Imperial Eclipse Stout - Rebel Yell - FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

rlee1390

Indiana

3.81/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A-Black in the glass, one finger tan head that leave behind some lacing.

S-Bourbon, caramel, sugar, darker fruits.

T-Bourbon, candied sugar, some burnt notes, not much bitterness.

M-Thick, heavy, not much carbonation.

O-Way to much sugar. Overly sweet and unblanced.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 01:53:41 | More by rlee1390

wyatt13

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +13%

04-28-2013 14:04:20 | More by wyatt13

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +15.2%
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, lots of vanilla, lots of oak, molasses, coffee, black licorice, bitter dark cocoa, raisin and other dark fruits, 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 very present, but smooth here.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 05:07:41 | More by ngeunit1

Swervine44

California

4.25/5  rDev +13%

04-15-2013 06:05:13 | More by Swervine44

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.14/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | 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 - Nice bourbon. Doesn't have the harshness that other variants have.

Taste - Nice bourbon character. Vanilla. Dark chocolate flavor. Bourbon continues throughout. Very nice barrel character.

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

Overall - This beer gives the best barrel character. Distinct corn and bourbon flavor that never overpowers.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 00:06:50 | More by Alieniloquium

jeonseh

Indiana

2.18/5  rDev -42%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2

Bottle as part of drinking most of these.

A - Dark brown chocolate with reddish hues on the edges. Not much of a head but small mocha foam sits on top.

S - Chocolate mixed with cheap bourbon. Smells medicinal, overpowering, and harsh

T - Tastes like cheap and strong bourbon with light chocolate aspects to it. This beer tastes mostly like bourbon but unfortunately it isn't good bourbon. Each sip makes you twinge.

M - Thick body with lots of astringency from the bourbon

O - This is by far the worst eclipse I've had so far and shows how barrel aging doesn't always help a beer. There is way too much cheap and bad bourbon that made this one not too enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 00:25:56 | More by jeonseh

TrickkyGangsta

Florida

4/5  rDev +6.4%

03-14-2013 02:23:04 | More by TrickkyGangsta

mendvicdog

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -6.9%

03-10-2013 16:59:06 | More by mendvicdog

oline73

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%

03-10-2013 05:51:02 | More by oline73

duceswild

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%

03-09-2013 20:53:16 | More by duceswild

Beerontwowheels

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%

03-09-2013 15:01:43 | More by Beerontwowheels

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Color brown head sort of light brown. I'm really digging beer these days. Why are these called Eclipse anyways? Is the sun fixin to move halfway acrost these brews and obscure them from the views? Malty, roasty, a bit thin. Another shocker. This one changed my life...again. Like Zoro, I thought this was muy bueno. David Hasselhoff should be proud to have this beer named in his homage. If Tera Patick was my roommate, I would share several of these with her and her amigas. To infinity and beyond!

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 03:41:01 | More by Huhzubendah

sliverX

New York

3.5/5  rDev -6.9%

03-03-2013 23:21:39 | More by sliverX

merc7186

New York

3.8/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bomber into snifter glass.

A: Dark Opaque Hue, Passes No Light, Brownish Head, Some Lacing

S: Bourbon, Chocolate, Bananas

T: Bourbon, Chocolate, Toasted Dark Malts

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium to Full Bodied, Semi Boozy, Mildly Sweet

Overall, not bad but the boozy bourbon taste seemed a little too virgin.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 22:36:57 | More by merc7186

