Score
7.20
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22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled in 1/2018. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger fairly dense and rocky tan head with solid retention, that reduces to a minimal ring of lace pretty quickly. Minimal lacing on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, apricot, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, and dark bread; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, toffee, smoke, oak char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Minimal booziness in the aromas as it warms. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, beet sugar, dates, fruity yeast, bourbon barrels, and light earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of huge dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, apricot, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, and dark bread; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, toffee, smoke, oak char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Mild herbal, grassy, roast, charred bitterness; bourbon/oak tannin spiciness; and fruit tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, apricot, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, dark bread, licorice, toffee, smoke, oak char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, beet sugar, dates, fruity yeast, bourbon barrels, and light earthy hop flavors; with solid roast/hop bitter/sweet, bourbon/oak spiciness, and tart/tangy fruit balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness, spicy oak/alcohol, and tart/tangy fruit. Light-medium carbonation and very full body; with a very creamy/silky/slick/bready, and lightly syrupy/sticky/chalky/tangy/ tannic mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 13.7%, with minimal lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged fruited imperial oatmeal stout. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, beet sugar, dates, fruity yeast, bourbon barrels, and light earthy hop flavors; dangerously smooth and easy to sip on for the huge ABV, with the mildly bitter/tart/tangy/tannic/drying finish. Great soft feel for the style/ABV. Fantastic balance of rich malts, dates, beet sugar, fruity yeast, and bourbon barrel integration. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding English style example for the ABV as expected. Not overwhelming on any aspect.