It’s been a long week at work, since one of the hospitals I oversee public affairs for opened a new patient wing. Since it’s a Friday night and a milestone beer, I thought I’d grab something from the special section of the beer fridge. Before I cracked it open, I had to do a bit of research to see what year KBS this was… so thanks to the beer geeks out there who posted the info letting me know it was a 2009.
Location: Poured into a TEKU glass at my home in Bloomington, IL
Numbers: 11.2% ABV, 70 IBUs, ~400 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s super thick and black, and there aren’t even any highlights visible when held up to the light. There was no head, only a collection of dark brown foamy bubbles when I poured it, which fell quickly to a thin ring around the edge of the glass. The aroma is very milk chocolatey with dark chocolate and coffee notes – reminding me of a dark chocolate mars bar and a cup of coffee.
Taste & Feel: The body is full and the mouthfeel is somewhat viscous. The flavor up front is dark coffee-like with some dark chocolate sweetness. It has a thick dark chocolate sweetness in middle, and the finish is charred oak with hints of coffee, with a very faint bourbon flavor. The aftertaste is a charred wood flavor with some dark coffee & chocolate flavors behind it. There’s also a nice alcohol warming sensation as well.
Food Pairing: With all of these flavors, it could definitely stand on its own as a dessert beer. If you do enjoy it with food, it would pair nicely with a thick, juicy steak from the grill, with the char flavors mixing nicely.
Overall Impression: Even after more than five years, the aroma was incredible, and reminded me quite a bit of a fresh Founders Breakfast Stout. The first few sips were very good, although I found myself searching for the bourbon flavor. The charred wood flavor from the barrel was quite noticeable in the finish, but the bourbon flavor was very faint in the background. Despite that, the flavors were quite complex and changed throughout eat sip. It’s a very good beer, and I’d love to try a fresher one to see how it compares to this aged one.
My Rating: 
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