-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Infinite Wishes
Smog City Brewing
- From:
- Smog City Brewing
- California, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
Ranked #298 - ABV:
- 13.47%
- Score:
- 97
Ranked #746 - Avg:
- 4.38 | pDev: 6.39%
- Reviews:
- 32
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jun 14, 2023
- Added:
- Jan 15, 2015
- Wants:
- 49
- Gots:
- 52
Aged for 1 year in freshly emptied Bourbon barrels. Infinite Wishes, our bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout, is an absolute force of nature. Inspiring folks from across the Southland to line up by the hundred. This inky, jet black stunner is everything you expect from the style. Seamlessly weaving together char and vanilla from the barrel with dark fruit, caramelized sugars, and a wallop of decadent chocolate. It packs an intensely expressive bourbon character, yet the finish is a mild warming sensation belying the strength of this beast.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BarrytheBear:
Rated by BarrytheBear from Wisconsin
3.8/5 rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Jun 17, 2016
3.8/5 rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Jun 17, 2016
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by stortore from Illinois
4.35/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.35/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
500 ml bottle into a snifter. 2022 edition, had 7/15/22.
Pours a dark brown, opaque, with a quarter inch foamy head and some specks of foamy cling. Aromas of bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, raisins, oak, char, some caramel. Similar flavors- bourbon, chocolate, oak, vanilla, raisins, light char, some herbal hop bitterness. Smooth, a very good full body, well carbonated.
Liked this one. Good, strong barrels, lots of distinct aromas and flavors. A solid effort.
Jun 14, 2023Pours a dark brown, opaque, with a quarter inch foamy head and some specks of foamy cling. Aromas of bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, raisins, oak, char, some caramel. Similar flavors- bourbon, chocolate, oak, vanilla, raisins, light char, some herbal hop bitterness. Smooth, a very good full body, well carbonated.
Liked this one. Good, strong barrels, lots of distinct aromas and flavors. A solid effort.
Rated by pathman from Ohio
4.25/5 rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
06/09/23 bottle @ home
Jun 10, 2023Reviewed by Christianriveraaa
4.28/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.28/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a snifter - jet black pour with heavy dark brown foam risen
Getting cholate, caramel, coffee, dark fruits, molasses up on the smell. The dark fruits are heavy with figs, apricots, dark cherries.
Dark fruits take over with this one along with dark chocolate, slight vanilla, coffee, molasses.
The feel is full bodied with a slight abv burn. Very nice.
Overall it's a good stout. One I'd recommend to someone trying out barrel aged stouts. I'll be buying again.
May 25, 2023Getting cholate, caramel, coffee, dark fruits, molasses up on the smell. The dark fruits are heavy with figs, apricots, dark cherries.
Dark fruits take over with this one along with dark chocolate, slight vanilla, coffee, molasses.
The feel is full bodied with a slight abv burn. Very nice.
Overall it's a good stout. One I'd recommend to someone trying out barrel aged stouts. I'll be buying again.
Reviewed by Victory_Sabre1973 from Minnesota
4.5/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
2022 release - 13.7% ABV
This beer pours pitch black into the glass. The head is 2 finger and brown. The head dissipates fairly fast to 1 finger, and seems to slow down in going away more. What remains is a very sticky looking ring of foam on the glass.
I get a good deal of chocolate on the aroma. I also get a whiff of vanilla, and some caramel as well.
I get cinnamon in the flavor. Wasn't expecting that. That hits up front and lingers in my throat. I also get some chocolate right away, that seems to build toward the backside. Some caramel comes into play more toward the back, as does the vanilla. There's also some whiskey flavor that comes from the barrel.
The body is quite thick and full. There's some smoothness to it, but there's also a good burn from the ABV.
This is quite delicious and tasty. They do it right with this one.
Dec 03, 2022This beer pours pitch black into the glass. The head is 2 finger and brown. The head dissipates fairly fast to 1 finger, and seems to slow down in going away more. What remains is a very sticky looking ring of foam on the glass.
I get a good deal of chocolate on the aroma. I also get a whiff of vanilla, and some caramel as well.
I get cinnamon in the flavor. Wasn't expecting that. That hits up front and lingers in my throat. I also get some chocolate right away, that seems to build toward the backside. Some caramel comes into play more toward the back, as does the vanilla. There's also some whiskey flavor that comes from the barrel.
The body is quite thick and full. There's some smoothness to it, but there's also a good burn from the ABV.
