Hunahpu's Imperial Stout - Whiskey Barrel Aged
Cigar City Brewing

750 mL bottle poured into a snifter. Reviewed from notes.

Appearance - Jet black with a chocolate head. Retention isn't as good as regular Hunahpu, but I'm guessing that's the norm for these barrel treatments. Inky and glass staining as always.

Smell - Whiskey is very dominant. All the flavors of whiskey, chocolate, and peppers come through in one whiff. They blend seamlessly into a great nose.

Taste - Whiskey up front, as the aroma would indicate. It's a different aroma from Bourbon, which I didn't quite expect. I thought I wouldn't be able to discern a Whiskey barrel from a Bourbon barrel in a big beer like this. It's less intense than a Bourbon barrel and allows the beer to come through. Chocolate and peppers not as well blended as in the aroma. The whiskey flavor is very sharp, especially in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Very thick. Seems to have retained its body better than Virgin Oak did. Very heavy and tough to drink. A sipper, I suppose.

Overall - Wonderful flavors, but it's so big. The complexities of Hunahpu are a little lost from the barrel, but the barrel does well to accommodate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A big thanks to Brian for knocking off this long time want. 750ml waxed bottle into Drie Fonteinen stemware. Reviewed from notes at a tasting.

Pours big, viscous, deep and pitch black. Huge legs with a dark mocha head that sticks around. Spotty lace with good cling. Menacing!

Nose is chocolate, molasses, fudge, cocoa and lightly tart fruit. Very robust and appetizing.

Opens cocoa, fudge, sweet pepper, chocolate, molasses, and booze. More chocolate and a touch of roast and more sweet peppers in the middle. End is molasses, leather and dark fruit. Cocoa powder and dark chocolate in the aftertaste. Delicious!

Full bodied with minimal carbonation. Oily and slick in the mouth and goes down warm and smooth with a messy finish and a sticky, slightly lingering aftertaste. Exactly what I want from a beer with this intensity and flavor.

A shockingly good beer that really hasn't lost much with time. This is still worth going after and is certainly one of the better beers in the horizontal.