“Imperial dessert Stout aged in red wine barrels.” DDH Double IPA Hopped with Citra, Citra Cryo, Azacca & Vic Secret.”
Glassware: Snifter.
Appearance: Impenetrable black with a wispy brown head forming on top. It swiftly reduced to a thin halo with a wet lace left in its wake.
Aroma: Quite a complex number with a lot of it coming from the red wine barrels. Muted notes of chocolate cake, Cherry Ripe, coconut, marzipan, chocolate mousse and spicy bourbon. The latter surely a byproduct of the barrels which impart an enormous amount of vinous red berry tartness and musty oak. A fair bit of the booze showing too…really stings the nostrils.
Flavour: Producing more on point dessert stout qualities – macerated cherries (with some natural tartness coming through), dark and milk chocolate, coconut, vanilla, marzipan, almond biscotti, chocolate mousse, mocha and subtle notes of oak and vinous red wine in the finish.
Mouthfeel: Somewhat slick, oily and sticky. Not a great deal of body to it but it still holds up nicely on the palate. Low co2. 10.2% ABV pokes through here and there.
Overall: At first we thought it could have done without the aging in red wine barrels but it became softer as it settled. We’d still love to try the non barrel aged version though. Not a bad drop.