste...want..more...

M- Yes, the body is light. to style, not good...but know what? 50/50 makes it work, I enjoyed this part of the beer more than anticipated

O- This is my favorite so far out of the three I've had and would buy more if they weren't soo damn expensive

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 04:43:15 | More by GonzoHomebrewer

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.51/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared with two friends at Apex in Portland OR. 2011 vintage.

It pours a little weak looking for a stout of this level of aroma and taste. Dark brown with some lighter brown highlights, decent lacing.

The smell is nice with molasses, smoke, subtle in a good way bourbon, cereal malt, ice cream vanilla oak. Very nice.

The taste really pops with flavor, it strikes all the right notes of a barrel aged stout: a great balance of the barrel, stout and bourbon from the barrel, it really has a perfect balance and is not hot at all. Also has some nice salt water taffy and fudge flavors on top of everything else.

Feel is a little above good but not great, wish it was thicker but it has a nice roast and carbonation level for a beer like that.

I can see why this is rated so high. Great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 09:41:23 | More by Dreadnaught33

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.19/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 22 oz bomber that has "BR2 2012" written on it into a snifter. Acquired in a trade from Surge1311.

A- Pours an opaque black body with amber highlights. A thin mocha-colored head rises and reduces quickly to leave a khaki ring. Leaves spotty lacing.

S- I'm straining to get a good sense of the aroma, but it's taking a lot of effort. After a bit of swirling, I get whiskey, dark fruits, vanilla, and some pretty noticeable booze (which is odd considering the 9.5% abv - I get less from bcbs @ 15.00%)

T- Sweet milk chocolate, raisons, dark fruit, bourbon, vanilla upfront, on the finish is freshly roasted grain and toasty black coffee. There's a hugely noticeable hop bite on the finish.

M- Medium-heavy body, very low carbonation.

I was expecting big things from this brew, and I got what I was expecting - but nothing more. Didn't blow me away. It was indeed rich and complex and very enjoyable to drink. I'm definitely going to age my second bottle, maybe that will mellow out the booze which I think is the downfall of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 00:04:06 | More by gcamparone

MrDanno96

Ohio

4.21/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Big thanks to my friend Bobby for shelling out the $30 for this bottle!

A: Pours pitch black with about a finger of tan head and a good amount of foamy lacing.

S: Everything you would expect from a BA stout. Strong suggestions of vanilla and coconut immediately meet your nose. Look past those and you find milk chocolate, coco powder, burnt coffee, and perhaps a touch of soy sauce. Inhale deeply and you may also find a hint of tobacco smoke and a tingle of intense alcohol.

T/M: Upon sipping, my immediate reaction is to how incredibly smooth this brew is for 9.5%—it goes down dangerously easy. Lots of chocolate and molasses character up front transitions to a roasty and slightly burnt-tasting finish. Not as much bourbon character as you would expect, but notes of vanilla and oak are certainly detectable throughout. This could use a little more body, IMO. I would characterize this as barely full bodied. Not quite as thick as I want my BA stouts to be.

O: Overall a fine BA stout. A great nose and incredibly well balanced and drinkable for a 9.5% beer aged in whiskey barrels. It could use just a little more body. More body would also help enhance what is already an impressive flavor experience. Worth the $30? Maybe for the one-time experience, but I will not be running back to the store to drop $30 more.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 03:22:15 | More by MrDanno96

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

A-Pours quite dark but not absolutely black. Moderate light penetration. Head is a burnt tan color. Head dies off to nearly nothing. Small, dark lacing freckles along the glass. The body doesn't look very viscous during the pour (understandable at its ABV).

S-Bourbon is more intricate than intense. Oak and vanilla with dancing spice. Tobacco too. Charred and chocolate but predominantly java-ish. Roasted espresso beans. Warm dark chocolate and baker's chocolate powder.

T-Flavor is very delectable. Much more complex than most Bourbon Stouts but less intense than many as well. The bourbon is again very multifaceted in its flavor offerings. Vanilla and tobacco all over the place. I don't really pick up much honey (noted as an ingredient on the label). The espresso is the heaviest flavor. The various depictions of chocolate don't slouch either.

M-Lighter for the style. Subtle, massaging carbonation. Hints of alcohol. Not overly viscous. The flavor lasts (more coffee than bourbon).

O/D-One hell of a drink. Of course, the $28 price-tag is an absolute killer. Definitely too pricey. I had to grab it when I saw it though. I really loved what the barrel brought to the flavor equation. Flavors are more toned than bulky. When I think of this compared to a $12 bomber of Bourbon County Coffee Brand Stout, this variety of Eclipse just doesn't stand up in both the flavor and price department. Worth a shot one time...unless you got plenty of cash to burn.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 22:03:44 | More by VelvetExtract

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Had this on 2013-02-01 in Columbia, PA (BR1 2012 code)

A - Opaque dark brown with a 3-finger head that leaves medium lacing.

S - Sweet aromas of bourbon, coconut, vanilla, medium roasted grain and chocolate malt. . Very appealing.

T - Bold and delicious. Sweet dark roasted grain, bourbon oak, vanilla, chocolate and very dark/dried cherry, The welcome alcohol sweetness and bite compliments the bourbon flavor. It's not too sweet though and is well-balanced with some char, light smoke and peat. Finishes with some lingering peaty/chocolate malt and roasted bitterness.

M - Medium body and light-medium carbonation. Creamy and smooth.

O - Had this served at 60 degrees and it warmed some from there. Gotta say that I like this more than Founders KBS. It is quite expensive and I can't/won't make a habit of having this on a regular basis but I sure am glad I've got another bottle tucked away for a special occasion.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 22:57:15 | More by Tucquan

AdamF625

Massachusetts

4.86/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

After digging through the esthetically pleasing purple way it was poured into a snifter

A- pours dark brown/black. Finger worth of creamy khaki head.

S- honey. Bourbon. Chocolate

M- smooth and creamy

t- honey and bourbon at first then a smooth warm chocolate finish.

O- great bourbon barrel stout. I'm glad I had it fresh but the high price tag may steer me away in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 03:10:33 | More by AdamF625

DmanGTR

New York

4.51/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Joe for breaking this out randomly during our epic tasting!

Poured very black with garnet/mahogany hues in the light. Adorned by a big beige cap that left ample trails of lace. This is a very roasty and toasty imperial stout. Lots of burnt notes here, maybe even toasted marshmallow. Biscuit and caramel leading into lots of vanilla and oak. It's like someone took Blackout Stout and tossed in a spoonful of bourbon. Medium bodied and spritzy carbonation. Quite a delicious beer and always welcome in any tasting I attend!

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 19:17:44 | More by DmanGTR