AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
adamjackson (732) – Canaan, New Hampshire, USA – OCT 6, 2012
S – There’s a lot going on here but overall, the nose is weaker than I expected. There’s a lot of peat and charred oak. Lots of burnt wood, a very small hint of vanilla and molasses.
T – The start taste is very much a roasted toffee malts with hints of espresso beans and very dry baker’s chocolate.The middle is a very oaky sort of smokey peat taste. The finish is this boozy bomb of vanilla, oak, bourbon and heavy maple syrup sweetness like brown sugar.
M – Heavy body, very low carbonation but it’s this tongue covering thick oaky beer that sticks to every aspect and leaves a tingling sensation loaded with vanilla and coffee beans.
O – This was a great beer but I remember the 2011 being better. I’m no expert on stouts but there’s this balance that’s missing from the 2011…that vintage was less oaky and smoky. I have more of this so maybe it just needs some time.