Maple Barrel Aged Fayston Maple Imperial Stout - Lawson's Finest Liquids

Alieniloquium

Florida

4/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

375 mL bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Black with a smaller head than the base. Still retains what it had well. Sugary legs on the swirl.

Smell - Buckets of maple. The maple liquor really comes out. Chocolate and really roasty coffee. Less chalky than the base beer.

Taste - Sharp maple liquor flavor up front. Lots of sweet maple. Oaky. Lots of that bitter chocolate and some of that chalkiness.

Mouthfeel - Hotter than the base. Much sweeter. Medium carbonation.

Overall - Better than the base. I love maple. This is pretty intense, but tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 02:13:20 | More by Alieniloquium

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.94/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

375ml wax capped bottle served in a taster. Brewed December 2012. Pours slightly darker than cola with a loose, mocha-colored head that dissipates into a swirl and a creamy band around the shoulders. Some lacing, but poor retention. Nose expresses dark malts, molasses, a roasty quality and perhaps a trace of vanilla. Taste consistent with nose; however, no real maple character comes out until the beer reaches room temperature, and at best, it is minimal. The flavor profile is more or less dominated by an ashy character. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with a carbonation just shy of lively with some acidity present as well. Overall, a decent beer, but not worth the price point and virtually no maple character present. Not sure if I would invest in another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 23:54:21 | More by Jwale73

oline73

Maryland

4.29/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the bottle into a snifter. I was lucky enough to have this along side the other three versions.

The beer pours a dark brown, almost black color with a layer of off white head. The smell is sweeter than the regular version. I'm also getting some roast and mild alcohol. The taste is also sweeter with more heat than the regular version. I'm getting some maple syrup and dark fruit. The finish has a roasty component to it along with some alcohol heat.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 03:08:30 | More by oline73

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.38/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle to HFS Sniffer

A: very dark brow in color like a cup of black coffee. It has no head there is not even a slight lacing around top. It is completely opaque about as dark as it can get in that regard, quite thick as well definitely motor oil status on a sluggish pour.

S:Rich and chocholately in smell you can definitely smell the maple syrup/barrell effects however that being said there is more then a hint of alcohol in there two though it is not overpowering from the other smell.

T: Wow so it is a lot like the nose in that there is a lot of rich chocolate flavor with hints of vanilla but not in that there is no alcohol that is impressive considering 11% is pretty high abv. Outside of the chocolate you can definitely taste the maple with syrupy sweetness it really balances the taste and makes it really drinkable for its feel and abv.

M: The feel is thick, chewy (toffee like) and syrupy there is basically no carbonation it does go down easily despite how heavy it is. If you like your stouts like chocolate syrup this is right up your ally I enjoy it but its not perfect.

O:I really like this beer another amazing stout from Lawson's and I think this is the best of the three. The bourbon barrel one has great flavor but it a little more overwhelming the maple barrel brings out the maple much more so and makes it smoother and richer in flavor in feel from the standard version. I am really impressed and I highly recommend this beer if your lucky enough to get your hands on it.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 03:32:27 | More by Pinknuggets

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This poured out as a black oil-like liquid with a light brown head on top. The retention is thin along with some lacing. The smell is awesome, there is a big maple aroma along with earthy grain and roasted malt. The taste of the beer is sweet, toasted and roasted malts some chocolate and plenty of maple and brown sugar. The mouthfeel is thinner than I expected. Very drinkable with a decent carbonation. Overall really great brew, very enjoyable and worth trying of you can.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 03:10:19 | More by Knapp85

KevSal

California

4.2/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pleasant mishap led this bad boy my way. Thanks to johnking for making the trade with me and thecaptain99 for getting the trade together haha! I thought these came in 750s, this one is in a 375ml. Perfect size to crack it a late Friday after working 70 hours this week watching Flight.

Poured into a tulip, not sure the vintage of this guy.

