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

DocJitsu

California

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

Pours a very dark brown with a fat, foamy, long-lasting, light mocha head. Head retention is about average. Wood, coconut, and chocolate syrup were noted in the aromas. Heavy viscous, creamy mouthfeel that becomes a little astringent at the finish. Chocolate syrup forward with some coconut and ample bourbon. A very, very good imperial stout. Much better than the Vanilla Bean Dark Lord that I'd had moments earlier.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2012 18:20:41 | More by DocJitsu

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.63/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap served in a tulip

Pours an ink black with some tan bubbles around the rim of the glass, no discernable lacing. This is a viscous beer; coats the inside of the glass with a thin oily film when swirled.

On the nose, holy shit. Loads of whiskey and booze. Molasess, butterscotch, raisins, Belgian dark chocolate, oak...extremely rich and robust. Blows the nostrils away.

Molasess, butterscotch, bourbon, dark chocolate, raisins, dry oak, rolled oats, figs....just straight up bourbon barrel goodness. Huge, robust notes with a relentless finish.

Full-bodied, smooth, lush, creamy. Low carbonation, large amounts of ethanol. This guy is big and bad.

Huge, robust stout with heavy bourbon influence. Utterly delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2012 00:14:34 | More by ColForbinBC

notchucknorris

California

4.48/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Hamilton's during CBC

A: Pitch black with no head whatsoever. A touch intimidating.

S: The smell's pretty incredible, with a rich aroma of bourbon, vanilla, toffee and raisin. Really great smell.

T: The bourbon isn't in the forefront as the smell would suggest, which is actually kind of nice. Instead, it lingered behind notes of chocolate covered raisin and salted caramel with a touch of dryness from the bourbon on the finish. Hints of wood, char and roasted malt. Really complex and very tasty, though I liked the 18 year better.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2012 19:12:46 | More by notchucknorris

rawla

California

4.15/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Bluepalms Brewhouse on 01/03/2012.

Served in a 6 oz snifter.

I previously had the 18 year Elijah Craig at Bluepalms as well, so I hope I can have as close to a vertical tasting comparison as possible. I probably should have had both the 18 year and 12 year, but I couldn't resist the Abyss. Enough yapping..

A: Dark as night, with subtle lacing and tiny carbonation presence. Similar to the 18 year in these traits.

S: Bourbon all the way through. Not as much of a french vanilla presence in this as the 18 yr. Maybe the older cognac barrels add more complex notes in the nose. This has a much more alcohol presence in the smell. Some cocoa hints at the end.

T: Like a fine cognac. Buttery notes at the front of the tongue, but they quickly disappear and the bourbon notes take over. Charred wood bark and hints of toffee at the end are very subtle. More boozy than the 18 year old blend in my opinion.

M: Silky mouthfeel. Similar to the 18 year old blend.

O: I must say that i liked the 18 year blend a little better due to the added sweet notes from the older barrels. This 12 year blend is no slouch though. Sipping on this on a cold night is what the doctor ordered. This blend reminds you that it's a 10-11% beer that must be RESPECTED for full enjoyment. A treat.

A.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2012 20:00:24 | More by rawla

Halcyondays

California

4.13/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Beachwood II,

A: Pours black with a medium tan head, very good head retention and lace.

S: Huge amount of bourbon and vanilla, dominated by the barrel.

T: Similar to the smell. Dark chocolate, vanilla and bourbon. A good flavour, though not super complex. Enjoyable for sure.

M: Medium to full-bodied, soft frothy carbonation. Creamy.

O: Another solid beer from the Eclipse series, still waiting for one to wow me though.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2011 03:40:38 | More by Halcyondays

UCLABrewN84

California

4.4/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Blue Palms Brewhouse in Los Angeles, CA as part of the FiftyFifty Eclipse Release Party.

2011 vintage.

