I've already had this beer. Technically, I had a 2016 version of this beer. In fact, the 2016 version of this beer was the first barrel aged beer that I had that really allowed me to understand what this type of beer brings to the table. Previous to this, I encountered a few beers that were barrel aged, and all I could think of was that this style of maturing a beer was antithetical to everything I looked for in a beer. It took what is a delightful beer style (in this case a stout) and subjected it to heavy liquors and old wood to alter the taste beyond that of what is beer. Since then, I hope I have matured. This 2020 vintage is, I understand, very different from the previous version - as am I.
First sip is wood, smoke, vanilla, and charred brown sugar. It reminds me of the first time I had one of these and my eyes opened to what they were all about and what they could bring to the table. I would say that since then, I have gotten a significant amount of respect and experience with these beers. I’m trying not to let packaging impact my judgment, but this sips like a damn good beer.
Tip-in is solid, heavy, and sweet with caramel, brown sugar, and smoke weighing down the mouth while very, very light carbonation tingles ever so slightly. The middle is pronounced with an alcohol-laden smoked wood, vanilla, and a tight but relaxed mix of the flavors in the tip-in. The finish scoffs at my assertion that the alcohol lived in the middle by becoming more pronounced as the wood takes over with a dryness in tow before a wave of sweet syrup descends for the trail-off.
Bottom Line: I don’t know that there is a whole lot of room above this in the hierarchy.
4.75/5
