Imperial Eclipse Stout - Brandy Barrel Blend - FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle share in Hoboken, NJ.

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color with some dark brown + burgundy highlights when held up to the light. The beer has a finger tall mocha head that reduces but has great retention properties with more than 50% surviving the time of drinking. Significant lacing is observed.

S: The smell of this beer is quite sweet with the brandy aroma from the barrels it was aged in - this really dominates the smell of the beer. Additionally there is some dark roasted malts, oak, and chocolate.

T: The flavor really follows the smell with the chocolate and brandy tastes in the forefront. There is a definite light oak taste in the finish.

M: On the heavier side of medium bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Creamy.

O: I really enjoyed this and think more brewers should consider aging in brandy barrels - it adds some nice complexity and great taste/smell to the beer. I could have sipped on this one for quite a while. Yum.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 21:12:52 | More by dbrauneis

FosterJM

California

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1210th Review on BA
Bottle CBS snifter
22oz Burgundy wax

Bottle #16??

App- Almost an opaque black with brown highlights. More burgundy on the edges. A nice two finger brown head fell with so-so cling.

Smell- Sweetness prevails like the brandy it was aged in. Roasty like a good stout with a large amount of oak and some milk chocolate.

Taste- To begin its very smooth. Much more so than the others. Tastes likes small belgian rich chocolate with the brandy and oak creating a rich layered stout.

Mouth- A rich and creamy medium body with a medium low carbonation. Brandy sweetness very forward.

Drink-An outstanding treatment. Very rich and smooth with huge pockets of flavors as mentioned. One of the better variants of the 2011 series.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 01:39:02 | More by FosterJM

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter. 2011 vintage, bottle #1727. Burgundy wax so I have the right listing.

4.5 A: Black color. Nearly three fingers of creamy/frothy light brown head. Retention is good at first and gets great for the last half finger. Tons of lacing is left behind.

3.5 S: The brandy brings out the chocolate in the base beer quite well. Otherwise, earth and lightly vinous brandy persists. Not much else going on though aside from a light roastiness.

3.5 T: Tastes like the nose. Big chocolate. Vinous, fruity brandy. Light roastiness.

3.5 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Light creaminess. Boozy finish and aftertaste.

3.5 D: This is a pretty good brandy barrel stout, but I'd prefer a more sturdy stout that this.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 02:08:43 | More by DavoleBomb

mdfb79

New York

4.08/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Got this one in the 2012 Birthday BIF from futhurgone; Thanks Rob! Another want of mine…always excited for a new Eclipse beer. Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into my Sierra Nevada XXX Anniversary tulip. 2011 vintage, bottle #1840.

a - Pours a pitch black color with one finger of dark tan head and moderate carbonation evident. Head lasts for four to five minutes and leaves an inch throughout drinking, with spotty lacing on the glass. Looks awesome.

s - Smells of sweet dark fruits, chocolate, roasted malts, brandy, oak, molasses, sweet cherries, sugar, and some toasted malts. Nose is nice but quite sweet.

t - Tastes of sweet dark fruits, sweet chocolate, roasted malts, cherries, fruity malts, brandy, alcohol, oak, light vanilla, cocoa, molasses, and toasted malts. Again, pretty sweet but I like it.

m - Full bodied stout and low carbonation, thick and chewy. The low carbonation makes this one super smooth and easy to drink, and there isn't really any alcohol heat. Very nice body for a stout; a tiny bit more carbonation and it would be perfect.

o - Overall I thought this was a good beer and another good Eclipse variant, though it isn't nearly as good as the other versions I've had so far (PVW, Evan Williams, 12 Yr EC, and Four Roses). I've thought those 4 were outstanding and this was very good. I guess it's because of the barrel, but this one is much fruitier and sweeter than the others, thought the body is nice. I liked it, but prefer my stouts not quite as sweet. Definitely worth checking out, but not if you can have one of the other 4 variants over this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 01:25:58 | More by mdfb79

brystmar

Texas

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed during last night's bottle share. Thanks to rlmartin, rmjavanut, hoppymcgee, and whartontallboy for contributing to this 11-bottle Eclipse tasting!

