Imperial Eclipse Stout - Brewmaster’s Grand Cru Blend 2011 - FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

Pahn

New York

4.85/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22oz bottle into Duvel tulip. #520, 2011. Huge thanks to generous BA KevSal for including this as an extra in a trade awhile back!

Appearance: Free pour yields a 3/4 inch light tan head that dissipates slowly and leaves a solid lacing wall from the surface of the beer to about 1/4 inch up. Pours black with red orange highlights and leaves leggy spots and swatches of lacing.

Smell: From the bottle: hah, smells like a bottle of bourbon. Hope it doesn't taste as hot as it smells.

In the glass, it's still boozy, with slight caramel and vanilla, and a strong, spicy bourbon aroma. Chocolate comes out and really grows, along with a light toffee aroma that builds up strongly as well. Some great smoky notes sort of accent everything else... hard to describe, but nice.

While not the perfect/ultimate aroma, it's telling that I'm keeping the beer in my hand, held up to my face, while writing notes in my notebook, rather than putting it down at any point (not my usual procedure).

Taste: Wow, first impression is that I'm drinking a bourbon milkshake. What a mouthfeel; excellent. Lots of caramel and vanilla oak up front, with interesting malt and spirit nuances through the middle. Bit of a roasted malt and lingering hop influence through the semi-dry finish. Perfect bitterness and dryness to emphasize the spicy flavors and keep the thick, creamy feel and caramel/vanilla flavors in check.

Each sip basically yields bold barrel flavors, a prominent, well-done base beer--decent amount of roasted malt and caramel malt, with some complimentary hops (I thought Willamette, but online research says German Perle, which are described as "Minty bittering and good "green hop" aromas," which is what the "lingering hop" flavor here is like--had to look up German Perle because I have not used them myself).

This is what a barrel aged stout is supposed to provide: strong, consistent base flavor, with intriguing, constantly evolving (some wine and brandy reminiscent flavors, spicy bourbon, more expansive chocolate and vanilla notes, etc), but always complimentary nuances.

Basic flavor evolves as well, with a strong and welcome anise flavor through the finish that helps balance the heavy barrel influence up front. This is a spectacular beer.

Mouthfeel: Perfection. Thick, creamy full bodied. Low but sufficient carbonation. Dry enough finish to balance the decadence. Spot on; exactly what a barrel aged imperial stout's mouthfeel should be.

Overall: I've been sipping on this beer for about 2 hours now, and it still commands my complete attention for each sip. Masterfully put together beer. Will definitely seek out more Eclipse variants in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 03:46:40 | More by Pahn

warnerry

Michigan

4/5  rDev -4.3%

06-18-2013 02:33:16 | More by warnerry

billab914

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%

06-08-2013 01:17:57 | More by billab914

nmann08

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -10.3%

06-01-2013 02:36:35 | More by nmann08

baybassboy

California

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%

05-14-2013 05:08:07 | More by baybassboy

Beaver13

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle, number 1674. Pours dark brown black with a thin bubbly tan head that quickly goes to a thin collar that leaves a little lacing.

The aroma is roasted fudgy chocolate malts, black licorice and a little bourbon.

The flavor is huge - lots of roast chocolate malts, black licorice, some sweet honey and quite a bit of booze with a bitter alcohol finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation.

Overall, it's a huge flavorful beer. It's quite bit over the top especially in the alcohol, but I enjoyed drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 05:43:57 | More by Beaver13

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +3.6%
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, spicy rye, brandy, black licorice, dark cocoa, raisin, coffee, booze.

T - Sweet chocolate and bit of caramel malts, smooth Bourbon, vanilla, oak, spicy rye, Brandy. molasses, coffee, black licorice, bitter dark cocoa, raisin, grapes, 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 complexity of the different barrels comes through nicely.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 21:13:27 | More by ngeunit1

Googs

New York

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%

04-05-2013 23:26:21 | More by Googs

jeonseh

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottle as part of eclipse drinking.

