Parabola - Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.53/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

2012 vintage opened a year after release. Acquired in a trade .

A- pours a deep brown opaque body with a 2 finger mocha colored head that reduces to a brown ring.

S- soft yet pungent whiskey, dark fruits, french vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, sugar cookie.

T- Sweet vanilla and caramel, whiskey upfront. Semisweet chocolate and roasted coffee is next, dark fruits an almost grassy citrus follow through. Nice toasty, burnt malt aftertaste.

M- smooth and silky, medium heavy body.

I really enjoyed this one - lives up to the hype and really impresses. Super complex and balanced, just the right amount of bourbon and a nice roasted flavor. Awesome

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 01:12:52 | More by gcamparone

pkalix

California

4.59/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

poured black, no head, even with a vigorous shake just to see what it'd do... nothing really special about the look of it on the front, although it is obviously pouring a little syrup-y.
smells and tastes more like a bourbon than it does a beer. over-roasted coffee flavor and aroma, vanilla; yes, the fudge i get too. very sweet, very bitter.the alcohol is there, but is part of the overall taste and blends in with the flavors. the wood from the barrels is very strong. i appreciate what they've done but i dont much allow myself to be influenced by a brew which picks up a lot of its flavor from the storage vessel. there is a myriad of flavors but i feel they are over-shadowed by strong oak barrel presence.
2nd pour yields some alcohol presence. lots of oak. the malty quality of the brew seems to pick up more of the barrel residue.
it's still a 13% brew, so i suppose i ought to review it from that perspective. maybe i really wasnt looking for a sipper tonight. still a great brew. lots of effort here....

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 01:28:53 | More by pkalix

Roose13

New Jersey

4.98/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bomber poured into a shaped pint glass. It's a 2013, no. 004.

A: Beautiful, thin black color. I poured it with minimal head, but about a half inch of thin head lingers throughout the entire enjoyment of this beer. Leaves a wall of bubbles

S: Sweet, dark chocolate; bourbon is also strong; coffee, vanilla and subtle cherry.

T: The bourbon is so strong in the taste, but not too strong if that makes any sense. Like, it's definitely there, but not over powering. The chocolate is also strong and sweet, dancing with the bourbon to make this a ridiculously tasty stout. A very rich beer. I get the vanilla and coffee lingering in the aftertaste as well.

M: Incredibly smooth, like liquid silk. It also lingers beautifully, leaving the entire mouth coated with all it's different flavors.

Overall: Seriously, this is one of the best effing beers I have ever had and may just be the best RIS I've ever enjoyed. I paid $15 for this and would easily drop $20 it's so freakin' good. Sipped it slow and made it last like a fine bourbon.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 03:36:37 | More by Roose13

Stoutish

California

4.75/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I don't know if this has been done. I'm speechless and this is a 2013 vintage I've got three more to take on a journey over the next few years. I'm just going to let Tool(Band) speak on the subject as I'm pretty sure they wrote this song just for this... So here's my review.

TOOL

"Parabola"

We barely remember who or what came before this precious moment, We are choosing to be here right now. Hold on, stay inside This holy reality, this holy experience. Choosing to be here in

This body. This body holding me. Be my reminder here that I am not alone in This body, this body holding me, feeling eternal All this pain is an illusion.

Alive, I

In this holy reality, in this holy experience. Choosing to be here in

This body. This body holding me. Be my reminder here that I am not alone in This body, this body holding me, feeling eternal All this pain is an illusion.

Twirling round with this familiar parable. Spinning, weaving round each new experience. Recognize this as a holy gift and celebrate this chance to be alive and breathing.

This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality. Embrace this moment. Remember. we are eternal. all this pain is an illusion.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 03:22:45 | More by Stoutish

Jonada

New Jersey

4.51/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2013 vintage. Served in a Firestone Walker Teku glass

Appearance: Pours black with 2 fingers of a tan, mocha colored head. Body is opaque.

Smell: Chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, butterscotch, sweet toffee, and fudge.

Taste: Roasted malt, bourbon, vanilla, roasted coffee, and wood. Lots of sweet malts upfront are balanced in the finish with a roasty bitterness and some booze.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, creamy mouthfeel. Medium carbonation. Medium/high alcohol warmth.

Overall: Yet another example of why Firestone Walker has one of the best, if not THE best, barrel programs in the world. This is drinking a little hot right now, but it's still a fairly fresh bottle. Definitely worth picking up a bottle for now and another to age.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 03:01:12 | More by Jonada

TheSixthRing

California

4.18/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance - Pours a deep, dark, near black cordovan brown with a cocoa colored finger width head. Fair retention, resulting in a broken layer of microbubbles across the surface.