This Brandy version was nicely balanced with a hearty roasted malt backbone that supported the brandy's sweetness nicely. Refreshingly balanced: not too much booze, not too sweet, not too roasty. Most of the other barrel varieties over-emphasized the barrel flavors, so the mix of flavors here was certainly welcome.

Overall, the '11 EC18 was our group's consensus favorite. But honestly, I was mostly unimpressed with the Eclipse variants. Bourbon County Stout is superior to all of them except EC18. Very glad I got to try them all, but EC18 is the only one I'd seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 00:38:30 | More by brystmar

SpdKilz

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011 version, bottle 448. Thanks to Abel for being my proxy for these beers. BTW, opening this beer was freaking annoying.

Appearance – Pours into my Surly Snifter with a utter black viscosity and two fingers of great looking mocha head that dissipates slowly leaving great looking lacing.

Smell – Bittersweet cocoa, vanilla, oak, brandy, roasty malts.

Taste – Heavy dark roasted malts and nice bittersweet chocolate up front. Lots of brandy barrel at the beginning also. Nice dark fruits such as dates and figs, nice oaky flavors, and slight ash.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied, good carbonation, finishes dry.

Overall – Honestly, I really enjoyed this Eclipse variation. I enjoy stouts a bit dryer and less sweet. This was perfect in balance to me. A hint of sweetness mixed with bittersweet cocoa and roasted malts. Pretty darn good.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 03:13:12 | More by SpdKilz

kiddynamite920

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Doesn't appear completely black, although light seems to have a tough time passing through it. Thin head like all the Eclipses I've tried so far. Swirling produces a tan cream that fades right back down quickly. Beer itself looks thin as well.

S: Sweet brandy, mixed with some heavy booze. Some nice chocolate and cherry, but not much as far as the base stout goes. Easy to pick up the barrel and some vanilla/oaky aromas.

T: Easily the smoothest I've tried of the series so far, but that doesn't necessarily help the stout. Comes off sweet and lacks roastiness until late where a small amount of bitterness creeps up. Reminds me of a jar of brandied cherries, with some chocolate aftertones.

M: Thin, big shocker there. It's smooth, but finishes boozy and almost with a tart cherry thing going on. Perhaps these are just familiar brandy flavors to me.

O: Everyone knows these beers aren't worth the price, but can't help but buy them. Gotta catch'em all. Not my favorite variation without question. Too sweet and lacks the stout underneath.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 05:58:21 | More by kiddynamite920

sweemzander

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz. bottle poured into a snifter. Bottle #3140. 2011 vintage. Thanks to Chris for sharing!

(A)- Pours a nice pitch black color. Some good tan froth and lace too.

(S)- A nice sweet but rich aroma. Plenty of caramel, toffee, raisin, and subtle chocolate covered bread and coffee ground.

(T)- Similar to the smell. An underlying sweetness to it with raisin, cocoa, and caramel. You can just tell this is brandy instead of bourbon due to the slightly larger sweetness behind it. I do find that brandy barrel aging does lend far more sweetness to some stouts as opposed to bourbon, but this one does keep it balanced well.

(M)- A nice smooth carbonation level. A rather nice balance as well even with a slightly larger overall sweetness level. Rich and sweet but it does have nice subtle barrel character to help with its balance.

(D)- Like I mentioned before, I do find most of the brandy barrel beers I have tried to be a bit too sweet sometimes for my liking, however this one pulls it off quite well: smooth and balanced. I am looking forward to trying the other variants as well.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 14:34:35 | More by sweemzander

brotherloco

California

4.08/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz waxed bomber. 2011 Edition. Bottle #2219. Served in a brandy snifter.

A vigorous pour gave me a finger and a half of dark beige foam on top of a dark brown/black brew. Holding it to the light reveals a root beer tinged color. Head settles to a dense creamy ring. Nice big swoops of lacing left in glass.

Aroma hits me with more initial alcohol than I've smelled in other varieties of Eclipse. Milk chocolate malty notes lie underneath but are more subtle. A dry and dusty barrel presence hangs around in the background. Vanilla and oak.