A- wow this one looks absolutely amazing! Super dark with a nice thick brown head. This one looks like hunaphu! Viscous

S- smell is a little more subdue than I was hoping for.roastyness and sweetness up front. More sweetness follows.

T- wow this one is roasty! A ton more roasty than I was expecting from a maple barrel beer. Lots of roasty chocolate, followed by the maple. Sweetness comes in thick on the back end. Different than I was expecting. Tasty stuff for sure, better than the nose.

M- very nice, not as thick as the appearance leads you to believe. Slightly fluffy and rich. No alch on this guy at all

O- the more I drink it the more I'm liking this and the less I like Vermont haha. This is good stuff. I coukd drink this all day.I'd love to try it again, thank you John for letting this one come my way, I appreciate it! I'd love to try more lawstons, this is my second encounter with them, and this one really delivered

Flight is getting good!

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 08:45:03 | More by KevSal

owend

New Hampshire

4.74/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

2012 bottle in an unmarked snifter

A- Jet black with a nice caramel brown head and good lacing

S- Maple liquor, smoky oak and a nice blending of chocolate and coffee

T- Roast flavor blends very nicely with the sweet heat of maple liquor and oak. The roast flavor is also smoothed by hints of bitter dark chocolate. A slight alcohol bite in the aftertaste, clearly from the maple liquor barrels. Overall it does hide the ABV though

M-full bodied with and mildly carbonated

O- Yet another great offering from Lawson's. Being a maple aged maple Imperial Stout, I expected more sweetness, but was pleasantly surprised to find a complex mix of roast malts, sweet maple, oak, and a slight alcohol bite blending beautifully. Among one of my favorite barrel aged beers in recent memory.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 22:33:56 | More by owend

chuckd123

Connecticut

4.58/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Apologies to the CBS crowd, but this stuff is amazing an in a league above Founders in overall taste. CBS is great, don't get me wrong, but Sean has managed to make a beer that envelops all the amazing things I want in a stout to kick back with after a day of skiing in winter. The beer is pitch black, with a nice fluffy tan head that lasts. The aroma is of chocolate/coffee and maple syrup. I have no idea myself, but have read how hard it is to brew with syrup and if that's true, this is that much more impressive -- the syrup is there in the aroma and flavor, and there are no negatives associated with it. Spectacular stout, and worth trying if you can get it. I have had it countless times at the Mad River Glen basebox & as much as I like skiing, when it's pouring in the Basebox, more often than not I find an excuse to stop skiing early that day.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2013 01:00:27 | More by chuckd123

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

375ml gold waxed bottle from the 2012 bottling. Poured into Lawson's snifter.

A- Pours an opaque jet black with a thin whispy mocha brown head that leaves a flat top with some sparse bubbles and some spotty lacing along the sides of the glass.

S- Wow this smells amazing, definitely one of the best smelling beers I've had. Aromas of Maple liquor, chocolate, roasted malts, maple syrup, woody oak, and some light espresso. Complex and very aromatic- could smell right away when the cap wasn't even half of the bottle.

T- Creamy chocolate that has a faint hint of bitterness to it, maple syrup, finishes with a nice maple liquor finish and a smooth oakiness. Very flavorful, complex, and a nice balance with the base beer shining through nicely while having a nice maple liquor/oak presence that fit the beer perfectly.

M- Creamy, extremely smooth, very easy to drink, nice carbonation, booze very well hidden with only a very slight alcohol burn.

O- I had high expectations for this beer and they were easily surpassed. This beer impressed me a lot and I'd probably go as far as saying it's one of my favorite barrel-aged beers out there. I liked the base beer in itself, but the maple liquor barrels definitely did wonders to it by smoothing it out while still adding a nice maple touch to it. I highly recommend trying this beer out if you like maple BA stouts.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 23:08:15 | More by jaasen64

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Shared by Paul on a night with many good beers. Thanks man.

Served in a Lawson's snifter.

