Imperial Eclipse Stout - Old Fitzgerald - FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

flexabull

California

4.38/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

2012 bottle courtesy of the super generous BA maximum12, thanks again! For the second Christmas Eve in a row, I'm getting to enjoy a bottle of one of the Eclipse barrel aged beers now that all the family has gone home.

Pours thick, a flat black color with a pretty nice light brown head. Head dies down to nothing, leaving some streaky lacing on the glass.

Aromas are very bourbon forward. Also some very nice notes of dark chocolate, dark fruits, and roasted nuts.

Taste is complex. Nutty, with dark chocolate, light cream, and dark fruits. Finish has a very nice hint of bourbon, booze, and roasted coconuts.

Mouthfeel is smooth with nice body, could be a touch thicker though.

Overall, an excellent beer. And another winner from FiftyFifty.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 05:47:20 | More by flexabull

jdobe13

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

05-20-2013 13:39:08 | More by jdobe13

Pecan

California

4/5  rDev -5.4%

05-16-2013 17:57:54 | More by Pecan

jegross2

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

05-11-2013 13:52:08 | More by jegross2

jwat

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

05-09-2013 00:43:11 | More by jwat

BMart

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

05-08-2013 18:57:48 | More by BMart

dfhhead25

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

05-07-2013 03:18:03 | More by dfhhead25

kevindp9

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

05-04-2013 05:24:23 | More by kevindp9

IPAyForHops

California

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

05-02-2013 23:54:56 | More by IPAyForHops

BrewStew58

New York

5/5  rDev +18.2%

04-29-2013 17:27:51 | More by BrewStew58

Goobastic

New York

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

04-28-2013 23:11:50 | More by Goobastic

outoffocus

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

04-26-2013 21:18:03 | More by outoffocus

CanisMajor

Indiana

4.75/5  rDev +12.3%

04-24-2013 20:19:43 | More by CanisMajor

cp45

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

04-22-2013 22:34:06 | More by cp45

azdback

Arizona

4/5  rDev -5.4%

04-21-2013 07:14:51 | More by azdback

bsuedekum

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

04-20-2013 02:02:01 | More by bsuedekum

Lucho

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

04-18-2013 05:53:51 | More by Lucho

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +2.4%
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 dark 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 very smooth.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 04:26:09 | More by ngeunit1

CelticAleMan

California

3.75/5  rDev -11.3%

04-15-2013 22:12:49 | More by CelticAleMan

claytong

Vermont

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

04-14-2013 01:29:50 | More by claytong

Atomicskis5

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%

04-11-2013 01:33:29 | More by Atomicskis5

enelson

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

04-09-2013 13:02:12 | More by enelson

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.74/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Usual black and dark brown pour, and very thin off white, beige head on this one, very small ring to it, 1/32" deep.

Aroma yields booze, chocolate, and for the first time ever when checking out an Eclipse beer. . . hops? Hmm. Questioning my nose on this one. At least the usual soggy wood and vanilla are still part of it. Bourbon a little too forward for me on this one, nice, but below average for the Eclipse series.

Plenty of booze and chocolate on the mouthfeel. Again, hopping and carbonation seemed like they were out of whack for what I've come to know Eclipse as. Seems high, the hops and the bubbles took away from a normally smooth experience. A little bit of coconut still, but maybe the barrel was extra wet, this one just is the hottest Eclipse I've ever had.

The sweetness from the whiskey itself doesn't seem to have found a home here, this one is a little bitter and rough in the mouthfeel. I was expecting a smoother, sweeter, less obvious barrel character out of this one, boy was I wrong.

While still enjoyable, it is probably my least favorite Eclipse.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2013 16:35:55 | More by Beerandraiderfan

ShemRahBoo

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%

04-08-2013 16:21:22 | More by ShemRahBoo

IKR

California

4.06/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2012 Vintage
Blue Wax

Appearance: Very dark brown bordering on black with a small beige head that slowly faded.

Smell: Moderate Bourbon, brown sugar and some vanilla notes.

Taste: Spicy Bourbon, mild vanilla, caramel/brown sugar, a touch of roasted malts and some oak notes appearing in the finish. The beer finishes with Bourbon and mild hop notes.

Mouth-feel: On the light side of medium bodied with a moderate level of carbonation Fairly thin bodied for the style.

Overall: Good beer. A bit more Bourbon forward than the 2012 Elijah Craig's I've had and as a result perhaps a simpler taste profile.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 22:30:07 | More by IKR