Flavor is initially really sweet and roasty. Chocolate malt, espresso, tobacco, dark fruit, vanilla ice cream. This flavor transitions into a highly spirited (as in booze) brandy-like sting. A little astringent. Finishes with a rich and creamy roasted bitterness, with some sweetness lingering as well.

Mouthfeel is great on this one. Full bodied, creamy, slick, and nicely carbonated, if a touch sharp. A real pleasure to sip.

Overall another very good Eclipse, but perhaps a touch astringent compared to the bourbon varieties I've tried.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 03:32:41 | More by brotherloco

maximum12

Minnesota

4.23/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another in the series of one of my favorite barrel-aged bunches. What better way to clear out the Town Hall goodness than one of the pyramids of BA madness? Bottle #2978, split with the wife.

Heh. Pours typical big black bad; more head than most Christians, uh, what? Nose on this is spot-on as advertised, brandy, dark maltish, chocolate. Niiice.

Brandy Barrel Blend is just lovely. Long chocolate milk with a shot of brandy, just like Santa ordered. Tingly sweet malts. Roast, vanilla, heavy dose of oak in the back-fill. Really easy to drink, this is a barrel-aged session beer.

One more winner in the series, this is a huge improvement over the 2010 version, in my exalted opinion. Excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 22:25:48 | More by maximum12

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

22oz into goblet.

Beautiful looking beer. Short coffee ice-cream-colored head over a deep, opaque brown body.

Decent aromas that won't knock you over. Strangely, the first thing I picked up was concentrated apple juice. Cocoa, caramel, and a touch of char round things out. The brandy fruitiness continues to dominate, though.

Flavors and mouthfeel make this pretty damn easy drinking for a brandy barrel aged impy stout. Vanilla is pretty prominent. Some sweet, creamy white chocolate, along with dose of black licorice, and a kiss of charred wood in the finish. Maintains its smooth mouthfeel throughout.

I just can't get enough of these, as I feel they're very well crafted. Glad I picked up two of each, even with the huge dent in my wallet.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 04:03:28 | More by BeerImmediately

waltonc

Colorado

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Glass top of the bottle cracked off as I opened this. Poured the beer through a colander into my Bruery tulip in hopes I don't ingest any glass. Pours dark brown with an inch of velvety head. Nice to see fifty fifty release this with appropriate carbonation this year. I was quite disappointed that the brewery knowingly released the brandy eclipse last year without adequate carbonation. Smells of nice toasty malt, brandy, vanilla and brown sugar. Flavor is really nice. Not too much char and roast (unlike my first bottle of EC 18 year eclipse). Sweet brandy, vanilla, and brown sugar. Body is fairly thick with nice velvety carbonation. So far no lass in my mouth. Overall, quite a good beer. I just wish the bottle didn't break upon opening.

Would I buy this again? No, not at this price point. Too many good beers available for considerably less cost per fluid ounce.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 02:54:00 | More by waltonc

jonvan04

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

After trying the Rittenhouse Rye version of this beer, I was excited to try this since I loved the other and have never had a brandy barrel aged beer before.

This beer poured black with a 1/4 inch tan head.

The aroma was of dark fruits, cherries, chocolate, and wood.

The taste was very much fruit forward with some chocolate flavors blended in. I didn't detect as much flavors from the barrel but definitely got a lot from the brandy. The fruit and brandy flavors seemed to almost enhance the bitterness in the finish as the hops were much more detectable than the Rye barrel version of this beer.

This would be great for somebody who loves chocolate covered strawberries. This was a nice mix of the fruit and stout flavors, however after having tried it I think I'll stick to the other versions of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 00:29:09 | More by jonvan04

Sean9689

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks, (?spycow?)! Poured into Darkness tulip.

A - Pours black, light mocha-colored head, thin collar.

S - Chocolate, light booze, light roast. Not overly complex here, yet still enjoyable. The booze isn't too much and the sweetness is spot-on for me to enjoy. Just pretty straight-forward -bal.

T - Similar to the nose. Chocolate, smooth booze, oak. No real roast or caramel, but the sweetness and booze are enjoyable and work well together. No barrel notes, and it's hard to pick out anything but sweetness, chocolate, and brandy booze. Again, solid but not blowing me out of the water.

