Category Archives: Stout

Bracket ‘K’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

NO COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION

Glassware: Snifter

Appearance: Blacker than midnight with a short brown head emerging on top. It quickly forms a collar and provides a cascading lace down the glass.

Aroma: Pungent AF. We thought for a moment that they’d used whiskey barrels due to the richer and slightly smoky qualities but nope… definitely a BBA. The base Stout is enormous. Decadent notes of Bourbon/oak, dark chocolate, licorice, espresso coffee, black leather and warming alcohol. We’re almost fearful of drinking this!

Flavour: It’s a biggun. Actually, not as aggressive as we’d expected but it certainly still packs a punch. Some alcohol warmth and sweetness upfront but it’s quelled by the super rich chocolate, licorice, espresso, leather and heavily charred malts. The Bourbon/barrels add to the sheer complexity as well, tacking on as early as the front palate and reaching well into the rich and warming finish.

Mouthfeel: Oily, warming and well rounded. Full body, low Co2. The 14.1% ABV is unsurprisingly noticeable.

Overall: We were really keen to see what Bracket have in the BA Stout department. We already know how good their Hazy’s and IPA’s are and the final thought is that even though this was an absolute ball-tearer it’s a very solid BBA Impy Stout.

Boatrocker 2024 ‘Fat Santa’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“Ho, ho, ho – let the merriness begin! Fat Santa’s at it again and this year will not disappoint. Rich aromas of marzipan, coffee, vanilla, dark chocolate and roasty malts combine with a distinct whisky character, owing to a good stint in quality barrels. Fat Santa is the perfect way to start or finish Christmas Day.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: As customary it pours an impenetrable black with a short brown head resting on top. It forms a collar and provides a beautiful cascading lace down the walls of the glass.

Aroma: We were initially critical of Boatrockers’ decision to use Starward whiskey barrels for this years FS release for two reasons. 1) The FS base Stout is literally their Ramjet and Ramjet is aged in Starward barrels so, what’s the difference? 2) We’re not the biggest fans of Starward for BA Stouts. But! We must give credit where it’s due…there are distinct differences between the two which we’ll get into.

Flavour: They’ve done a damn good job creating a contrast between Ramjet and this. Here we’re getting more creaminess, vanilla and marzipan along with the typical coffee, dark chocolate and molasses. More ambiguous notes of macadamia nuts and flambeed blackberry also enter the fray. A hint of Starward barrels does come through but it’s subtle and blends nicely into the rich, roasty finish.

Mouthfeel: Slick and oily with some warmth from the booze (10.4%). Medium-full body. Low Co2.

Overall: At this stage it’s our least favourite FS release. It’s still a decent BA Imperial Stout but previous releases were far better.

Future Brewing ‘Coco-nilla Craze’ Imperial Pastry Stout

Rating:

We decided to go proper pastry with this bad boy! We loaded it up with a crazy amount of coconut and threw in some vanilla to bring it all together. We’re getting milk chocolate and coconut just like a bounty bar. A big oily and sweet decadent treat!

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Dense black pour with a finely beaded two finger brown head capping it off. Excellent retention and a wavy lace left in its wake.

Aroma: As to be expected from a coconut and vanilla Stout – a lot of creamy vanilla, fresh coconut and roasty yet sweet dark malts. It starts to open up as it warms. We’re now getting distinct spiciness i.e cinnamon, clove, star anise along with marzipan, oats, glazed cherry, flaked chocolate and a very subtle espresso note. Some may think Bounty bar but we get more black forest cake.

Flavour: Wow. The density is off the charts…it’s almost edible. It’s kinda hard to pin down one exact flavour as they all seem to be hitting the palate in unison. It’s like one big flavour package being delivered to the taste buds at once. Only the all-spice notes stand out as it finishes how it started; sweet, spicy, roasty, creamy and chocolatey.