The beer is near black with a soapy beige head. The aroma offers dark roast, chocolate, milk chocolate, sugar. The beer is rich and thick. Sweetness throughout, with a hint of maple candy in the finish. While the maple character is present, it doesn't dominate the beer. Instead, it adds a subtle nuance to a high quality imperial stout. Chocolaty and velvety smooth feel. Nicely done. Another winner from Lawson's and the fine state of Vermont.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 06:17:05 | More by Huhzubendah

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Huge thanks go to Kegatron for sharing this. This has been on my wants list since day 1 of making such a list. What better experience than to get a full pour along side the base and bourbon version. 750ml bottle numbered 35 of 180. As expected and like the other Faystons, it appears black in color with a dark tan head. Some spotty lace sticks to the glass as cap collpases.

The aroma has a big sticky sweet nose of caramel, vanilla and burnt sugars perhaps like maple syrup. Some hints of chocolate and coffee with a mild alcohol bite across the back that comes across a little solvent. The roasted aromatics verse sweetness creates and interesting contrast to the nose.

The flavor is bitter and roasty with earthen aspects of coffee. Quite a contrast compared to what you might expect based off the first impression of the aromatics. Plenty of dryness with tobacco and a mild acrid bite. Some solvent alcohol is present before being tempered by a contrast of barrel character that tastes somewhat like caramel and raw maple that is almost woody like bark instead of oaky barrel.

This is more medium bodied than light with a modest level of carbonation. It is quite boozy and aggressive for an imperial stout but I liked it the most of the Faystons we drank. It provided the most contrasting charcter to the bold stout and I found it to be the easiest drinking and most balanced. Any of these Fayston brews are well worth the time and resources to secure, id love to have this again. Thank you very much Heath for the unique opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 14:55:23 | More by stakem

metter98

New York

4.35/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: The beer is essentially jet black in color, only traces of red apper near the far edges of the glass when it s held up to a bright white light. It poured with a quarter finger high beige head that left a ring of large bubbles areound the edge of the glass and wispy lacing across the surface.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of licorice in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste has flavors of licorice and dark malts along with a light to moderate amount of bitterness. Hints of maple are noticeable towards the finish.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied on the alate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. There is a bit of warming from the alcohol in the finish.
O: This beer definitely tastes like it is a little strong, but hides its alcohol relatively well.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 02:55:03 | More by metter98

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.31/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours an opaque (yet clear) extremely dark black in color with some dark amber and brown highlights along with just the slightest hint of visible carbonation. The beer has a quarter finger tall sudsy dark mocha head that quickly reduces to a very thin ring at the edges of the glass and a very small very thin patch in the center of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: There are moderate aromas of dark roasted malts with some notes of chocolate/cocoa, brown sugar, and maple oakiness - light hints of butter and some booze.

T: Upfront there are moderate to strong flavors of roasted dark malts and cocoa/dark chocolate - there are some interesting smokey notes to this one that were unexpected. The maple starts out pretty subtle but intensifies as the beer warms, there are also quite a lot of notes of oak, butter, and vanilla. Just a touch of booze in the finish over the top of some light bitterness which fades quickly.

M: Slightly heavier than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Light notes of alcohol heat towards the finish.

O: The maple aspects were a little more subtle in this beer than i expected at first but as the beer warms the maple makes it's presence more well known. The alcohol is present in this beer but it is still a very enjoyable sipping beer. Quite nice complexity to the smell and taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 02:49:37 | More by dbrauneis

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750ml corked & caged bottle into a couple of glasses. Rare batch 175 Bottle # 35/180. Black with a dark mocha head. Rich retention with a good bit of robust spotty lace. The aroma has a huge maple presence, with spicy tobacco notes along the back and some chocolate, vanilla and dark roast mixed in. A green tannic presence hangs on the edges but this isn’t hugely oaky. Maple is strong in the flavor as well, with a hot feel to it from the barrel. Chocolate, vanilla, brown sugar, a touch of tobacco and dark roast all make themselves known as well. The roast leaves bitter char in the finish, where it lingers with some burnt barrel character. This full bodied and chewy in the mouth with some silkier undertones. This shows it’s alcohol but isn’t overly hot, just leaving some spicy sweetness back in the mouth. This was certainly tasty and interesting but the maple from the base beer and the barrel (both the maple and vanilla) just got to be a little too much in spots. I did like the overall complexity here though and the drinkability was decent. I’m still glad I sought this one out a while back.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 17:54:02 | More by Kegatron

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.69/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours black with a very thin dark brown head fading immediately. Little lacing.