M - Medium to full body, good carbonation, creamy finish.

O - A solid barrel-aged stout and a nice variant in the horizontal. That said, I'm more of a fan of the Buffalo Trace then this one, and will score accordingly. Good, give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 16:45:13 | More by Sean9689

ratedz

Kansas

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 release. Bottle 1307 (maybe, the last number is partly worn off, but it might be a 7)

A - Pours jet black with about a finger and a half of tan colored head. The head fades slowly for a barrel aged stout and leaves behind a lot of lacing on the glass.

S - Sweet, sugary brandy and some notes of chocolate. Hints of vanilla and dark fruits linger in the background. Very complex, yet very balanced.

T - The sweetness of the brandy is the first thing I notice upon taking a sip. Bittersweet chocolate, light smokiness, and some roasted malts. A slight bitter hop profile shows up before the sweetness of the brandy returns.

M - Thick and creamy. Light carbonation. A little heat from the brandy, but pretty much close to perfect mouth feel.

O - A very enjoyable beer. The sweetness from the brandy can be a bit much, but it compliments the base beer fairly well. This was the first of the 2011 Eclipse variations that I've tried and I'm looking forward to the others since I'm a bigger fan of bourbon than I am brandy.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 03:21:35 | More by ratedz

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This brew poured out as a very nice black color with a dark tan head on top. The lacing and retention were pretty good on this. The smell of the beer reminded me of fresh tobacco, with some sweet boozy malts and wood in the mix. The taste was very good, It's just got some quality levels that this goes through. Had some boozy heat with some thick creaminess to it in the mouthfeel, Overall this beer was quite good. I look very forward to trying the other two I have that are from different barrels.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 22:50:33 | More by Knapp85

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle #1451. Served in a SAVOR wine glass, and split with Amyliz4.

Pours near black with a good light mocha head. Very bubbly and thin, receding to a thin cap fairly quickly. Collar throughout. The nose has distinct brandy notes pushing to the front. Some sweetness and oak, along with a mild cherry presence. A good portion of chocolate and a bit of booze come through more as it warms.

The flavor is focused mainly on the brandy, with a touch of oak and very light vanilla. Chocolate makes for a good base with a slight bit of roast. Slightly boozy. Medium-full body with a mild chewiness. Good body and nose, but the back-half and finish were a bit boozy and need to balance out a bit. Maybe a few more months for this before it reaches optimal drinking age. I look forward to revisiting this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 13:48:37 | More by Thorpe429

ehammond1

California

3.95/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle (2011)

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Very dark brown, nearly black in color, without a lot of visible carbonation and not much head. Eventually, however, this does leave sticky spots and sheets of lacing down the glass. Quite pretty.

The aroma is fairly sweet, with lots of maple syrup, bittersweet chocolate, brandy, roast, a bit of vanilla, and a hint of wood. This is far sweeter and much different than all of the bourbon variations, though it's also the least transformed in comparison to the base beer, Totality, which is already a fairly sweet stout.

The flavor is far more simple and less complex than the bourbon variations. The brandy, sweet chocolate, and roast make for a nice combination, but it lacks the depth I hope for in a barrel aged stout. Also, the honey is quite present and pronounced in this variation. That all being said, this stuff is still delicious--it's just that the other variations set the bar so incredibly high.

Thin to medium mouthfeel with low carbonation.

A fine beer, but a bit too sweet. I was hoping for more transformation from the barrels.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 03:32:50 | More by ehammond1

MasterSki

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Forget who shared this one, but thanks! Served in a Cigar City snifter.

A - Surprisingly carbonated for an Eclipse. A half-finger of tan foam settles to some wisps, a thin collar, and a few spots of lace. Very dark brown body with a glint of red at the fringes of the glass.

S - Aroma is quite sweet in comparison to the Grand Cru I recently had - the brandy barrel is front and center, imparting some sweet red fruits, oak and light perfume flavors. Dark chocolate, anise, and roasted grains are in the periphery. Alcohol is better hidden than the Grand Cru as well.

T - The base beer shines through more substantially in the taste, with dark chocolate and roasted malts balanced by red licorice and fruity brandy flavors. Quite sweet mid-palate but finishes with roasty bitterness and a bit of spirit alcohol bite.