Mouthfeel: Thick and muscly. Full bodied with low Co2. The 11% ABV is unbelievably well hidden.

Overall: Our 2nd entry for Future and we’re impressed. We thought this particular release was akin to The Bruery…only missing some of the intensity and refinement of course. Still, a huge rap for such a new brewery.

Boatrocker Stout

Rating:

“Our stout uses only the finest English malt and hops to give you a deliciously balanced and hearty ale. A fine ale good for any time of year but ever so satisfying when dark and cold outside. Best consumed at about 8°C.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: As black as the ace of spades. It constructs a light and fluffy two finger head which quickly reduces to a collar. Minimal lacing as we go.

Aroma: Nice and meaty. Really solid bottom end to it…chock-full of molasses, Vegemite, salted dark chocolate, delicate coffee, marzipan and burnt grain. We pick up a bit of earthy and spicy hop character which we don’t mind at all with these more basic and peeled back versions. Decent aroma. It’s hard to get any style right when you’re only working with the base ingredients (water, hops, malt and yeast).

Flavour: Good follow through. That hearty bottom end is on full display here as well. It’s more roasty and charred though, lots of coffee, bitter dark chocolate and earthy hops. Subtle hints of marzipan, molasses, ash and campfire. It has a notable hop bitterness that develops late and ushers in the dry, roasty and chocolatey finish that lingers well into the next sip.

Mouthfeel: Stocky and cohesive yet it maintains an effortless texture. Medium body and a well behaved 6.1% ABV.

Overall: A solid core range Stout that ticks all the boxes. The price could be a little sharper (roughly $8 a can) but it’s good quality so we don’t mind paying a bit more for a good product.

The Bruery ‘Practice What You Peach’ BA Imperial Pastry Stout

Rating:

“They say practice makes perfect, so consider this a step closer to pastry stout perfection. This bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout was made with a harvest’s worth of juicy peaches, plus just a sprinkle of cinnamon and a bit of vanilla to bring this peach pie-inspired stout to life. Top with vanilla ice cream and dig in.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Impenetrable black pour with a finger of brown head nestled in atop. Excellent retention and healthy lace work on the glass.

Aroma: It has been a long time between drinks for us and The Bruery. We absolutely love their beers (their BA Stouts especially) but the cost of their beers has skyrocketed over the past year and has made them near un-buy-able. This one we got on sale so here goes. The peach comes through immediately. It’s well tempered and leans into the bourbon/oak nicely. The cinnamon and vanilla are also there but it’s hard to get anything from the base Stout as the feature ingredients are so prominent.

Flavour: We must say it comes together better than we anticipated. Peach isn’t typically a fruit we’d pair with a big BA Impy Stout so credit where it’s due. The classic Bruery sweetness they carry across their BA range kicks it off. Immediately the peach comes through then quickly followed by a hint of cinnamon and bourbon oak. The vanilla is more spicy and acts like a dusting on a cake as it finishes rich, warm, fruity and spicy. Excellent length on it too.

Mouthfeel: Dense and full bodied. Carbonation is low and the 9.7% ABV is noticeable but well contained.

Overall: Not as impressed by it as we’ve been by some of their others (probably why it was on sale). They did well to incorporate a difficult fruit like peach though. Good but not great.

Boatrocker ”24 Nordjet’ Salted Licorice BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“Arguably the most divisive beer ever made by us… If you love licorice, you’ll most likely love this beer, and if you don’t… well… we warned you!Aged on Nordic salmiak licorice and using natural licorice extract, this super limited edition of Nordjet is the only repeat variant of Ramjet ever made… all because we love licorice! Malt, salted licorice and whisky are a treat for adults only!”

Glassware: Teku.

Appearance: Pours an impenetrable black with a short brown cap resting on top. Good retention and healthy lace as we go.