Dark chocolate, cocoa and some molasses perhaps in the aroma. Some roasted malts in the background. I get no maple in the aroma.

Flavor opens up with some dark chocolate and molasses. Some barrel notes come through with some vanilla. Light roasted notes throughout. Fairly sweet although I get no maple.

Full bodied. Chewy and very thick and viscous. By far the best aspect of the beer.

Disappointed by this one. Not mad by any means, but there are much better things out there that don't cost as much in trade for. The mouthfeel brought it up to be enjoyable, but still let down that I got no maple at all from this.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 15:45:36 | More by jmarsh123

SourCK

4.35/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 357mL bottle somewhat aggressively into a snifter.

Appearance: Pitch black with light carbonation. Very small amount of head that quickly fades.

Smell: Chocolate and roasty with a nice balance of sweet maple. You can catch a hint of booze, but it is very subtle.

Taste: Strong presence of chocolate and roasty malts up front. A combination of maple and caramel comes through on the finish. This is a great take on an imperial stout.

Mouthfeel: Medium body and very smooth. I was expecting something heavier, pleasantly surprised. Light carbonation. Very satisfying.

Overall: This beer was great. It was well balanced and the maple syrup and maple liquor barrel aging really complimented the imperial stout, well. It was smooth and despite being higher gravity, there was no hot alcohol burn or negative impact on the mouthfeel. I waited outside at 20 degrees for an hour an a half for this beer so I had very high expectations. This beer did not disappoint. I would absolutely get it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 21:34:59 | More by SourCK

largadeer

California

3.2/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pitch black body with impressive viscosity, minimal head formation. Nose has quite a bit of boozy bourbon, vanilla and sugary maple syrup, along with ashy, burnt malt and a touch of cocoa. Booze is very noticeable but not hugely detracting. Palate is very ashy and burnt - can't say I'm a fan of the base beer here, but the maple bourbon barrel does a lot to balance the acrid malt character. There's a good amount of sweetness, in the form of both maple syrup and vanilla. The finish leans toward flavors of licorice and oak, with a blast of burnt bitterness and booze. I enjoy the barrel flavors here, but the base beer isn't to my liking at all.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 17:56:14 | More by largadeer

claaark13

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this a while back form jedwards....not sure exactly when, but I've really been looking forward to it. I've had a tough time fitting it into a tasting, so it looks like it gets split with my wife. Served at 52ish into a HF snifter. Bottle #16/180.

A - Pours black with a dark tan head, rising about an inch and then fades to a thick lacing. Sticks well.

S - Sweet dark malts with some roast. Some of the booze is evident at first. The maple comes out, but not without a bit of investigation.

T - Cocoa, roasted malts, sweetness with a note of heat on the tongue. Finish has a little cocoa, touch of dry oak. The sweet roasted malts seem to dominate, but the cocoa peeking through is what makes this one. I really don't get much of the expected maple, it really just seems to add a perfect amount of sweetness. The aforementioned heat goes away after the 2nd sip, making it easy to forget that 12%.

M - Medium body that feels slightly thicker due to the lower carbonation.

