It’s been a rainy couple days, but I was able to get some work done outside today. I am working on rebuilding the deck behind my bedroom. I got things cleaned up right before it started to rain, and came inside to chill. I decided to grab a beer out of the beer cellar and picked this one. I think my sister gave me this one for Christmas a few years ago. On the label, it says it is an imperial stout, aged in whiskey and rum barrels with roasted cacao nibs, almond flavor, barrel-aged coffee beans, barrel-aged coconut, and barrel-aged almond. All of those things sound great, so I’m looking forward to trying this beer.
Location: Poured into a Westvleteren goblet from the 22oz bottle at my home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 10.5% ABV, ~380 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s deep black in color, and I couldn’t even see highlights through it when I held it up to the light. It had a decent sized khaki colored head on it, which fell to a thin ring around the edge of the glass. It has a roasty, malty aroma that’s familiar with big imperial Stouts. It has quite a bit of a boozy barrel aroma as well, although I can’t quite tell if it’s bourbon or rum.
Taste & Feel: The body is full, and the mouthfeel is smooth and slightly viscous. The flavor upfront is chocolatey and roasty with a fair amount of sweetness. The roastiness gets a bit more bitter in the middle and the semi-sweet cocoa and roasty flavors come back around in finish with hints of charred barrel and boosiness.
Food Pairing: This is a big flavorful beer with a good amount of chocolate and roasty flavors. I’d probably complement it with something sweet and creamy like a cheesecake or tiramisu. If you wanted something savory, I’d think BBQ would definitely be the way to go with the charred and roasty flavors.
Overall Impression: Overall it was a great beer with a good amount of flavor complexity – which isn’t surprising given all of the items listed on the label. While the cocoa nibs and roastiness of the malt, coffee and charred barrel dominated, I was hoping the almond and coconut would come through a bit more. It is certainly very flavorful, so I’d recommend pairing this beer with some dessert or food. I’ll definitely check to see if they come back with this one again, and I’d try it sooner to see if the more subtle flavors come through better.
My Rating: 
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