Aroma: Holy moly we can smell that salted licorice from a mile away. We’re not massive fans of licorice but we’re not against it either. You could say we’re impartial. From the first whiff we now understand the warnings they gave in the description! Extremely potent wafts of salted licorice with notes of five spice, dark fruits, oak tannins and dark chocolate. Funnily enough we’re really diggin’ it.

Flavour: Ooft. This is probably where all the fence-sitters drop off. That insane amount of salted licorice was enjoyable on the nose but it steps a couple of notches here. We’re still hanging on for the ride though. Immense levels of salted licorice, aniseed, five spice, rich dark malt, oak, red wine tannins and warming booze from the get-go and all the way through to the long drawn out finish.

Mouthfeel: Thick and viscous. Full bodied, low Co2. The 11% ABV is noticeable but fairly well behaved.

Overall: As divisive as they said it’d be we’re still somehow undecided. It’s intense and we love that but man, if you don’t absolutely love licorice then you’ll absolutely hate this. No other way of putting it.

Garage Project ‘Surrender To The Void – Peppermint Chocolate’ Imperial Pastry Stout

Rating:

“Surrender to the Void, an outrageously decadent pitch black stout brewed using an enormous, complex malt bill and mounds of debaucherous adjuncts. What’s the Void up to now? Goodness, what a lot of cacao nibs and vanilla pods!? Are you sure you need all that? And what’s that? Peppermint candy!? ALL the peppermint candy! Oh Void, have you no restraint!”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Blacker than midnight with a thumb of fizzy dark brown head temporarily capping off. It quickly forms a collar with little to no lace in its wake.

Aroma: Quite rich and warming but that peppermint is akin to the fresh and cooling wind blowing on this hot spring arvo. We like that the big and menacing Stout base dominates…too many times have we tried choc mint Stouts and the mint completely stands over the pedestrian Stout base, but not here. This is like a big, boozy after dinner mint in liquid form.

Flavour: Good to see the aroma being replicated here. The rich and hedonistic Stout base rolls over the palate bringing dark chocolate, molasses, fudge, subtle smoke, espresso and cigar skins. Then the peppermint slowly creeps up through the mid and hits a crescendo late in the piece. Falling back into line for the big, rich and minty finish.

Mouthfeel: Dense AF. Full bodied but lifted by a delicate bitterness and Co2. The 11.5% ABV is very nicely buried.

Overall: GP does it again! Surprisingly (for us) this is our first crack at their “surrender to the void” series. What isn’t surprising is the superior quality. We’ll certainly be returning for the next instalment.

Canyon Brewing ‘Triple Perk’ Coffee Milk Stout

Rating:

“We’ve teamed up with Wolf Coffee to add our signature Canyon coffee blend at three points in the brewing process: A hot steep in the whirlpool, ‘dry beaning’ for rich coffee aroma, and a concentrated brew for a depth of flavour. Smooth, velvety mouthfeel with layers of rich espresso, chocolate, and a refreshing coffee bitterness. A milk coffee stout that will have you saying “how you doin’?” with every sip.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Pitch black except for a tiny ray of light cutting through at the base of the glass. It doesn’t produce much head, quickly forming a collar with a surprisingly brilliant lace as we imbibe.

Aroma: This was another favourite from our recent trip to Queenstown. We’re suckers for a good coffee stout and this one impressed from the get-go. Punchy coffee notes backed up by a really direct burnt toast quality which has our savoury juices flowing. Slowly but surely the subtle lactose and caramel sweetness crept in and rounds out the aroma as we’d hoped it would.

Flavour: It doesn’t carry over as much of the burnt toast which allows the coffee to dominate but also allows the sweeter notes like lactose/vanilla, toasted coconut, toffee, burnt caramel and milk chocolate to come forward. It displays such a nice and light finish with mild dryness and delicate coffee/roasted notes drawing out.

Mouthfeel: Dry and bitter yet fairly easy-going. Somewhat expected though, considering the 5.5% ABV. Medium body and well tempered carbonation.

