Wiseacre Astronaut Status Imperial Stout

Wiseacre has been pretty darn good to me so far. I've had this beer waiting for me for a few weeks, and I don't know why I was putting it off (aside from the fact that the label is pretty cruddy). Well, I guess there is my fear of bourbon barrel aged beers, but I found at least one that I really enjoyed, so I welcome others to try.

The black-as-night beer has a red tinted tan head. The aroma is sweet bourbon and chocolate with some berries tossed in for good measure. There's smoke in there to compliment everything, and it seems to be performing as intended. All told, I already wanted a beer, and I want one more now.

First sip is a pointy mixture of bourbon, chocolate, and berries. There's a strange mix of sweet and tart going on with the whole thing, and I'm pretty sure I taste vanilla on my lips when the whole thing is through. A proper swig will tease out the true flavors.

Tip-in is a stern hit of bourbon with oak from the stout, while carbonation is a non-issue. The middle increases the carbonation a bit, and it brings the berries and vanilla with it. The bourbon is still front and center, but there is a latent chocolate that also kind of peeks its head up. The finish is a bitter and tart hit of earth and a kind of watery bourbon with vanilla added.

Bottom Line: It is not that bad, but it isn't improving with a little warmth. They need to fiddle with the formula a bit.

2.0/5