Smell - The bourbon aroma is there but subdued, mayhap even overshadowed by a deep fudge-like chocolate aroma. Light oak. Touches of coffee and vanilla.

Taste - Big, bold character bourbon upfront and throughout, though strong layers of chocolate and roasted malt help to keep the heat in check. Prominent notes of vanilla and oak. Touches of tobacco and deep, dirty fudge on the finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full body with low carbonation. Considering all the factors, it shouldn't be this smooth and velvety, but it is, before it quickly thins out and dries in the finish.

Overall - I don't know if it's the mood I'm in, or if that strong stout factor has tipped the scales, but I like this considerably more than the Sucaba. While there's plenty of boozy character, it's not nearly that of Sucaba, or perhaps there's enough bold stout flavor to counteract the barrel-aged influence. Either way, this is pretty good. I've purchased a 2nd bottle for aging. If it's phenomenal 18-24 months from now, you better believe I'll be on here giving it praise!

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 05:04:02 | More by TheSixthRing

MetalMountainMastiff

California

4.76/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

22oz poured into a snifter.

A. Pitch black, no light comes through. Head receded to leave a tan lacing.

S. Bourbon up front ,oak, sweet. Chocolate, slight vanilla hints.

T. wow...amazing. Bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, oatmeal. sweetness from the barrel. Traditional to be expected Bourbon aged notes but done to perfection. a little hot.

M. very smooth. silky/syrupy if those can go together. Coats your whole mouth. mediumly high carbonated.Oatmeal no doubt doing its job here.

O. Amazing, incredibly well blended and great flavor, one of the smoothest beers, so creamy and delicious.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 01:08:03 | More by MetalMountainMastiff

Jazzpha

District of Columbia

4.96/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Parabola. Wow.

Poured into a Tulip glass from a bottle, 2013 Vintage, on 5/14/2013.

A quick note: I had this bottle over two ‘rounds’. The first round was fresh out of the fridge after having spent a little over half a day chilling. The second ‘round’ was a few hours after that, after the bottle had come to room temperature. Each round accounted for roughly half the bottle.

Round 1, chilled.

Pour: Pitch-black, with a head that’s very thin, tan, almost non-existent. Faded quick to a thin ring, no lacing. Pour speed was a ‘glug-glug’ rhythm; thick, but not exactly absurdly viscous. Really thick, though. Beer is pitch-black in a tulip glass, as well.

Aroma: First smell that hits is sweet fruits, like plum or raisin. A more intense sweet, like a caramel or toffee, isn’t far behind. The two blend together after a little bit to create a sort of caramel-dipped plum/raisin effect. Also some faint coconut notes on the edges of the smell.

Taste/Mouth-feel: Thick, thick, and rich. Also thick. Immediate rush of the fruit from the nose, drenched in sweetness. But the sweetness is balanced out by the sharpness from the bourbon barrels, so it’s never cloying. Beautifully blended. Just a faint hint of booziness on the finish, but unbelievably smooth. No noticeable heat from the alcohol, which is mind-blowing for a 13% beer. Coats the mouth completely, but in a pleasant way. Never feels overwhelming. Whiskey and bourbon notes start to become more noticeable once the beer sinks into your taste-buds for the long haul. Overall the taste is just pleasant and mellow, with a chewy mouth-feel in the best of ways. The lack of heat persists throughout multiple sips, constant smoothness. Roasted, bourbon-y, toffee and plum flavors dominate consistently, but no one flavor ever hogs the spotlight for too long. Masterfully blended. Slight, slight faint hints of sweet almond begin to creep through on the edges of the taste as the beer begins to warm. Preposterously smooth for 13%. Puts KBS fresh to shame on that front.

Round 2, room temperature.

Pour: Second pour yielded a finger to a finger-and-a-half of nice tan head, which was a surprising change from the chilled pour. Not unexpected, though.

Aroma: Nose of plum/raisin/caramel hangs around even with the warming.

Taste: The tingle of booze on the end of sips is slightly more pronounced after the warmth, but it’s still completely unobtrusive overall. I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but how this is 13% and Palo Santo from DFH is 12%, I’ll never know. FSW are blending wizards. Slight hint of butterscotch on the end following on the coattails of vanilla in the finish, which are both far more pronounced after warming than they were chilled. As for mouth-feel, the warmth doesn’t mess with the consistency at all. Still incredibly, lusciously thick and dense.