Overall: Pretty much the perfect milk stout in our opinion. The addition of coffee is both tried and tested but it’s the way they’ve made it so roasty and charred which makes it stand out from the crowd. Another absolute pearler from Canyon. Gaahh take us back!

Heyday Beer Co ‘Galactic Grounds’ Dirty Chai Latte Stout

Rating:

“Experience the velvety richness of Galactic Grounds Dirty Chai Latte Stout, a decadent brew with harmonious flavors. Its sweet, creamy texture, reminiscent of a perfectly crafted latte, is infused with robust coffee notes and layers of chai-spiced goodness, elevating the traditional stout to interstellar heights in every sip.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Impenetrable black pour with a billowing three and a bit finger head emerging on top. It holds for a minute but eventually deconstructs and leaves an intricate lace in its wake.

Aroma: Well it’s certainly ticking all the chai spices off. We get a tonne of cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, ginger, cardamom and five spice. Giving off the scents of a good Indian restaurant at the same time. More subtle notes of coffee and cocoa, sweet vanilla, condensed milk/lactose and a deep-seated hint of Angostura bitters. Intense aromas and they’ve managed to balance them all nicely.

Flavour: We love the fact that they haven’t gone absolutely ham on the sweetness. On entry it rolls seamlessly into the chai spices and then the subtle coffee, chocolate and vanilla fills the space around it. The mid palate provides a robust yet well tempered roastiness that draws out more of the coffee and chocolate in the finish. Good length on it too.

Mouthfeel: Rather slick and creamy texture with medium body and low-ish Co2. The 6.9% ABV is well hidden.

Overall: This was a random pick from a bottlo in Queenstown, NZ. We’d never heard of them before and after this we must say we’re pretty impressed. They’re based in Wellington which only reinforces the fact that the South Island is the beating heart of craft beer in NZ. Solid stuff.

Banks ‘Pastryball’ Imperial Pastry Stout

Rating:

“PASTRYBALL pays homage to one of the most underated & miss understood whiskeys of our time. The almighty Fireball. The perfect sipper of a big beer or if you are feeling adventurous an epic Boilermaker when paired with a nip of Fireball which we suggest best consumed on the rocks & savoured.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Pitch black with a thumb of finely beaded brown foam nestled in on top. Good retention and an intricate lace is woven down the sides of the glass.

Aroma: One of us is an avid Fireball lover so this was an instant purchase. The fact that Banks took on this task makes it even more appealing. Ok, the first whiff is good…getting strong cinnamon, biscoff, gingerbread, vanilla, milk chocolate and other spices like nutmeg and star anise. More subtle hints of banana runts, roasted jalapeno and licorice. Some serious depth to this.

Flavour: We’ve been waiting for well over a week to try this and in the end the flavour profile misses the mark. Such a shame as it was shaping up to be epic. It’s pretty darn smooth for its size so it ain’t all bad. It’s just lacking intensity and depth which is unfortunate as the aroma had both in spades. Cinnamon, biscoff, vanilla and some heat from the booze in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body with a kinda oily texture. Low-ish Co2. The 12% ABV was well behaved for its size.

Overall: It was a bit of a let down in the end which we’re proper spewing about. The flavour profile was the culprit…it just didn’t come together as we’d hoped. Oh well, we’re off to spike the remainder in our glasses with real Fireball.

White Bay ‘Afters’ Coffee Stout w Cacao & Dates

Rating:

“The next instalment of our favourite adjunct laden stout. this year’s rendition has been fermented cold with our house lager yeast and has been conditioned on mountains on toasted hazelnut and coconut. Dolce Noir exudes richness, it’s time to stop living down there and start living up here.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: As black as midnight with a huge three and a bit finger head. It takes an age to recede and leaves big, blotchy patches of lace on the glass.

