Imperial Eclipse Stout - Heaven Hill Rittenhouse Rye - FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

Halcyondays

California

3.75/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Beachwood I,

A: Pours a deep mahogany to black with a very small tan head, bubbly.

S: Not much at first, but some coaxing gives a nice barrel smell. Heavy malt, brown sugar, pretty standard.

T: Rye barrel, dark chocolate, heavy sweet malt. Fairly well balanced, not as full-flavoured as I would hope, but certainly enjoyable.

M: Full-bodied, rich, smooth, soft carbonation for its style.

O: A solid -bal beer, but the bottle price is certainly pushing it. Glad I've been able to try a lot of the Eclipse Line on-tap.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2012 19:16:08 | More by Halcyondays

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

on tap during the preview of the cambridge - 2011 batch

Pours a completely inky, viscous black color, topped by a thin layering of tanned brown head. Dissolves into a swirl of clouded film with little lacing.

Rich, full bourbon notes in the nose, although slightly raw feeling. Vanilla and oak with hints of syrup and dark chocolate. Boozy glow with sweetness.

Begins with an near-immediate kick of bourbon with some sweeter vanilla undertones. Caramel and chocolate with a brownie-like flavor. Thick malted backbone with bready tones and oats. Finishes boozy and warm with a soft sweetness.

Fuller body, nicely carbonated, silky and smooth on the tongue. A delicious barrel aged stout, although I don't think I'd pick up a $30 bottle if I had the chance to sample it on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

07-07-2012 17:43:00 | More by xnicknj

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.38/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Super dark brown and black, thin brown ring forms on the top, less than 1/3" deep. Nice, sweeter than other barrel treatment aroma, chocolate, light bourbon, vanilla and oak.

Taste, one of the easiest drinking Eclipse varieties, this seems to be sweeter, lighter bodied, but still a good consistent thickness and mouthfeel to it. Very smooth, a pinch of smoke in it that is very complimentary to all of the other flavors. Has the least amount of coffee or bitterness that the other varieties hold, and even those are relatively low, but this one is all about sweet smoothness.

I even thought the '11 version on tap was better than the '10, but they are extremely similar, just the mouthfeel and consistency was better suited to my tastes this year around.

Serving type: on-tap

12-25-2011 19:39:36 | More by Beerandraiderfan

DarthKostrizer

California

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Vintage 2011

On Tap at Fifty/Fifty's release party

Look: Pours a nice black color with brown rings around the top and bottom. 1/4 inch dark tan head with ok retention and some spotty lacing

Smell: Upfront is quite a bit of dark chocolate and coffee notes. After you weave your way around those notes you pick up some nice whisky notes and some oak

Taste: Upfront again is the chocolate but almost immediately you get a nice smokeyness from the whisky and some spice that goes along with it. Nice amount of oak on the backend

Mouthfeel: These stouts to me are just a bit on the thin side of what I would like and very low carbonation

Overall: Of all the variations this one for me was the surprise of the party. I really enjoyed this one quite a bit and am glad that I started with this one. They actually had all 3 vintages on draft at the party and I tried all 3 with 2009 being my favorite.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2011 04:07:21 | More by DarthKostrizer

AgentZero

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On Tap at FoBAB. I had both the 2009 and 2010 versions there. Reviewing 2009, as I liked it better.

A - Black beer with a nice tan head that had some okay lacing on it for a stout.

S - Nicely roasted malts and fat rye whiskey. It's rich, but smells as if it's mellowed out and brings a little less alcohol heat than it might have once upon a time. Some dark chocolate and coffee.

T - Nice rye whiskey taste mixes balances out the chocolate and caramel malts. Roasted malts give it some nice body, as well as some bitter coffee to help mellow the sweetness. There isn't a ton of alcohol heat on this one, tastes pretty good.

M - Slightly thinned out, although I've always felt that the Eclipse series stouts were thinner than a lot of RIS. Lower carbonation.

O - Good beer that went down pretty easily. Good for rye whiskey lovers, and the best thing this beer has going for it is exceptional balance. Would gladly drink again.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2011 19:52:44 | More by AgentZero

nataku00

California

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip glass at the Bistro for west coast barrel aged beerfest. Poured a dark opaque brown with minimal head. Some light lacing when swirling the beer and forcing the formation of some small foamy head, but it dissipates quickly.

