“So, what you’ve got here is a high gravity porter brewed with lactose. It tastes like “finding a $20 bill in your coat pocket” complemented by notes of “catching a foul ball at a baseball game,” while the finish is pure “that satisfying feeling of popping bubble wrap.” It’s good.”
Glassware: Snifter.
Appearance: Solid black with a thumb of loosely held tan foam resting atop. Gradual reduction before it settles at the rim. Laced pretty well actually.
Aroma: We can smell it as it sits idle on the table! A good swirl arouses a plethora of rich and dark aromas like molasses, melted dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla, lactose, whisky, charred oak barrels, toasted coconut and earthy spice. The overall depth and complexity here is next level. Superb!
Flavour: Holy moly…it bursts on to the palate with incredibly rich yet smooth and dark malts, chocolate, coffee, vanilla and cocoa which rolls in to the oaky and whiskey-infused barrels. All the while that sweet and slightly sugary lactose character underlines it all. Definitely picking up hints of molasses before it wraps up with an enduring lactose sweetness.
Mouthfeel: So smooth and silky…hides the 8.5% ABV nicely. There’s a good density to it but it still feels light and accommodating.
Overall: Superior stuff really. Everything just fits together so well…the barrels, the lactose, the high ABV, even the rich molasses. It’s all so perfectly composed. Brewing at its finest.