Aroma: Unsurprisingly the coffee is pretty direct. Hints of cocoa and chocolate in support and the dates at this stage are MIA. The base Stout provides an excellent roasted malt profile which takes on a hint of ash, molasses and licorice at times. The dates start to come through as it settles and brings a hint of dark fruit with them i.e raisin, blackberry and blood plum.

Flavour: Good progression on it. It opens with dark fruits which reach well into the mid. The coffee also slots in early and adds to that impressive progression we mentioned. It hits a fairly intense roasted note midway which brings those ashy/smoky flavours before it rounds out on a roasty yet sweet and chocolatey finish. Excellent length too.

Mouthfeel: Just a tad too lean for our liking. Medium body, low-ish Co2. For a Stout weighing in at 6.7% ABV it should be thick and viscous.

Overall: Aromas and flavours were great, good depth and complexity. Just the body and general texture of it fell short in our opinion. All in all a fairly decent pastry Stout.

Six String ‘Harvest Moon’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“A barrel aged stout brewed in 2023 and aged in Ex Sherry and muscat barrels for 9 months while waiting for the cooler weather and the local pecan harvest season. Caramel, toffee, pecan and oak intertwining with bitter chocolate, subtle vanilla, and hints of dark fruits and blackcurrant.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Solid black with a short and finely beaded head emerging on top. It quickly retreats to the rim and struggles to produce any lacing of note.

Aroma: First whiffs are extremely sweet and point immediately to the Muscat barrels. It really gives off those strong Port/Fortified Wine qualities. The Sherry barrels are a lot less defined but its classic nuttiness and dried fruit notes do come through. The pecans are also quite shy but they do reinforce the nutty scents already coming from the Sherry. It’s the base Stout that appears a bit weak though.

Flavour: And unfortunately we’re spot on. The Muscat and Sherry barrels provide nice woody tones along with dark fruits, caramel, fruit and nut chocolate and pecan but the base Stout doesn’t have enough bottom end to carry it all. The booze has a bit of a burn to it as well. There is literally nothing here in terms of a Stout, as it finishes with the same pleasant Sherry and Muscat flavours as the beginning.

Mouthfeel: Nice and dense, sticky texture. Medium-full body. Low Co2 and the 8.8% ABV shows through a bit too much.

Overall: Pretty underwhelming to be honest. We thought the triple dark red IPA was amazing, so this had potential to be as well. How wrong we were.

Parish X Great Notion ‘BA Swamp Stacks’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“Swamp Stacks is a mashup of our Shades and Great Notion’s Stacks series. This Imperial stout is brewed with brown sugar and an array of specialty roasted malts, creating a warm, decadent final product. With post-fermentation additions of maple, marshmallows, graham crackers, and toasted coconut flakes, Swamp Stacks exudes waves of maple coconut chocolate squares and boozy brown butter blondies.⁣”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Sheesh! Pours like engine oil with next to zero head formation. We gave it a rigorous swirl and that only managed a fine collar which disappears instantly. Looks ominous.

Aroma: We can smell it as it sits idle on the table. Without even picking up the glass we get strong wafts of coconut, vanilla, white marshmallow and maple. Under the nostrils those heavenly scents are amplified and further reinforced with sweet Bourbon/oak, cold pressed coffee, Malibu rum, milk chocolate, brown sugar and caramel milkshake. We haven’t been rocked by an Impy Stout like this for ages.

Flavour: Pow! We feel the sugar rush hit us immediately. Or maybe it’s the 13% ABV but either way, the sweetness is off the charts! What makes this so incredible is that even though this could give a diabetic their daily sugar intake, it’s perfectly balanced by the rich malt base, Bourbon, oak, coffee and maple wood. The other incredible thing is that the intensity of it all carries through from the start all the way to the finish.

Mouthfeel: Proper beer soup. Literally, you could ladle this into your mouth with a spoon. Almost flat and the 13% ABV is well concealed.