Nose is oak, vanilla, dark malt sweetness and roasted coffee. A bit of cinnamon like spice and caraml.

Taste follows the nose, very smooth roasted malt, semisweet chocolate, medium roasted coffee upfront. As it warms in your mouth, more bourbon characteristics, vanilla, charred oak, burnt caramel, and the spiciness that I can only assume comes from a rye based bourbon.

Smooth medium bodied beer that was nicely drinkable. However, the low carbonation took away from the beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2010 03:48:31 | More by nataku00

nkersten

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured at FoBAB into taster. Program says this was aged in Heaven Hill Rittenhouse Rye barrels. Pitch black with brown hues at edges with a mocha head that settles to a ring at the edge of the glass. Smell is bourbon and alcohol up front with a spicy rye and oak aroma following. Taste is a bit spicy and bitter up front with dark roasted malt. Bourbon, vanilla, some oak, and a dark chocolate flavor in the finish. Mouthfeel is medium coating with a moderate/light carbonation. Drinkability is very good - a well balanced imperial stout. This was one of my favorite stouts of the night - the rye is very apparent in the taste and smell.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2010 17:20:01 | More by nkersten

femALEist

California

4.22/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at the City Beer store FiftyFifty brewing event.
9.5%, $4 for 4oz taster. It smelled like: light roast, malty and a light bourbon. It tasted not too bitter, smokey, a hint of caramel, and toffee. It is very smooth and light at first, then with a big oomph of a flavor punch left in your mouth.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2010 20:37:27 | More by femALEist

Chambic

California

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

01.23.10 at City Beer Store

A: so pretty, nice and dark in the baby snifter

S: couldn't stop smelling it. Why does it smell a bit peaty, like it was locked up in a scotch barrel? It's almost smoky, but that doesn't quite describe it. Maybe it smells just a bit like a candle going out. Not really sure. But, it also smells like cocoa, but not in a sweet way

T: ooh, like rich cocoa

M: really nice and smooth, very rich

D: highly quaffable, I could get into a whole lotta trouble with this stuff

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2010 19:15:07 | More by Chambic

nickd717

California

4.75/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

On tap at City Beer. This was slightly better than the Elijah Craig version and about on par with the '08 Pappy Van Winkle.

This beer pours black and viscous with a small brown head and not much lacing. Nice and oily looking with some legs going on.

Aroma is full, smooth, and awesome. Rye whiskey and oak barrel notes well-balanced with roast, rich chocolate, and vanilla.

Flavor is also very intense and well-balanced. Extremely smooth Heaven Hill rye, oak, vanilla, roast, dark chocolate, coffee, and maybe even some dark fruit notes in there.

Smooth, slick, and full on the palate. This is a case where the awesome mouthfeel noticeably adds to your enjoyment of the beer.

Not really drinkable in large quantities, but hey, this is a whiskey barrel aged stout, so if you're swigging it like it's water, you should probably seek professional help. For what it is, I can drink a hell of a lot of it. I was brutally hung over from both beer and cigars, and even a bit barrel aged out, but this was still amazing nonetheless and not a chore to finish the glass. Overall, this is an awesome beer, no question about it. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2010 07:38:45 | More by nickd717

cvm4

Mississippi

4.15/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2012 Bottle, Green label.

A - Pours black, what head there is dissipates quickly.

S - Spicy rye, oak, vanilla, molasses and dark chocolate.

T - An undiscernible mix of oak, bourbon and vanilla. The rye spices of the barrels play a part. Secondary flavors of molasses and light licorice.

M - Thick bodied and low carbonation, very velvety.

O - Boozy and sweet, but not overly licorice, which I can deal with. More!

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2013 22:43:47 | More by cvm4

pants678

California

3.78/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

Black, minimal head foam.

Little whiskey aroma, but not that strong.

First note is that the whiskey may be a bit heavy, maybe I should've gone with bourbon barrel. The richest dark chocolate, like 90% or higher cacoa, is the base. Maybe because it's printed on the bottle but there's a kind of honey quality to it. As strong as the whiskey is, it is not terribly hot rather it just about blends in. I'm not getting coffee that usually comes with the style.