M - Full-bodied, lower carbonation, sticky and chewy. One of the heftier offerings in the series. Some moderate alcohol warmth in the finish - I doubt this is actually 9.5%, but it's nowhere near as hot as the Grand Cru was.

D - Not my favorite barrel treatment of Eclipse, but still a very enjoyable and somewhat unique barrel-aged stout. I'd have this again, but not at the ridiculous price it was selling for locally. If you like sweet and fruity imperial stouts, this will be right up your alley.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 22:40:37 | More by MasterSki

NittanyBeerFan

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle #139(smudged off last digit) from the 2011 release. Poured into snifters, split two ways.

Looks nice and thick and the Brandy Barrel Blend of this years Eclipse stout cascades from the mouth of the bottle into my glass. The head reaches about a half centimeter, but isn't retained for long. Despite this, there is some stringy and slick looking lacing that forms as I drink.

The aroma of this variant is far less ashy than that of the Eclipse aged in the 18-year Elijah Craig barrels. As a result, the nose is filled with more dark roast coffee, dates, figs, and toasted oaky tannins. The barrel influence is far more subtle here, as well. Subdued vanilla and oak do manifest themselves in the finish, but the deep vinous character from the spirit balances itself very well with the base beer. Tobacco, a little ash, roasted coffee, and those vinous barrel notes are the bulk of the flavor on the palate.

This is just awesome in terms of feel. Silky, creamy, and full. No thin mouthfeel here. It looks like FiftyFifty has addressed the thin texture that I experienced in prior vintages. Very well balanced -- more so than the EC18.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 19:22:43 | More by NittanyBeerFan

auroracrisis

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber into a Duvel tulip.

Pours pitch black with a light mocha colored head that dissipates into nothing after a few sips. No lacing, a bit of legging.

Pretty hot on the nose with overlaying notes of sweet brandy and cocoa powder. Lots of alcohol, to be honest but it's not burning. Sweet confection sweetness too like caramel and marshmallow. Not too complex on the nose, but not offensive even though the alcohol is more than apparent on the nose.

Opens with nice roasty flavors of baker's chocolate and French roast coffee. Moves into brandy sweetness with German chocolate cake frosting. A follow up of malt balls and Toblerone? Pretty nice on the tongue, wish the nose matched up to this.

Soft carbonation and full bodied. Sticky.

Good brandy sweetness with various flavors of chocolate. Nice roast too. I'd suggest giving this a little more time to let the aroma gather itself.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 07:31:59 | More by auroracrisis

portia99

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle (2011, bottle 1447) that is breaking in my CBS snifter. Very big thanks to Arbitrator for going above and beyond and facilitating my receipt of this fine beer. Been thwarted a couple of times in opening this, so really been looking forward to it.

A - Pours a very, very deep brown color. Clarity looked good on the pour, but in the glass not a shard of light passes thru, even towards the edges. A finger of creamy and dense dark tan head sits atop the beer for a good long time. Head slowly falls but continues to leave behind a thick and creamy collar and thin surface layer. Rings of foamy lacing coat the glass.

S - Brandy is noticeable up front, sweet, sugary, a bit of dark fruit, hints of vanilla, light booze, some dark roast underneath, light milky chocolate, maybe some cherries. Lots going on in here, but still remains balanced and the aromas mesh together quite well.

T - Quite fruity up front as the sip hits the tongue. I'm getting cherries and brandy up front. This fades slowly into a mild boozy presence in the middle which then drifts towards a chocolate assault. Milk chocolate mixed with some darker and more bitter chocolates blend together...I almost get the impression of a Black Forest chocolate cake topped with milk chocolate frosting, dark chocolate shavings and the great faintly noticeable cherry schnapps mixed in...dip that in a brandy reduction and the picture is complete. Dark roasty flavors including a bit of coffee lingers past the swallow well into the aftertaste. To me, this really comes across as a rich dessert in a glass.

M - Medium to full bodied, smooth and a bit frothy carbonation gives a bit of a milk shakey impression. Really well controlled booziness here. There is a noticeable warmth and liquor impression from the brandy barrels but not even close being described as overpowering or totally dominant...rather, the barrel complements the base beer nicely and only enhances. I'm gonna call the mouthfeel here close to perfect.