Final grade: 5/5. Parabola is incredible, and has permanently raised the bar by which I judge all other beers that set foot in the Stout category.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 02:14:38 | More by Jazzpha

GetTheYayo

Colorado

4.63/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Pours black with dark mahogany hues and a light sienna head that quickly develops into a lasting ring. Generous but not clinging lacing. Bourbon, campfire, oak, dark cherry, vanilla, chocolate, toffee, alcohol, and the slightest whisper of maple present in the nose. Smell translates to taste perfectly. This is a big, thick, and heavy albeit silky smooth beer. A 13% monster that lives up to the hype. This one checks all the boxes.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 23:25:44 | More by GetTheYayo

4amepiphany

Illinois

4.46/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2012 side by side tasting with 2013

2012 aged very nicely, had more body and flavor complexities. Caramel, roast, bourbon Would love to taste how 2013 ages as it was a little lacking, but the the potential is totally there. A solid stout, either year. Thanks, Firestone.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 04:25:15 | More by 4amepiphany

snaotheus

Washington

4.49/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle of the 2013 vintage poured into a large snifter on 12 May 2013.

Pours black, light brown head fades quickly into a ring. Small amount of fine, slow carbonation. Opaque. Smell is smoke, bourbon, alcohol, vanilla, coffee, chocolate.

Taste is vanilla and chocolate, then smoke and bourbon and alcohol. Some cherries and leather, and a hint of maple.

Mouthfeel is silky. Slightly sticky. Overall, this is quite a nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 23:58:31 | More by snaotheus

JFresh21

Illinois

4.39/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2013 vintage poured into a Cigar City snifter

Excellently crafted beer. The smell is purely bourbon but not overly powerful. Parabola is a top notch imperial stout reminding me of black note. This beer drinks easy and the high alcohol content is masked beautifully. Only gripe is the strong oak aftertaste but I can overlook that.

Try this beer! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 01:56:11 | More by JFresh21

JamesStreet

Louisiana

4.63/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

22 oz bomber poured into a tulip

A - poured a deep black with a tinge of amber. Light lacing to what very little head it poured.

S - immediately got the bourbon, but not overpowering. Also hints of baker's chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and some black licorice. Anticipation was at it's peak!

T - Again, not as heavy on the whisky as I was expecting, (to my liking). Great complexity! Choc, oaky wood, malty, coffee, a spice or two (i kept saying cinnamon), a little booze, licorice.

M - Just WOW was the first word after my initial taste. So well balanced. Had a buttery velvet-like finish.

O - This was well worth the wait! I liked that it was not as heavy on the "bourbon barrel" taste as others in this style. Overall, one of the best beers I've tasted. EVER!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 20:20:41 | More by JamesStreet

sirtomtom

California

4.9/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Review of the 2013 Vintage

A: Pours a jet black, with a thin head that dissipates almost immediately. Holding up to the light, a faint ruby light emanates from the beer.

S: Chocolate, coffee, dark sticky fruit and quite a bit of booze.

T: Like a chocolate covered coffee candy. The booze present in the nose is not present in the taste.

M: A wonderful thick body, just thin enough to make it easily drinkable.

O: An amazing vintage, a perfect marriage of flavors and barrel aging. Ignore the comments on that it's too hot, it's perfect.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 19:11:43 | More by sirtomtom

tastyville

California

3.8/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

I had it with a bottle share with the Art and Craft Brews club. I knew what to expect from a bourbon barrel aged oatmeal stout. I was a bit disappointed at how unfriendly this beer drank. Everyone I spoke to about it says that it gets better with time. Shouldn't it be outstanding now and extraordinary later?
It poured dark like oil with very minimal head and very sexually. I wish these guys could figure out a natural additive that would make the head hang out a bit longer in these high ABV barrel aged stouts. The aromas were intense which is always a good thing but along with the rich bourbon, chocolate, slight vanilla, smoked caramel, berry medley and oak was the very apparent scent of alcohol. A renowned beer is great because the alcohol is invisible and you can really get into it. This one it is dead center and you enter with a state of mind that speaks moderation which is not good. The flavor was an alcoholic punch to the mouth that left a very nutty aftertaste that coated my mouth for a long time afterwards which was very good. Awesome in fact. I wish the dynamic of flavor profiles was a smooth transition. All the greatness is there but it should be a bit friendlier. The chocolate, vanilla, roasty, dark fruit notes are very distinguishable and enjoyable once you jump the alcohol hurdle.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 15:51:40 | More by tastyville

rboinski

California

4.51/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bomber of 2013 Parabola poured into a La Fin Du Monde Tulip

Appearance: Pours a deep black with just a hint of brown on the edges when the glass is tilted.

Smell: Everything good about a barrel aged stout is present. Chocolate, vanilla, whiskey, some dark fruits. Excellent balance of aromas.