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +13%

02-19-2013 15:12:35 | More by ShanePB

2beerdogs

California

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%

02-19-2013 05:56:42 | More by 2beerdogs

CanisMajor

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +13%

02-16-2013 05:21:27 | More by CanisMajor

drummermattie02

Texas

4/5  rDev +6.4%

02-15-2013 22:23:48 | More by drummermattie02

DovaliHops

California

3.76/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

2012. Pours a dark black with a very small tan head. Scent is very different from the others. This one has a more distinct whiskey aroma. I immediately got taken back to times at the bar when I would order a shot of whiskey (didn't care what it was). Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Very boozy aroma with sweet oak and vanilla. Roasted chocolate and vanilla. A very distinct variant of the Eclipse series. Taste is immediately sweet with booze and cinnamon. I think the whiskey flavors come through most in this variant. Before I go further with that statement, I want to be clear that it is just "whiskey flavors". Not necessarily the different qualities I get from other variants with great "good-tasting whiskey qualities". In a blind tasting, this one would definitely rank as the most harsh. Not necessarily the worst, but the harshest when it comes to the whiskey flavor. Still a great beer. Mouthfeel is somewhat hot with medium body. Somewhat sticky. Drinkability is fair, as the booze and whiskey heat can be a bit much. Overall, I really enjoy this one...just not very complex like some of the others.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 08:25:48 | More by DovaliHops

brotherloco

California

4.5/5  rDev +19.7%

02-03-2013 01:43:24 | More by brotherloco

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

2012 Bottle poured in to snifter.

A - Black with a thin layer of medium brown head.

S - Huge oak aroma up front with lighter bourbon and vanilla notes present form the barrel. Some chocolate fudge and roast aromas with a noticeable sweetness from the base beer.

T - A very dominant oak flavour is present from the barrel that is tannic without being astringent. Some chocolate, roast and lighter vanilla flavours with just a touch of bourbon.

M - Medium to full body with a slight chew. Light carbonation.

O - This was an interesting Eclipse variation. I've had about 5 or 6 of these now and this one stands out as unique. The oak really came through with the bourbon and vanilla only lightly present int he background.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 23:39:42 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Azrael

2.5/5  rDev -33.5%

01-25-2013 06:14:16 | More by Azrael

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.24/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours indistinguishable from most any other eclipse, its plenty black and brown, it pours with a thin, dark beige head that is only about 1/3" in depth, doesn't do much in the lacing department, but visually displays that the carbonation is just about right probably. Aroma, this one did well in that department, had the lighter body whiskey notes going for it, pleasant, refined, well mannered, despite being from a "cheap" whiskey barrel. I've never really been able to catch on much of a difference between cheap or expensive barrels, some of them work, some of them are less desireable.

Taste is solid, about even coverage between the whiskey notes and the chocolate malt richness of the totality base stout. It had a lighter body presence though than many of the Eclipse variations, I think this one thinned the body out more than almost any of the non corn/wheat iterations of Eclipse this year. Its relatively dry at times for a whiskey barrel, I thought it covered up the amount of alcohol in it quite well, and was the first bottle I cracked after drinking this at the release party. Its impressive, and a different direction for Eclipse, its no wonder they also used the red wax for this, it is the most similar to the 4 Roses versions they've made in the past.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2013 04:57:26 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -6.9%

01-19-2013 01:54:44 | More by Thorpe429

DavoleBomb

Ohio

2.1/5  rDev -44.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 1.5

Poured into a perfect pint. Red wax, 2012 vintage. Big thanks to anotherjoe for hooking me up.

4.5 A: Black color. One finger of creamy light brown head. Retention is pretty good and tons of lacing is left.

2.5 S: Chocolate and roasted barley from the base. A surprising amount of coffee as well, which has to be coming at least partially from the barrel. The whiskey is surprisingly earthy and minerally with something along the lines of peat. Boozy and a bit astringent on the nose. Not a fan of this one so far.

2.0 T: Like the nose, the taste is harshened by the barrel and contents. I don't know whether to blame the barrel or the barrel aging since I've never had RY. In any case, the barrel aging has been overwhelmingly good for the other variants I've had over the years. This is rough with lots of earth, mineral, and tannic astringency. Coffee, chocolate, and roastiness from the base. Boozy and without much vanilla or sweetness (super dry really).

1.75 M: Even the mouthfeel is worse than the other variants. Medium body without any creaminess. Undercarbonated with an astringent finish.

1.5 D: I venture this might be the worst Eclipse beer to come out. It's unrefined, too dry, astringent, and overly boozy. Nearly a disaster and certainly not worth half of the price.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 01:48:46 | More by DavoleBomb