As I mentioned in my last post, I’m in Seattle for work and am having dinner with my cousin at Elliott Bay brewpub. I started with their dry hopped IPA, and had their excellent fish tacos (which were a bit unevenly matched). After dinner, as well as some great family conversation, we both finished with one last beer. I’ve always been a fan of bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout, and saw they had this one in the cask, so I had to go for it.

Location: On tap from the cask and served in a tulip-shaped glass at Elliott Bay Brewing in West Seattle, WA.

Numbers: 9% ABV, ~ 285 Calories

Appearance & Aroma: The color was dark black, and no light was visible through it when I held it up. It appeared to be a bit cloudy with yeast, but with such a dark beer, it’s hard to tell. It had a very thick, dark tan, soapy, foamy head on it, which had some great retention and lacing. The aroma was dark chocolatey with some dark roasted malt and obvious oaky bourbon smells with hints of vanilla.

Taste & Feel: The body was full and the mouthfeel was smooth and creamy thanks to the big head. The flavors up front were semi-sweet with dark chocolate, roasty malts, and hints of vanilla. In the middle, there were more roasted malt flavors with some hints of coffee bitterness. The oaky vanilla and bourbon flavors came through in the finish, lasting into the aftertaste for a bit, accompanied by some nice warming alcohol feeling in the throat.

Food Pairing: This is a type of beer I like to sip all on its own, as it’s got a good amount of complexity with dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla, bourbon, and other flavors. If I had to pair it with a food, I’d go with something like a fudge brownie, as the fudge would mix well with the flavors I mentioned, adding a different dimension of sweetness to the mix.

Overall Impression: As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a big fan of bourbon barrel aged stouts, so I’m a bit partial to the style. With it being served from the cask, it allowed all of the flavor and body of this beer to come through. I enjoyed the chocolate and maltiness, and the bourbon flavor on the end – mixed with oaky vanilla flavors – was really good.

My Rating:

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