Overall: Haven’t had anything like this for a while. It’s just straight up thick, palate-wrecking Impy Stout with truck loads of sugar. Sensory overload but we love it. In small doses of course!

Mountain Culture X Bottle Logic ‘Imperial Logic Vol.2’ Imperial Pastry Stout

Rating:

“When we released our first collaboration with Bottle Logic in 2023, we exclaimed that it was our thickest, creamiest and sweetest stout to date. That was true. Until now. Once again, we called on Wes and Stephen and together we worked on a recipe that would raise the bar. For Version Two, we’ve added a whole pallet of pistachios (hand roasted by the brewers!), fresh vanilla bean and creme brulee to a rich, dark malt stout base for a luxuriously big, warming stout.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Pours dark and menacing. Just what the doctor ordered for this cold and miserably wet Sydney arvo. It notches up a big and frothy three finger head which retains really well. Excellent lace as it ebbs.

Aroma: Something that has always irked us about MC is their lack of Stout game. For a brewery that pumps out the best NEIPA’s in the country (plus, arguably, some of the best Lagers) they simply can’t produce a decent Stout. Even the first volume of this – with the help of pastry Stout maestro’s Bottle Logic – they still couldn’t get it right. And to be honest, going off the first few whiffs it seems their struggle continues.

Flavour: We think we know these two breweries well enough to distinguish between the good and the bad traits. Initially the booze burn along with a fairly sharp astringency hits the palate. This is unfortunately a negative MC trait. Then the sweet, sugary and nutty aspects roll over…clearly representing the BL persuasion, but more importantly, injecting that balancing sweetness before a kinda bitter and dry roasty finish.

Mouthfeel: Slick, oily, warming. Full bodied with low Co2. The 10.2% ABV showed through a little but keeps quiet enough for its size.

Overall: Another edition and another let down in our opinion. It seems like BL have just given instructions from afar as this, just like the first edition, seems disjointed and lacking harmony. Not fans.

Montmorillon ‘Fût d’Armagnac BIO’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“The strength and character of a stout combined with the complexity and tannins provided by aging for 3 months in Armagnac barrels.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: As black as midnight with a short brown head which retreats immediately. It forms a collar with minimal lacing as we go.

Aroma: Trust a French brewery to age an Imperial Stout in Armagnac barrels. We love the fact they’re doing it though! It’s not very often you see these barrels being used. Armagnac is one of those spirits we’re fond of but know little about. Research shows that it typically offers sweet, nutty, fruity and chocolate qualities and the use of French oak for barrels reinforce this. All of which we more or less pick up here.

Flavour: Yeah this is different to any other barrel aged Stout we’ve ever had. It has this certain dryness which is interesting. It envelops the palate but it still allows the distinct flavours of Armagnac to shine through….nutty, oaky, slightly tart fruits and spice. It’s a little astringent though – somewhat feels like a boilermaker rather than a BA Stout. This continues into the slightly acrid finish which lingers.

Mouthfeel: A tad too thin and slippery for a beer this size (10% ABV). Low-ish Co2, medium body. The booze burn was quite noticeable too.

Overall: We started off as fans but it eventually went pear shaped unfortunately. The Armagnac was a nice touch but it was just a little overcooked and the base Stout couldn’t support it. Very meh.

50/50 ’23 Eclipse – Honeycomb’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“Now in its 16th vintage, 2023 Eclipse is our rich Imperial Stout aged to perfection in whiskey and spirit barrels. All Eclipse starts with the same base beer bringing hints of dark chocolate, espresso, and a smooth complexity, with each barrel treatment delivering its own unique character after a minimum of 180 days of aging.
Honeycomb is infused with local Plumas County honey from Lost Sierra Honey Co. Aged in bourbon barrels.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: As black as the ace of spades with a thumb of tan foam perched neatly on top. Head retention is good and lacing is spectacular.