O - This isn't quite like anything I've had. There is a complexity yet balance in the flavor. The (somehow) subdued flavor of the maple seems so appropriate by just providing the sweetness to cover the ABV%. I will be seeking this one out fresh the next time it comes around.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 02:01:32 | More by claaark13

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.81/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Received a pour of this outside of Triple Rock in Berkeley, thanks to gsgolovin & largadeer for being part of that crew. Good black and brown appearance, very small tan head, actually a good amount of lacing from such a small head formation on the top. Wow, what a lovely aroma. Just a massive amount of maple here, lovely. Maple first, mild barrel oak notes afterwards. Throw in some of the usual coffee and chocolate suspects to round out the aroma. It is magnificent.

Taste, more of the same, hides 12% alcohol like its nothing. Perfect blend of maple, not sugary, its au natural, sure some sweetness, but nothing artificial or added type of sweetness, just nice maple goodness. Swearing maple must absorb alcohol, this was so easy to drink. There's hiding the alcohol relative to its existence, and there's just outright making it seem nonexistant. This drinks like a 7% stout, not a 12%. Very mild charring, burnt feel if you look for it, along with vanilla which is actually a little more prominent than the char.

This is pretty much my favorite non Black Tuesday base beer stout made. Loved it. Carbonation was just right. Perfect.

Another thing that really set the beer apart for me was the viscosity. It isn't trying to be the thickest beer, much like FiftyFifty Eclipse, this one does what allows the most flavor to come through in waves, rather than just trying to be the biggest, thickest, this one has touch, finesse. Go ahead and look for the big ol' Shaq's of imperial stouts or whatnot, I'm plenty good with the Michael Jordan and Dwyane Wade of imperial stouts.

EDIT: Had another bottle March 2013, wasn't as pungent with the maple, but still very good, still hides that alcohol so well.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 23:56:20 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Mississipping

Mississippi

4.72/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle #38 of 180.  Rare batch #175 straight from the green mountains to your head.  Signed by Sean.  

A: Pours absolutely pitch black with a two finger mocha head that rises quickly and falls extremely slowly.  Exceptional lacing and long legs.  Eventually settles to a thin film and very think ring that tries its  best to remain as part of the lacing. 

S: Loads of dark chocolate up front with a good dose of really fine quality smelling maple syrup.  A bit of vanilla, some toffee, and a touch of coffee in the background.  

T: Dark chocolate, vanilla and roasted barley up front creating a marvelous kick-off.  Maple is a little less pronounced than the aroma would have you believe, which is probably a good thing.  A bit of hops in the background creates a pretty darn dry finish which was somewhat unexpected, but welcome.

M: Pretty full bodied, but we just finished off a Hunahpu's before this, so it seems a little thinner than it really is.  As it warms, and as you continue drinking, you realize that it is completely full bodied.  Carbonation is medium, and it is unbelievably smooth and creamy on the palate.  

D: Absolutely fantastic drinkability.  Extremely complex and extremely tasty.  Loads of chocolate and maple and a really nice dry finish.  Booze is hidden quite well.  Fantastic!

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 06:04:41 | More by Mississipping

scottfrie

California

4.38/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batch #175 into snifter. Thanks a ton for sending me this one a year ago, SneezyAchew. Bottled Dec. 2010.

A: Pours black with a finger of dark mocha colored head. The head slowly faded into a dense fuzzy film that disappeared after some time and left virtually no lace.
S: Rich notes of maple and chocolate fudge brownies. Vanilla comes through lightly along with hints of brown sugar.
T: Much more sweet maple character than the nose let on. This beer must have been a sweet mess when it was first brewed. No wonder the label tells you to age it. Anyway, rich and potent malt flavors of dark chocolate, fudge brownie, caramel and roast are balanced by a very even sweetness and flavors of fresh maple syrup and vanilla. This is one decadent dessert beer, and that is how I’m enjoying it.
M: Thick body, low carbonation, sweet and lightly alcoholic mouthfeel that goes down smooth and pretty easy for such high alcohol.
O: Wonderful stout. I’m glad I waited so long to open this; the sweet maple is still extremely flavorful but the alcohol and sweetness has died down. Thanks again for this great beer, Michael.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 04:05:10 | More by scottfrie

maximum12

Minnesota

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

Huge thanks to baconsausage, who has sent me all sorts of crazy good beers from Vermontabouts. This one, well, it just looks so good I didn't even want to open it. I'm a certified maple syrup freak, can't go anywhere without bringing home a bottle of the local stuff. Bottle 24/180, batch #175, December 2010. 750ML bottle schlepped gently into two tulips.