Pours an opaque black with a 1/2 inch foamy khaki head that fades to an oily film. Thin streaks of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, vanilla, wood, and a strong bourbon aroma. Taste is pretty much the same. The bourbon from the 12 year Elijah Craig is very nice and still packs a punch. There is a slight roasty bitterness and a somewhat strong alcohol warmth in the back of the throat with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good barrel aged stout with a more in your face bourbon presence versus the 18 year Elijah Craig version. On of my favorites for the night.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2011 04:47:49 | More by UCLABrewN84

rxdrewthejew

California

4.8/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had this in a flight last night at Blue Palms. Very impressive stuff.

This was taster number 2. The appearance is nothing special, dark black, no head to speak of, but looks a bit syrupy. The smell really jumps out at you. It smells very sweet, boozy, bourbon and vanilla. The smell is great but it did make me a bit concerned that the beer would be oversweet. Not a problem though. The beer is sweet, but not overly so, and a lot of the booze in the nose is gone in the taste. Vanilla, coffee, bourbon and chocolate dominate the flavor. Very little roastyness, which I really like in a stout. The feel is outstanding. Low carbonation, and very smooth and syrupy. Coats the mouth and the flavor lasts. Finish lingers but is not dry. Although it's a sipper, the glass was gone before I even realized it. And the alcohol is surprisingly low considering the flavor...this is practically sessionable as imperial stouts go. Really really good stuff, by far the best of the four Eclipses I had last night.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2011 01:45:56 | More by rxdrewthejew

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.47/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Oil slick black, minimal head on most of the Eclipse beers. Aroma was heavy on the bourbon, as to be expected. Played up the vanilla more than any of the other Eclipses I can recall.

Taste, again, wood, bourbon, vanilla. Dwarves the totality base stout in here. Good charred qualities. Not super viscous, went for subtlety vs. trying to make the biggest stout in the world.

Low carbonation allows the quaint amount of chocolate to come out as it warms. Warming. Had on tap at the 1st annual pre release party Dec. 1, 2010. Chewy, without being over the top in any one area, everything played real nice with each other. Possibly my favorite bourbon version of Eclipse.

EDIT: Damn, the 2011 version was pretty damn nice too.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2011 19:29:32 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Jmoore50

Nevada

4.97/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

When this beer first came out I thought that the Heaven Hill Rye was better. As time went on the reviews kept favoring the Elijah Craig version. Well last Wednesday the year old Elijah Craig was on tap and it was perfection. I was absolutely floored by how good this had aged in the keg.

The appearance on this is dark black with lighter mohagony edges. It is poured with a nice one finger head that develops into a film over the entire beer. Nice alcoholic legs that are now a standard with these Eclipse releases.

I could not keep my nose out of my snifter. Absolutely perfect. Vanilla, caramel, chocolate, toffee, coffee, sweet whisky sugars, a little bit of marshmelow.

It kept getting better and better every time I took a sip of this magnificant brew. Everything that I could smell was beautifully integrated in the beer. The notes of strong chocolate were being muted by vanilla and caramel, slight hints of coffee were accompanied by the roasted grains and strong sense of barrel. The whisky was not overly powering but integrated perfectly with other flavors. I mention in a few of my reviews how barrels push flavors to the brink. I do say that the flavors on this beer are not overpowering in any way. Overall incredibly impressed with the age on this one.

Outstanding.
J

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2010 05:15:19 | More by Jmoore50

femALEist

California

4.05/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at City Beer Store's FiftyFifty event:
It smelled pretty similar to the Heaven Hill Rye with a little bit more roasted flavors and a light bourbon nose. It tasted a bit more roasted, more bitter with espresso & toffee notes. It has a nice carbonation to it- stronger than the heaven Hill but you can taste and feel the alcohol more in this one.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2010 20:38:56 | More by femALEist

largadeer

Kentucky

4.73/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2009 batch.

Dark and opaque chocolate brown in color, topped by a tiny 1/4 inch head that quickly settles to the thinnest of rings. There's faint translucency around the edges.