Aroma: So, we get to the end of 2023’s Eclipse range. If you’ve been following then you’ll know we haven’t really been all that impressed with any of them. We recall the 2017 vintage that we’re almost certain this expression is borne out of and it was unbelievable. It had layers of maple, vanilla, honey, caramel and coffee whereas this ’23 vintage, while offering a good dose of honeycomb, is anything but.

Flavour: The issues flow on. Maybe we have it wrong and the ’17 vintage with honey is totally different to this but this vintage seems muddled and lacking any clear direction. We can pick up a hint of honey/honeycomb initially but it’s quickly lost in a mess of astringency, booze burn, obfuscated chocolate notes and then some Bourbon and oak to at least steady the ship. The finish is astringent and a bit unpleasant.

Mouthfeel: It improves a bit here though – slick, oily, a tad bitter in the swallow. Medium-full body. The 11.2% ABV was clearly evident throughout.

Overall: We’re literally questioning whether we return for the ’24 vintages. The price tags maybe cheaper than BL or The Bruery but at least those two are knocking out 9’s and 10’s consistently. Disappointing.

50/50 ’23 Eclipse – EC-12′ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“Now in its 16th vintage, 2023 Eclipse is our rich Imperial Stout aged to perfection in whiskey and spirit barrels. All Eclipse starts with the same base beer bringing hints of dark chocolate, espresso, and a smooth complexity, with each barrel treatment delivering its own unique character after a minimum of 180 days aging. EC-12 is aged in Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Barrels [Elijah Craig 12yr].”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Impenetrable black with a finger of brown foam perched on top. Reasonably well retained with lace rings marking each sip as we go.

Aroma: EC-12… interesting name for a distillery. Then we realised it’s just an abbreviation for Elijah Craig (Heaven Hill) – one of our favourite American Bourbon distilleries. The ’12’ obviously denotes its amount of years in barrel. Again, this is a Bourbon we’ve never tried so we’re keen to get stuck in. Gorgeous oak-drenched toffee/caramel, dark fruits, vanilla, Oriental spice i.e cinnamon, clove, nutmeg. The rich Stout base definitely propping up the cocoa in the Bourbon too.

Flavour: As usual the delicious base Stout offers the four-to-the-floor goodness of coffee, chocolate, roasted grains and molasses. And as per usual (for the Eclipse Stout range) the selected Bourbon infuses beautifully with its charred oak, toffee, vanilla and spice. Quite a distinct booze burn though, at times a little astringent as it finishes roasty yet sweet, spicy and oaky. Good length on it too.

Mouthfeel: Similar to all the others in that it’s surprisingly slick and oily with a medium-full body. The 12.9% ABV is discernible as expected.

Overall: We’re not totally blown away by it. Yes it’s a solid BA Imperial Stout but the whole range seems to be lacking the finesse of previous vintages.

50/50 ’23 Eclipse – Garrison Brothers’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“Eclipse: a world-wide phenomenon straight from our brewery in small town Truckee. It starts with our award winning Totality Imperial Stout, and then spends 6 months in a variety of barrels specially curated  by our talented brew team, often finished with some specialty flare that will knock your socks off. Imperial Stout aged in Garrison Brothers Texas straight small batch bourbon barrels.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: As anticipated, it pours a menacingly dark black with a short brown head emerging on top. Steady reduction and fairly minimal lace clinging to the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: Another Eclipse addition, another American Bourbon distillery unearthed. Apparently they’re Texas’s oldest craft distillery (opened 2004) and ardent Bourbon fans seem to compare it a lot to Buffalo Trace. The rich Stout base, again, provides the perfect framework for this Bourbon to do its thing. We’re getting the typical caramel/toffee leading out. Backed up by tobacco/cigar box, toasted coconut, five spice and brown sugar.