Pour is black hole black, no light escapes its pull. And I'm not impressed by head (on a beer, at least), but this one stands on tip-toe for a good ten minutes after being poured without wavering, blinking, or twitching. And stays there throughout the experience. Smell is...oh, I just went to my happy place. Finely bred maple syrup, chocolate, deep, lightlessly sweet malts, vanilla.

Fayston Maple Liquor Aged Maple Imperial Stout is almost flawless. Roasted malts, not evident in the nose, are in the fore. Chocolate, vanilla, maple vie for attention in the background, & move in perfect unison. But the finish is what really makes this shine. The burn of the maple liquor warms the throat &, I actually started sweating. Like a fine after-dinner liqueur, this is thick, tasty, filling. Despite the fact this should probably be consumed in dainty quantities, I find myself wishing I had 2 or 3 for myself, right now. I can get up at noon tomorrow, no problem.

I'll correct myself: this beer is flawless. This is the third perfect beer I've ever tasted, along with '08 BA Blackout Stout & '07 Darkness. Lawson's, please make this by the river-full. And Tucker, now I really owe you.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 02:30:13 | More by maximum12

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

thick dark brown liquid, essentially black with no light penetration what so ever. Rich deep, and thick chocolate colored lace then formed on the top of it to a height of around two inches before finally settling down onto a pillow if tan

rich and sweet, the first notes to hit me were a nice sweet milk chocolate, lactose, and a nice burnt caramel aroma. Very sweet, with hints of coffee throughout. A nice mixture of roasted malts, and not overly heavy. No, hint of the alcohol in it at all which was very nice. lots of very sweet woody notes now coming through, bourbon like flavor Rich milk chocolate, molasses and vanilla hints were the first right out of the gate. Very sweet with lots of lactose sugar like flavors coming in, probably from the oatmeal. A slight warming on the back of the throat, but other then that there was literally no hint of the alcohol what so ever. Really a fine quality stout here. Nice dry touches in the finish capped it off well and left a long lingering sweet coffee like taste in the mouth.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 01:22:52 | More by mikesgroove

HopHead84

California

3.35/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

9/17/2011

Bottle shared by ArthurPendragon, thanks! I had one of these coming a couple weeks ago but it broke in transit so I really appreciate the chance to try it. Snifter.

A: Black with a finger of bubbly dark brown foam that lingers for half a minute before fading to a thin film. Lacing is scattered.

S: Cocoa and dark chocolate with a whisper of brown sugar. There's a little maple, just a shadow. There is, however, a prominent roasted malt profile with some burnt notes. Molasses is pretty strong. When the beer warms up and opens up I get a little more maple and vanilla makes an appearance.

T: The malt is roasted nearly to the point of being charred. There's a good deal of molasses and woodiness with pervasive dark chocolate notes. Alcohol is pronounced and somewhat detracting. There's an upper moderate level of earthy bitterness. I don't get any maple in the flavor.

M: Full in body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is creamy, chewy, and sticky.

Overall: A pretty good beer with a disappointing flavor. I wouldn't recommend seeking it out.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 03:21:35 | More by HopHead84

billshmeinke

California

2.8/5  rDev -35%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Review from notes. Thanks to Bobby/Andrew.

Pitch black. A bit of off white head. 3.5
Nose is minerally chocolate, and maple/honey sweetness. Super minerally (bad water chemistry?). 3
Chocolate, loads of char, maple, minerals. 2.5
Thick and syrupy. Low carbonation. 4
The mineral character is a little much, and kinda ruins it for me. 2.5

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 21:35:23 | More by billshmeinke