“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.