Imperial Eclipse Stout - Buffalo Trace Barrel Blend - FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

ipa247

California

3/5  rDev -24.6%

12-10-2011 02:11:26 | More by ipa247

Mike

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%

05-24-2013 00:15:01 | More by Mike

Abrengle

Washington

4.75/5  rDev +19.3%

05-23-2013 01:20:49 | More by Abrengle

CanisMajor

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +13.1%

05-20-2013 16:19:54 | More by CanisMajor

pmarlowe

California

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%

05-19-2013 23:26:54 | More by pmarlowe

CelticAleMan

California

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%

04-14-2013 04:57:57 | More by CelticAleMan

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | 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, coffee, booze.

T - Sweet chocolate and caramel malts, Bourbon, vanilla, oak, 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 bourbon is a bit more subtle here.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 05:08:43 | More by ngeunit1

jeonseh

Indiana

3.95/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle drank as part of slowly drinking most of these eclipses.

A - Dark brown color with small mocha colored head that sits on top

S - Dark chocolate and fudge with light dark berry presence to it as well. I get slight vanilla and bourbon presence

T - Thick chocolate fudge, light roasted coffee, vanilla and light caramel. Oak and light bourbon comes through and linger on in the finish

M - Light body with good carbonation that leaves a light tingle in the finish

O - Solid eclipse with good sweetness to it. It also has a thicker body than some of the other eclipses which I feel prevents it from being too thin.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 00:10:00 | More by jeonseh

mendvicdog

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%

03-10-2013 17:01:10 | More by mendvicdog

duceswild

Maryland

4/5  rDev +0.5%

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

kaseydad

California

3.9/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark black ale with a huge light brown creamy, foamy head. Decent lacing. Glad it held for so long.

Aroma consists a lot of the bourbon barrel. Light dark fruits. Burn in the nostrils. Apple. Brown sugar. Honey. Molasses.

Taste is woody and still very barrel forward. Getting a lot of bourbon flavor without the heat. Char taste is present also. Chocolate is there but more on the baker's chocolate flavor. Definitely improves as it warms. The 9.5% definitely seems stronger.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall this is not improving with time imo. I had this right after purchasing it and the honey and bourbon worked great together. Now? Not so much. It's still good, but it definitely lacks that "something" when compared to other variants.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 02:44:26 | More by kaseydad

billab914

Virginia

4/5  rDev +0.5%

03-03-2013 02:32:48 | More by billab914

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 Vintage. Yellow Wax. Bottle #606.
Poured in to snifter.

A - Very dark brown on the pour but settled black with a thin layer of light brown head.

S - Charred oak, sweet bourbon and vanilla from the barrel up front. Chocolate fudge, roast and sweet molasses.

T - A big oak presence up front with lighter bourbon and vanilla flavours. The barrel dominates, but the base beer comes through as well adding chocolate fudge, roast, char and sweet molasses.

M - Medium body, slightly chewy. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 21:15:59 | More by TheSevenDuffs

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +0.5%

02-17-2013 00:52:38 | More by EgadBananas

injuredreserve

Louisiana

4.5/5  rDev +13.1%

02-11-2013 03:02:02 | More by injuredreserve

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +0.5%

01-16-2013 15:37:02 | More by yourefragile

spycow

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -12.1%

01-12-2013 06:49:57 | More by spycow

westcoastbeerlvr

California

3.5/5  rDev -12.1%

01-09-2013 00:25:24 | More by westcoastbeerlvr

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a tulip glass.

Big thanks to VDubb86 for sharing this bottle!

2011 vintage, bottle #664. If nothing else can be said about the Eclipse series, it does show how different barrels influence the same base. This one pours a deep black-brown (one that comes very close to approximating obsidian) topped by a finger of khaki foam. The nose comprises whiskey, buttercream, caramel, and vanilla. The barrel seems to block out any real sense of the stout within, but things still smell really good. The taste brings in more of the same, though now the stout asserts itself a bit more, though only through a somewhat light roasted-malt note. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a pretty smooth feel. Overall, a very nice stout, one that seems to have benefited from its year of closet-aging. Good times.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 07:27:51 | More by TMoney2591

mdfb79

New York

4.35/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 11/17/12 notes at our big Eclipse tasting. Big thanks to Thorpe429 for bringing this one; thanks Mike! 2011 vintage bottle #643.

a - Pours a deep dark brown, almost black color, with an inch of two of dark tan head and moderate carbonation evident. Looks great, like the others.

s - Smells of bourbon, roasted malts, chocolate, vanilla, toasted malts, light coffee, cream, and a little bit sweet. Lots of roasted notes and the sweet bourbon is wonderful in the taste, as is the mix of chocolate and vanilla. Awesome nose.

t - Tastes of sweet bourbon, swete chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla, sweet dark fruits, burnt malts, cream, earthy notes. A little sweeter than the nose; still quite nice.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Body is similar to all the others, though a bit sweeter. No heat.

o - Overall a really great variation of Eclipse; one of my favorites of the tasting behind 18 year EC. Awesome nose, one of the sweeter ones in my opinion. Would love to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 15:31:10 | More by mdfb79

drabmuh

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by Thorpe, thanks. Served in a FiftyFifty eclipse snifter, the occasion was right. Beer is dark black with a wispy brown head of small bubbles, minimal lacing, low carbonation, low retention.

Aroma is a little boozy and a little sweet. The roast comes through in this one more than the others. I like it.

Beer is medium in body, roasty on the end, a little sweet, a nice variant, close to one of my favorites of the night. I'd have this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 23:46:22 | More by drabmuh

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a FiftyFifty Eclipse snifter.

The beer is dark brown, nearing blacks porting a small, beige head that leaves a bit of lacing in its wake. The aroma offers booze, vanilla, chocolate roast. The beer is slightly sweet, with prominent barrel characteristics throughout. Nice notes of vanilla and chocolate. Medium to full bodied with a boozy finish. This variant is middle of the pack as far as Eclipse stouts. Overall, a tasty beer. I would have this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 20:09:46 | More by Huhzubendah

Robdrinx

Maryland

4/5  rDev +0.5%

11-17-2012 23:56:38 | More by Robdrinx

FosterJM

California

4.2/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1618th Review on BA
Bottle to CBS Snifter
22oz

2011 Yellow Wax
Thanks to Daysinthewake for this one

App- This pours out like a cola cola, only with a smaller head. It has some good browns, crimsons and reds behind it. The center is fairly dark and dense and then moves into a clear red edge with a small 1/4" head and then leaves only a couple lines of cling. Interesting color.

Smell- Not as aromatic as some of the other treatments but more than holds it own with a good amount of rich malts and some deeper chocolates, this also has some good vanilla and oak notes that balance it all out.

Taste- This was pretty damn good. For me the least sweet besides the JD which was 3 years old when I had it. A strong malt and barrel character with a good amount of booze. The barrel adds a nice rich layer of flavor and the honey is a bit subdued all around. This had more balance the other variants I have had.

Mouth- This was a very full medium body and then paired with a semi low bodied carbonation. It really works. The residual barrel is quite prevalent with good oak, char and vanilla and a bit of caramel sweetness.

Drink- This was a very good treatment. Probably in top 3 for me. The EC and the Brandy so far have been best and this is no different. Great layering and outstanding flavors. I am surprised people hate on this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 04:27:18 | More by FosterJM

tbone1384

Wyoming

4.5/5  rDev +13.1%

11-09-2012 14:50:11 | More by tbone1384