A - Dark chocolate wih light brown head

S - Light bourbon, chocolate, and oak

T - Chocolate, light roasted malt, vanilla, caramel. The roasted malt and dark chocolate make itself known in the middle. The finish is sweet milk chocolate

M - Medium body with a slight watery presence to it. Light roasted aspect remains in the finish

O - Solid eclipse with good barrel presence that provides some vanilla and caramel sweetness

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 01:15:51 | More by jeonseh

DrJoe82

Illinois

5/5  rDev +19.6%

03-16-2013 00:12:36 | More by DrJoe82

mendvicdog

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%

03-10-2013 17:01:34 | More by mendvicdog

oline73

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

We opened this up at our Eclipse tasting the other night. Poured from the bottle into a tasting snifter.

The beer pours a very dark brown/almost black color. This beer had a very nice sweetness level to go along with the bourbon. I think this has come together quite nicely and it is a very complex beer. Bourbon, dark fruit, and mild vanilla notes are quite nice. I would definitely have more of this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 05:29:50 | More by oline73

duceswild

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%

03-09-2013 20:54:58 | More by duceswild

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.09/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

***2011 Vintage (Bottle #1741)***

Poured from a bomber.

Appearance: A thick foam forms on top of a very dense body. Thick sheets of lace slather the sides.

Smell: Sweet a bit, brown sugar, pungent overripe fruits, raisin cookies, coffee.

Taste: Vanilla, coffee, honey, dark fruits, cocoa beans, smooth oak, slight heat in flavor.

Mouthfeel: Feel is awesome. Mix of creaminess, low carbonation and a coating feel.

Overall: Very much liked it though it does pack a punch if only 9.5%. Be warned!

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 12:09:46 | More by papat444

kaseydad

California

4.43/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tried this over a year ago and wasn't that impressed. A year later? Let's review...

Nice carbonation pop after cracking the cap. Pours a black ale with a decent amount of light brown head. No lacing to speak of.

Getting huge sweet chocolate whiffs. The barrel definitely is rising through as well. Fain green apple. Syrup. Molasses.

The taste is again...huge chocolate. Sweet chocolate and cocoa abound on this. Roasty. There is still a decent amount of barrel in this too. Slight burn as it slides down. Tad of a bitter aftertaste. Good, good stuff.

Slick mouthfeel. Not as thin as some of the other variants.

Overall I am very happy to have waited the year for this. I think it's the perfect time to drink it now. The blend is working as a team perfectly. Not sure which barrels were used but very nice work here. Had I reviewed this on my first bottle, this rating would be lower. Patience is a virtue when it comes to the Eclipse.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 02:10:34 | More by kaseydad

drummermattie02

Texas

4/5  rDev -4.3%

02-26-2013 15:07:31 | More by drummermattie02

AgentMunky

California

4.05/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a sampling glass. 2011 vintage. From notes. Reviewed 12 February 2013.

A: Pitch-black with cola edges and a light brownish head.

S: Incredible! Soft vanilla, ensorcelling spirits, and gentle-sweet yeast.

T: Good, but light and short. Fruit, chocolate, and old ale yeast. Very brief.

M: Soft and flattish.

O: One of the best smelling Eclipses, with a good, soft, taste, but not a lot else.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 06:35:10 | More by AgentMunky

SPRichard

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%

01-27-2013 16:36:43 | More by SPRichard

baybum

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -4.3%

01-27-2013 13:27:29 | More by baybum

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

Dark black pour with an oily sheen, and a tiny ringlet of bubbles on top. Aroma of dark malts, bourbon and wood, dark fruits and anise. Taste was pretty similar to the smell, dark malts, molasses and licorice, a pretty strong bourbon quality, with a hint of fusel alcohol, baker's chocolate, and a bit of subtle smoke. On the heavy-medium body, lower carbonation, boozy, but still fairly smooth, and quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 22:57:09 | More by Rifugium

Azrael

4/5  rDev -4.3%

01-25-2013 06:24:35 | More by Azrael

spycow

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -10.3%

01-12-2013 06:50:57 | More by spycow

westcoastbeerlvr

California

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%

01-09-2013 00:18:18 | More by westcoastbeerlvr

Donsmitty

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +19.6%

01-08-2013 13:25:40 | More by Donsmitty

Retsinis

California

4/5  rDev -4.3%

01-04-2013 16:02:58 | More by Retsinis