Taste: The taste follows the smell. It is a bit hot at the moment but I believe that will go away with time. Vanilla, chocolate, and a little smoky. I don't really pick up any of the roasted malt notes, except maybe on a little on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Excellent mouthfeel, this is one area where this barrel aged stout shines! Many I have had lately are undercarbonated and become unpleasant after a while. This beer however has a superb mouthfeel with great, fine carbonation.

Overall: This is drinking excellent for how young it is. I believe that with 6 months to a year the alcohol will be smoothed out and it will be the best vintage of Parabola yet. Excellent release!

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 13:59:42 | More by rboinski

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

4.64/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

*300th Review*

22 oz. bottle poured into DFH Signature glass. 2012 Vintage. Sent to me in a trade a while back, but can't recall who sent it. Thanks to whoever it was.

A - Pours midnight black with a finger of slow receding foam. The beige head leaves behind a pretty, tiered lacing.

S - Smells of baker's chocolate, cocoa, and ripe plum. Considerable oak, and just a touch of whiskey. Roasty, sweet, and bitter. Great aroma.

T - Vanilla and charred wood on the start. Milk chocolate and oats follow midpalate. The barrel is big on the finish with drying oak and a nice whiskey twang. Sweetness of chocolate, vanilla, and fleshy fruit accompanies the other flavors throughout. Tremendous balance and complexity.

M - While everything about this beer is impressive, the mouthfeel may be the best facet. Thick body with micro-carbonation that offers a silky smooth slickness.

O - I have been stowing away two of these for about a year now, but this is my first time trying it. I am glad I waited because this is drinking nearly perfectly with one year on it (although no basis for comparison). Very complex flavor full of chocolate, roast, whiskey, and oak. Impressively drinkable for a 12.5% monster. I will definitely seek out this year's batch and look forward to seeing how this one tastes fresh as well as with a few (or more) years on it. This is what barrel aged stouts should taste like.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 01:57:02 | More by NoLeafClover44

RaulMondesi

California

4.8/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Raul is losing it. Done losing it. Is Raul on DMT? Lucid, transfixed, going bat shit!!! Am I David Bowie? Because we have reached liftoff. Like a silkworm spinning gold. Like a waterfall splashing truffle water. This thing is ectstasy on defcon 5. Get it and lose your mind.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 03:43:00 | More by RaulMondesi

StuporJew

Texas

4.94/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into my trusty DFH tulip. 2013 vintage. (I was WEAK!!!)

A - Pours a pitch black, charcoal color, with a lingering 1-finger head that hangs around
For quite a bit. Carbonation is impossible to judge just by looking at this beer...
I haz an excite!

S - whiskey barrel, vanilla, Muntons chocolate malt, and nips of licorice and cacao nibs.
Alcohol is subtle, and warms the sinuses so nicely, that you wouldn't mind just SMELLING this %13 monster. WOW. I need a 5-gallon whiskey barrel for my home brewing projects, stat!!!

T - vanilla jumps forward, followed by more chocolate, black malt, and light boozy notes. Once again, this beer hides its' ABV well, showing no "heat", just warmth, reminiscent of single malt scotch. There are some light, underlying mineral notes in the background, as well as a smooth smokiness that is in no way offensive, or cloying.
I could go on forever about the depth of this beer....

M - PURE VELVET. So silky, the fact that there IS carbonation never crosses your mind!
If all beer was this strong, AND this easy to drink , and enjoy, there would be no war.
(Seriously. We'd all be too hammered to care.) Parabola possesses the palate, and lingers just long enough to remind you that the crappy beer your friends drink should never be good enough for you.

O - All I can say is "wow". This beer is so perfect, I really can't find anything negative to say about it. I will age a few, in drooling anticipation of greater things to come.
Do whatever you have to to snag one... It's worth it! Cheers!!!

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 04:11:13 | More by StuporJew

cnbrown313

Illinois

4.21/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2012 Vintage poured into a snifter glass. Aged for about 1 year properly in a friend's basement cellar

A - Pours very dark brown, almost totally black, with a small khaki head.

S - Lots of oak right away, with a little bourbon and some chocolate

T - Lots of oaky barrel flavors up front, followed by a smooth chocolate flavor and a hot alcohol finish.

M - Full bodied, but somewhat thinner than I expected out of a huge oatmeal stout.