O - After hearing so much about the Eclipse "family" of beers, and never having experienced any of the versions before, I had high expectations coming into this, especially since the brandy version seems to be considered one of the best varieties this year. All I can say is that I am definitely not at all disappointed. Probably helps that I really love brandy straight or in a good dark roast coffee so perhaps this was set up for success with me. At any rate, this is definitely up there with my stouts of all time...here's hoping that the other varieties at least are in the same ballpark as this one is for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 00:45:02 | More by portia99

kmatlack

California

4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle #2957 vintage 2011.

A: pours dark, not the darkest black but definitely dark. Light khaki colored head pours a half finger, sticks around for a little bit and settles down atop the surface of the beer. Not much lacing.

S: you get blasted with sweet brandy at first, the barrel presence is strong here. I've heard others say that the brandy was barely noticeable but it's here in this bottle. That's for damn sure. Tones of honey, cinnamon, chocolate, dark fruits, figs, a little coffee, and more chocolate. In a strange way, it smells of a plethora of different kinds of chocolate. Bakers chocolate, dark, coca nibs, milk chocolate. Crazy!

T: the taste follows the nose here. Front palate is sweet honey and chocolate, the brandy is prominent as well. Mid palate the sweetness dies down and the roasty, smokey, coffee flavors start to shine through. On the back/aftertaste there is still a ton of sweetness, getting kindof old, but the lingering coffee and charred oak isn't. Wish it was a little less sweet, but it's fresh, so I understand.

M: big thick stout, chewy mouthfeel. Alcohol masked well, but still present.

O: an amazing BA imp stout. Is it worth $30 a bottle...? Yes and no. Maybe for a special event, this is definitely worth it. Everyday, no. I can't wait to try the rest of the series.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 05:34:22 | More by kmatlack

treyrab

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had the Elijah 18 a few nights ago, so I figured I would try the Brandy version to see how it stacked up against what most were saying was the best of this year's varieties. Well, in my opinion, the Brandy was the better beer. Here is why:

A: Took at least 10 minutes to get the wax off. Easily three layers of thick wax coated the top of this bottle. Had to get out the knife and chisel away. Once that was over, it poured into a snifter a nice rich black. A rather aggressive pour yielded a one finger creamy mocha head that retained itself for quite a while. Very nice.

S: Much more integrated than the Elijah 18. The Elijah smelled rather sweet, with an intense blast of bourbon. The Brandy here, was much more mellow, but with noticeable scents of nice brandy and roasted malts. The roast here is plays a larger factor than the Elijah. Also, this does not smell as sweet. Contains more chocolate than the Elijah as well.

T: Rich, complex brandy melds gracefully with the dark, bitter bakers chocolate and roasted malts. Nice creamy milkshake with brandy, malted milk balls, and some cocoa powder. Rather dry compared to the Elijah.

Overall, this was one hell of a beer. My girlfriend and I both agreed that we liked this better than the Elijah (but both were great).

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 12:23:47 | More by treyrab

Phelps

Arizona

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sent by seeswo in the Blind Beers BIF. Poured from a bomber into a tulip and reviewed blind.

Pours dead black. The head is a dense, fuzzy medium tan that get to about a finger tall before fading to a fleece-like ring.

The nose bends crumbled cocoa with smoke and a smooth, date-like fruitiness. Sweet vanilla notes round out the rougher edges as it warms.

Tangy dark fruits take over the front of the flavor along with subtle anise notes and just a little chocolate. After the swallow, wood smoke rolls in, its bitterness amplified by notes of burnt bread, cocoa and toasted oak. Fairly high alcohol flavor. Little bit of spicy hop bitterness with lingering roast and fruity tang.

Medium-light carbonation rubs the tongue with tiny bubbles inside a soft, velvety body that’s not too heavy, not too light. Alcohol is big enough to numb the tongue and warm my cockles.

Well, hmm. The balance in this version of Eclipse is nice, but the brandy doesn’t impart much. Wish there was a bigger showing from the barrels.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 03:50:16 | More by Phelps