Flavour: Oh wow there’s a notable sweetness to it. A solid roasted/smoky element and an overall spiciness that all comes together really well. Obviously (almost) all of their Eclipse series beers blend well with their respective barrels but this one in particular blends especially well. The sugary sweetness, caramel/toffee, coconut, spice and hints of earthy tobacco find their own counterpoints in the base Stout and the result is an incredibly well balanced, sweet yet roasty, smooth and silky finish which goes the distance.

Mouthfeel: Dense but surprisingly inoffensive for its size (12.5% ABV) and immaturity. Low-ish Co2, full bodied.

Overall: We really liked it but it probably still sits in between Laws and Frey Ranch in our opinion. Laws is still the best expression at this stage.

50/50 ‘2023 Eclipse – Laws Whiskey House’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“Eclipse: a world-wide phenomenon straight from our brewery in small town Truckee. It starts with our award winning Totality Imperial Stout, and then spends 6 months in a variety of barrels specially curated  by our talented brew team, often finished with some specialty flare that will knock your socks off. Laws® Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey Barrels: Eclipse aged in Laws® Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey Barrels.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: As black as the ace of spades with a short brown cap over the top. Steady reduction and fairly minimal lace on the glass as it subsides.

Aroma: Smells magnificent. This is more like the 50/50 we know. As usual, the base Stout provides that crucial structure (dark chocolate, coffee, some molasses and leather) but it’s all about the quality of the Bourbon/barrels. Once again it’s a distillery we’ve never heard of but its Bourbon speaks for itself – typical vanilla sweetness, peppery spice, tobacco and a touch of toffee.

Flavour: This is more like it. Smooth yet rich base Stout characters kicking it off. The booze is pretty hot but that can be forgiven considering its immaturity. It doesn’t take long for the world class Bourbon to take shape…coming to the party with a clear peppery spice, creamy vanilla, toffee, earthy cigar box and a hint of oak tannin to punctuate.

Mouthfeel: Dense and silky but refined and surprisingly smooth for its size (12.3% ABV). Full bodied, moderate carbonation.

Overall: It appears that we’ve unintentionally started with the weakest expression of the lot and they’ve progressively gotten better. This one has to be the pick of the bunch so far. Delish!

Deeds ‘Silent Town’ BA Imperial Stout

Rating:

“Lost in the frozen woods, you stumble upon a small, silent town blanketed in snow. It is eerily silent, with no sounds except the soft crunch of snow underfoot and the occasional groan of ice-laden roofs. An unnatural hush lies over the narrow streets. No smoke rises from any chimneys, no lights in the windows. The peculiar, hollow-eyed locals you encounter peer at you with suspicion. They speak in riddles, gesturing ominously for you to depart before melting into the shadows between buildings. As daylight fades, an unnatural chill permeates the icy air, and a terrifying transformation unfolds…”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Pours as black as midnight with a short and fizzy dark brown head which rapidly disappears. Zero retention equals zero lacing.

Aroma: Extremely rich but still unbelievably slick and opulent. Good depth and complexity too. We’re getting the Bourbon/oak, rich Stout notes and all but it’s the feature vanilla and nutty almond scents that are just edging out in front. It has this all-encompassing creamy sweetness that acts like icing on a delicious, Bourbon-y, charred cake. Impressive.

Flavour: Brilliant transition from the nose. All of the richness, all of the intense flavours, the high ABV, all of it is so nicely trimmed and tailored into this neat package and it’s truly magnificent how they’ve managed to do it. As it all progresses we taste every little flavour that makes it up – the rich Stout base of smooth dark chocolate and coffee, the Bourbon, oak, vanilla, roasted almonds. All the way through to the drawn out finish.

Mouthfeel: Dense, gelatinous and unbelievably smooth for its size (12.7% ABV). Low-ish Co2, full bodied.

Overall: It’s a perfect beer to throw in the mix as we’ve reviewed a couple of 50/50’s Eclipse Stouts recently. We’ve compared them to Deeds on both occasions and we believe that Deeds comes out on top. Which should come as a massive accolade for them. Superb.