
Received one of these from Black13 and oregonskibum, thanks guys! This will be my first foray into FiftyFifty brewing but I did enjoy some of the brewers beer from Flossmoor Station (for a brief time). Drank from my Darkness snifter.
2010 version bottle 156
Appearance- Pours a very dark brownish black with a small quarter finger dark tan head.
Smell- Very rich smelling with a big rush of sweet milk chocolate upon my first whiff. Plenty of caramel hiding in there as well with a touch of smooth woody bourbon. Not much of a dark roasty smell but there is a tiny bit of coffee hiding in there. Almost nutty smelling too with a roasted almond thing going on. The more I smell it the more I get some of that barrel and whiffs of vanilla.
Taste- Starts pretty bold with a more muted sweetness than I expected. The chocolate is nice and fairly intense but it leans more toward the dark version. I get more of that nuttiness I got in the nose with a sort of roasted pecan thing. A touch of brown sugar and plenty of vanilla from the fairly prevalent taste of the barrels. A bit of bitterness steps in from either the bold roasted aspect or some nice balancing hops. The wood isn’t harsh but it sort of tannic and intense. I can’t say I’ve ever had Evan Williams Bourbon but there is a bit of warming. The finish is chocolaty and lightly nutty with more of that vanilla.
Mouthfeel- A little thin for my liking in a big Imperial Stout but I’d call it somewhere around medium bodied. A nice zip of carbonation and a touch of warming.
Drinkability- Definitely one of the better Imperial Stouts I’ve had in quite some time. I look forward to see how the Evan Williams barrel compares to the others. It’s not overly sweet (which I love) and the wood/bourbon definitely add their own stamps of flavor. Great beer that I’m glad I have another of (and different versions!). Thanks much gentlemen!
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