The Elijah Craig bourbon barrel imparted a huge mark on this beer - it absolutely reeks of sweet caramel, vanilla and oak. While the Heaven Hill Rye and Jack Daniels versions of this beer have well-integrated and somewhat balanced barrel characters, this one is dominated by bourbon. The chocolatey, roasty, bready base beer is still present, but it's more of a foundation for the incredible aromas the barrel has imparted.

It's equally bourbon-forward on the tongue, opening with flavors of maple syrup, dark fruit, vanilla and honey. The mid-palate brings out a balancing roastiness, hints of licorice and burnt toast. The body is medium-full and creamy, though not especially viscous or oily. The finish is bittersweet and hot, like a liqueur-filled chocolate.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2010 05:12:49 | More by largadeer

Chambic

California

4.1/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

01.23.10 at City Beer Store

A: dark and opaque; the barely-there head is kinda filmy

S: faint syrup, this thing promises to be sweet, although there are cocoa flavors that hopefully balances it

T: yum, it IS sweet, although it's more like chocolate

M: really nice, stays on the tongue a bit

D: highly quaffable for something that seems (IS!) so dangerous

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2010 19:08:54 | More by Chambic

DwnTwnBwn

California

4.55/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Just got back form snowboarding at North Star, stopped by FiftyFifty on the way home to give the RIS a try. When I sat with my brother I noticed 4 barrels of the RIS aging next to the hostess stand with Jack Daniels brazed on to the face of the barrel.

A - Came in a rather tasty looking package of an 8 OZ tulip glass, the head was a nice mocha brown and the body of the beer was a thick viscus black. As I drank it down the Stout coated the walls of the glass with a thick brown residue and lased fairly well.

S - There was a good amount of roasted barley with Bourbon coming through. Slight Notes of Honey and Vanilla.

T - Wonderful RIS. The Strong Chocolate and toffee notes play strong against the Bourbon. The beer is pleasantly sweet while not being too cloying. Lots of Roasted Barley and dark malts come through. There seems to be a hint of dark fruit that lingers towards the giving a complex profile.

M - Perfection here. The right amount of carbonation and thickness of the beer make it feel so creamy. Just the right aftertaste is left behind.

O - This beer is wonderful, its very complex yet so very drinkable. Cant wait to try some more.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2010 06:52:53 | More by DwnTwnBwn

Brad007

Vermont

4.44/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Pours a shade of charcoal with a huge brown head into my glass. Takes a while to settle, leaving a ton of lacing on the sides.

Bourbon, tobacco and cocoa come through on the nose. Obviously, age has mellowed the bourbon presence.

Cocoa, tobacco and dark fruits dominate the taste upfront with a faded bourbon note. Again, very mellow, almost too mellow for me. I find myself searching for more flavors but can't seem to find anything else.

Mouthfeel gets creamy towards the back with a lingering cocoa presence. A bit of searching brings up the tobacco/dark fruit flavors. Clean, creamy finish.

A marvelous imperial stout. Was it worth $26.99? Honestly, I've had better examples for half that price or even less. Still, if you're into aging imperial stouts for a very long time, this is a good investment. I bought this bottle back in December of 2012 and it's been in the fridge since. I do want to try the other varieties available. If you're a fan of imperial stouts and want something different, check this out.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 14:40:01 | More by Brad007

Dope

Massachusetts

4.31/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle 2964 of the 2011 batch.

A: Pours a pitch black with a large, dense medium brown head. Head fades slowly, leaving nice solid walls of lacing behind. Great head retention too.

S: Wonderful sweet bourbon aroma with lots of caramel, brown sugar and vanilla. Toasted sugar too. Chocolate from the roasted malt melds in nicely. Maybe even hints of coconut from the barrels? Sweet and rich smelling. Wonderful.

T: Oh yeah, really nice bourbon up front. Sweet and heavy caramel and toffee and even some molasses it seems. Lots of charred oak in there too. Heavy on the dark chocolate, kinda fudgy in a way. Chocolate turns a bit bitter in the finish with some oak from the barrels and a little burnt sugars to boot. Lingering oak in the aftertaste with just a little alcohol burn between sips.