O - This was my first Parabola and I had been waiting about a year to drink it, so I had some high expectations, but I was kind of let down. I was hoping for more bourbon and a thicker, sweeter body, but it was actually kind of dry with a lot of alcohol burn and not a ton of bourbon flavor. Maybe I would like it better fresh? Most people rave about this beer, so I would definitely give it a try - but I'd rather have a regular BCS which I can easily obtain every year and I have to hunt this out.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 18:26:57 | More by cnbrown313

timc100

Illinois

4.56/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Fresh 2013

A: Pours dark brown, can see through it. Sits a dark, dark brown/black in the glass with a quickly dissipating head.

S: Very fresh roasted coffee dominates - some raw, acidity comes through. Smooth milk and bitter dark chocolate, boozy caramel bourbon. As it warmed the sweet nuances of bourbon arouse - vanilla, slight toasted coconut, and oak. Too much coffee fresh, dominated even at warmer temperatures

T: Amazing - incredibly rich. Big rich chocolate, fresh roasted coffee, bourbon and vanilla hit in waves. The coconut and gooey boozy caramel come at the finish. Not as much as in the aroma, but coffee does dominate. This is very fresh, so I imagine it will all balance out fantastically.

P: Accompanies the taste perfectly - incredibly smooth, slightly syrupy, medium-full bodied. Allows the flavors to present themselves, so-to-speak.

O: An amazing beer. Incredibly rich and complex, not hot at all. With some time the coffee will die down, I imagine, and it will be even more balanced.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 05:25:11 | More by timc100

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.43/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Bottle to Lawson's sniffer

A:dark as night black that pours thick like motor oil. It is completely opaque with no head what so ever and thin tan lacing around the top of the glass.

S:the bourbon flavor is strong and very present up front there are even some hints of alcohol but they are not powerful. There are hints of vanilla and fruit but bourbon is definitely the dominant smell though not overpowering.

T: similar to the nose there is a heavy bourbon flavor upfront there is plenty of chocolate and vanilla flavors. Those are the dominant flavor but they are impressively not overpowering.

M:the feel is smooth, it is not thick in terms of it being heavy but it is very syrupy like bourbon chocolate syrup. There is basically no carbonation but that is as to be desired from a BA stout.

O: this is a really solid BA bourbon stout not really mind blowing up just as good as the big players would like to see it age. It is smooth with a great mouthfeel and solid taste without being overpowering. The look is good but the smell is meh. Worth a try for sure as I highly reccomend this

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 00:50:18 | More by Pinknuggets

ncketchum

Wisconsin

4.6/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

2012 vintage, served cellar temp in a Chimay chalice

A - pours an opaque black, viscous, chocolate head which fades to nothing

S - chocolate, dark roasted malt, oak, vanilla

T - good amount of whiskey, dark chocolate, oatmeal, little bit of dark fruit, finish with some bitter hops

M - thick, alcohol is present but not overpowering, quite smooth

O - happy to get my hands on this, thanks to Aman, definitely a top-tier barrel aged stout

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 02:48:38 | More by ncketchum

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

4.54/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2012 batch

A - viscous but liquidy pour with a subtle tan head that leaves quickly; the carbonation is active and the lacing non existent

S - bourbon, toffee, dark chocolate, cherries, mocha, booze...this beer also captures some sweet oak/wood

T - caramel and chocolate; fudge; roasted oats; tobacco; dark cherry pipe smoke; boozy; wood; a hint of toffee

M - surprisingly, this beer isn't sweetly cloying; it's smooth, nuanced, balanced, a little under carbonated; tasty up front with a little burn going down

O - just an awesome barrel aged imperial stout; the chocolate cherry oak sweetness is a bit smoky and a lot tasty and packs a punch without any palate destroying astringency; knock out beer

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 01:07:56 | More by SkeeterBoganski

writerLJBerg

Oregon

4.13/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle split. 2012 vintage.

A: Black as the heart of the devil with a sparse mocha foam for a head. Good legs, and this has a solid inky outlook.

N: Lots of licorice, chocolate, tobacco, and dark chocolate candies. Fudge and there's noticeable oak. Vanilla and caramel act as a backdrop. There's a touch of raisin and prune as well as coffee.

T: Roasted coffee, fudge, dark chocolate, coffee, lots of smoke and tobacco over the top of the sweet base. However, it adds bitterness rather than ashtray. I enjoy how it has two distinguishable tiers. There's a light licorice flavor, and the oak also adds a lot of chippiness to the proceedings. Leans towards astringency by the end.

M: Oily and slick. Very full texture. Alcohol is expertly hidden.

O: This vintage is doing very well, though there's definitely a lot of oak so be prepared for the grain. However, for being such a behemoth, it never loses its presence by hiding behind a cloying underattentuation. Props to this one. I'll have another.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 03:06:36 | More by writerLJBerg