An expected fairly harsh finish. Though it's barely carbonated it does not have marshmallow texture at all, more of a stinging beer that doesn't sit all that heavy.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 03:51:39 | More by pants678

n2185

North Carolina

4.04/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Pours black with half a finger of tan head that fades into a sudsy ring with a little lacing.

S: Oak and bourbon dominate at first with vanilla, caramelized sugar, dark fruits, and Port aromas mixed in. Roasted malts with sweet chocolates also come through.

T: Oak and bourbon dominate here as well with semi-sweet chocolate, burnt sugar, caramel, and vanilla. There are some sweeter, Port-like notes mixed in before a boozy finish.

M: Thick body with low carbonation, the alcohol presence keeps it from being smooth and creamy.

O: A good barrel-aged stout overall. It's a little on the boozy and sweet side for my tastes, but still quite good.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 02:04:04 | More by n2185

ngeunit1

California

4.44/5  rDev +4%
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, rye, black licorice, dark cocoa, coffee, booze.

T - Sweet chocolate and caramel malts, Bourbon, vanilla, oak, spicy rye, molasses, coffee, black licorice, bitter dark cocoa, touch of dark fruit, and some booze.

M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth and a bit syrupy with a warming, sweet, and lightly spicy finish.

D - Great barrel aged stout. The rye bourbon comes through really nicely.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 03:21:52 | More by ngeunit1

pigc

Nebraska

4.24/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2011 Green Wax Bottle #1356. Stout brewed with honey

Served in Darkness snifter.

A - Pours pitch black with a two finger light brown sugar colored head. Tiny bubbly lacing clings to sides of the glass.

S - Sweet bourbon whiskey, brown sugar, dark molasses.

T - Starts out with a spicy rye heat up front followed by a moderate wave of whiskey with a slight hint of honey. Molasses and brown sugar dominate mid palate. Finish is semi-bitter.

M - Full bodied and smooth. Creamy texture.

O - This is my first version of the Eclipse beers. Nice spice from the rye although it may be a bit too much for my liking. Whiskey presence is moderate. Seems to drink bigger than a 9.5% abv beer. Well crafted.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 01:26:41 | More by pigc

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.74/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

650 mL bottle poured into an Eclipse snifter. 2012 bottle.

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

Smell - Whiskey smell but nothing like the other treatments. Sharp alcohol aroma. Chocolate.

Taste - Dark chocolate flavor. Whiskey but not a lot of barrel. Chocolatey sweet finish.

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

Overall - Rye has nothing on Bourbon. Tasty base beer. Nice whiskey but not quite bourbon.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 00:15:08 | More by Alieniloquium

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Certainly the best tasting, smoothest of the half dozen I have had to date in this series. Black, lacey. Coffee but also nicely undercarbonated. Very good drinkability. Bottlefrom Premier split with Liam.A moderate roast characteristic. Well integrated whiskey.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 23:33:50 | More by northyorksammy

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Shared by Sammy - Bottle from Premier Gourmet, 650ml into a tulip. Tasted alongside 4 other variants.

Black with a tan head. Nose has a beautiful bourbon character, light wood, chocolate, a touch of the corny spirit itself and some overripe red apple. Taste has the whiskey up front, good roast and dark chocolate. Sweeter finish, roast and chocolate lingers with a light alcoholic burn.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 22:37:39 | More by liamt07

twowheelssoar

North Carolina

4.51/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

2010 bottle, brought it back from our last trip to Truckee. A friend had two bottles, and he didn't like it!

Poured into a classy hotel tumbler. Pours very dark with a thin light tan head. The rad disappears quickly. Aroma is of bourbon, vanilla, and chocolate. Tastes of more fudgey chocolate, smooth vanilla and well-integrated bourbon. The feel is on thicker side, with a nice mellow carbonation level. A very enjoyable, slightly grainy and roasty coffee finish develops as it warms. Seems like there are lots of bottle variation with the Eclipse series, and I think I got a good one here. Really mellow with lots of depth, enjoyed this a lot.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 12:53:13 | More by twowheelssoar

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.56/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle served into a snifter. 2012 vintage.