M: Nice medium-heavy bodied. Smooth and thick.

O: One of the nicer Eclipse variants. This one is a bit heavy on the wood with lots of charred oak. I'll have to try this one fresh sometime, I wonder if the bourbon has faded a bit - this is definitely the oldest eclipse I've had (at least 18 months old now I'm guessing). Strong in the aroma but not as strong as some of the fresher variants I've had. Hard to say. Still quite good, don't get me wrong but it makes me wonder.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 04:14:08 | More by Dope

sukwonee

Washington

4.1/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

2011 Vintage (so about 1.5 years old), purple wax, served at slightly colder than room temperature

A: Black, looks a tad bit thin from the way it swirls, half a finger head, mocha head that retains for a few minutes. It's aight

S: Vanilla and coconut forward (very nice!), I also get quite a bit of alcohol, roasted malt... that's about it.

T: Alcohol is a bit too much for me but it really follows the nose. I am a bit surprised though that after a year and a half, it's still this hot (and it's only 9.5%). I also taste honey towards the middle/end. It's delicious, but slightly disappointed? I think EC18 was better.

M: It's chewy alright, but a bit on the thinner side. Alcohol burn is felt for sure.

O: It's a very very good barrel aged stout, but not among the best I've had. I am glad I got to try it though! (I will be sticking to Parabola, which is cheaper and easier to obtain for me)

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 02:59:39 | More by sukwonee

zac16125

South Carolina

4.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle into a snifter
2012 Vintage, bottle number Br3

A big thanks to fatbeats18 for sending this one over in a trade.

A: Pours black with some browning on the edges. 1.5 finders width of light mocha colored head dissipates down at a moderate rate to a thin film. That film remains throughout the majority of the drink though, and leaves a fair amount of lacing.

S: Dark fruits, cocoa, roasted malt, booze, chocolate fudge, cinnamon. Barrel notes are presents with oak, vanilla, and bourbon but not nearly as strong as I remembered the EC 18 year being. Still very nice though, and only improves as it warms.

T: Lots of sweetness up front. There is a honey sweetness, then a rich chocolate fudge character. This is followed by oak and roasted malts on the finish. I get bourbon next, bitter black coffee, and vanilla. There is an aftertaste of oaky-vanilla that lingers forever after each sip.

M/D: Nice and smooth, thicker than it looks during the pour, and fairly chewy. Carbonation on the higher end of the spectrum for the style. ABV well masked. Drinkability is good.

O: This is an excellent beer, but its not as good as the 2011 FiftyFifty EC 18yr I had a little while back. That being said the EC 18 was one of the best beers Ive ever had. This one, although still great, had noticeably less barrel notes, and less of the chocolate fudge/cake batter sweetness that I got in the 2011 EC 18 (same base beer I believe so not sure what the difference was, different vintage, different batch, more time?). That being said, still a hell of a beer. Glad I got to try this one. Thanks again fatbeats for sending it my way!

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 00:18:26 | More by zac16125

ArrogantB

Colorado

4/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Even though it was against my better judgement I acquired a bottle of this. I heard the EC 12 year was one of the best eclipses so I dropped an unseemly amount of money for a bomber ($24). I had this feeling all along it wasn't going to be worth the money since Parabola is only $15 and I was proven right. Dark black beer, super healthy head. Aroma is mild bourbon, and then I get notes of honey, not bad. Flavor was mostly bourbon, wood, more booze, touch of honey. I was really hoping for some chocolate or vanilla or coconut flavors but I got none. I suspected this beer was overpriced and now I feel vindicated. Caveat emptor. I sort of wish I had just bought two bottles of older viscosity instead. :(

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 03:52:55 | More by ArrogantB

Kraig

California

4.99/5  rDev +11.6%
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

alpineclimber

Alberta (Canada)

4.54/5  rDev +1.6%
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 -0.9%
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 -0.7%
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 -2.7%
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 -11.4%
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 +1.8%
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