A: Dark brown/black color. Small brown head that disappeared quickly.
S: Lots of whiskey. A bit of spicy rye character blended with lots of chocolate, vanilla, and coffee.
T: Oaky and boozy. I like this. Spicy rye with vanilla, caramel and chocolate following. Roasty malt character.
M: Full bodied, rich and creamy. Soft carbonation. A touch of alcohol heat balanced well with the sweetness.
O: This is an excellent beer, I can't wait to try the other variants. Can't believe it's only 9.5%, feels much bigger.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 05:22:42 | More by standardcherry

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

2012 vintage. Poured from a 22 oz green wax bottle into a Goose Island snifter.

A- pours pitch black with a 1 finger mocha head. Big bubbly wall of lacing remains on the glass.

S- brown sugar, chocolate, bourbon, spices, some honey.

T- sweet brown sugar and honey, followed by spicy rye, bourbon, slight bitter chocolate, and a hint of vanilla.

M- full body and medium carbonation. A touch thin at first that turns syrupy and a dry finish.

O- good BA stout and like the spiciness from the rye whiskey barrels, but again not worth the money.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 23:59:04 | More by kawilliams81

Vonerichs

Illinois

4.09/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Dark brown body with just a slight expresso colored head that lasts less than a minute after the pour.

The whiskey smell is front and center. It's nice an boozy with vanilla, oak, and spicey notes undeniably from the rye. There's a light roasty smell, too.

The Eclipse series are just fantastic at getting the right amount of whiskey notes in it. Heavy vanilla, caramel, and a light spice. The stout contributes chocolate and roasted barley.

The mouthfeel is a catch 22 for me. Yes, it's thin. But I feel like that thin body is what helps accentuate the booze.

Overall, I thought this was another fantastic Eclipse, as usual. I just hate the $30 price tags on these and because of that I think there are very few left in my future.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 02:30:03 | More by Vonerichs

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.11/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz, 2012
The Bruery tulip

A: Deep brown pour. Aggressive pour doesn't give any head. Couple trace bubbles if light tan. There is minimal carbonation.

S: Smells boozy. You get the dark chocolate. Soft vanilla hints. Touch of spice from the rye.

T: Dark chocolate. Fudgy brownie. Not getting tons of rye barrel. Soft vanilla. Gets better with warmth. Pull more if the toffee and caramel flavor. Feel the booze warmth down the throat.

M: Full bodied. Mouth coating.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 14:59:19 | More by inlimbo77

smakawhat

Maryland

4.48/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a snifter glass. BR 1, Vintage 2012.

A simple mahogany color out of the bottle, hits to a dark walnut brown body, with some chestnut hues and maybe some red. Head is about 3-4mm tall and mocha colored, leaving a thin bubbly collar. Not much head, but at least made enough and certainly looks fine. Top manages a nice mocha whispy top all throughout drinking.

Interesting nose. Probably the first Eclipse I had that smells like whiskey. Spicy rye notes mixing with a sharp fruit. Hint of pine and spruce like wood heat. Charring and quite wooden splintery smelling. Hints of chocolate fudge, and sort of a chocolate sprinkles like smell. Sweetness is not very large on this. It's really well done, and one of the few whiskey smelling brews I've had.

Palate brings much of what is hinted on the nose but with a lighter body feel. Hints of pine and spruce wood, and dry finish. Dark black berried fruit in the mid palate, and real sense of whiskey heat and spice. Drying finish with classic charring and roasty malts to go with it.

Overall this is the most whiskey forward, and spicy, and quite enjoyable. It's probably my second favorite right after the EC12 variation

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 19:32:07 | More by smakawhat

GonzoHomebrewer

Massachusetts

4.31/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2012 bottle

A- Black, no head, doesn't look very thick

S- Stout roastiness followed by some oak vanilla and rye spiciness. Love it because you can clearly sense the rye influence on the nose. Exactly what I want from a project like this

T- Smooth roast with vanilla followed up with a kick of rye spice on the finish.

M- Light, again, but it works well with this barrel

O- my second favorite so far, still have the bernheim wheat to try, but this is worth considering for a second purchase. Really showcases what a rye whiskey barrel can do for a stout

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 04:53:25 | More by GonzoHomebrewer