This is quite delicious and tasty. They do it right with this one.
Reviewed by Harrison8 from Missouri
4.24/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.24/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours black with a finger of khaki foam. Aroma is hearty roasty, and toasty malts with caramel, molasses, vanilla, and light barrel just beyond. Flavor profile is roasty and toasty malts with hints and fragments of caramel, toffee, molasses, char, and bourbon. Mouth feel is medium-thick with a smooth, near-still texture. Overall, hearty and dark, with a resolute focus on delivering steadfast and unwavering dark imperial stout notes.
Draft. Reviewed from notes.
Dec 31, 2021Draft. Reviewed from notes.
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut
4.44/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Very good head production; good retention; minimal lacing.
Classic BBA AIS nose: bourbon, vanilla, molasses, caramel, coffee, oak, toffee, and chocolate. Perhaps a touch of licorice. Doesn't smell overly boozy.
Fairly thick mouthfeel; very smooth. Very little harshness considering the ABV and barrel aging.
Less rich and sweet on the palate than you might expect from the nose; it's somewhere in between RIS and AIS in terms of balancing sweetness and bitterness. Oak, bitter Baker's chocolate, coffee, molasses, bourbon mash. There's an interesting note from the bourbon that's hard to describe other than corn mash; it's not the vanilla or coconut flavor you get from some bourbon, but some semi-sweet, almost earthy and liqueur-like note, maybe a hint of candied orange. Toast, bark, leather, and very light char.
This is a fantastic, balanced BBA AIS. It's not a sweet, thick stout like many others in the style; instead, it's equally rich, but more in the earthier, roastier fashion - but not overly bitter.
Oct 31, 2021Classic BBA AIS nose: bourbon, vanilla, molasses, caramel, coffee, oak, toffee, and chocolate. Perhaps a touch of licorice. Doesn't smell overly boozy.
Fairly thick mouthfeel; very smooth. Very little harshness considering the ABV and barrel aging.
Less rich and sweet on the palate than you might expect from the nose; it's somewhere in between RIS and AIS in terms of balancing sweetness and bitterness. Oak, bitter Baker's chocolate, coffee, molasses, bourbon mash. There's an interesting note from the bourbon that's hard to describe other than corn mash; it's not the vanilla or coconut flavor you get from some bourbon, but some semi-sweet, almost earthy and liqueur-like note, maybe a hint of candied orange. Toast, bark, leather, and very light char.
This is a fantastic, balanced BBA AIS. It's not a sweet, thick stout like many others in the style; instead, it's equally rich, but more in the earthier, roastier fashion - but not overly bitter.
Reviewed by hopley from Massachusetts
3.63/5 rDev -17.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.63/5 rDev -17.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
2017 bottle drank in 2021, didn’t age well, but was stored at 50 degree cellar conditions. Aging should have improved this beer, but nothing worked other than a decent head and a very mild bourbon smell and taste. Other than that, it was relatively flat despite the wax, and taste wise - pretty bland. A shame as I’d had high expectations given the ratings.
Aug 27, 2021Reviewed by metter98 from New York
4.38/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.38/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a quarter finger high beige colored head that died down but left a short head covering the surface and lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of bourbon are present in the nose along with notes of chocolate.
T: The taste has lots of flavors of chocolate along with notes of bourbon from the barrel aging.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The taste of this beer is packed with tons of flavors of chocolate; the bourbon lends some interesting complexities. It drinks incredibly well for a beer that is 13.47% abv.
Serving type: bottle
Jun 08, 2021S: Moderate aromas of bourbon are present in the nose along with notes of chocolate.
T: The taste has lots of flavors of chocolate along with notes of bourbon from the barrel aging.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The taste of this beer is packed with tons of flavors of chocolate; the bourbon lends some interesting complexities. It drinks incredibly well for a beer that is 13.47% abv.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed by Beersnake from California
4.5/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A bourbon barrel-aged stout that has been on my radar for a long time. Poured from fridge temp. Pours an intense black with quite a bit of brown head. Nose is toffee, vanilla, dark chocolate, fudge, prunes, walnuts, slight pipe tobacco, and some charred wood. Really amazing. The taste nicely follows the nose. This is a super intense BA stout. Lots of bourbon, chocolate, marshmallow, vanilla, black licorice, molasses, toffee, raisins, prunes, figs, blackberries, and burnt wood bitterness. This is what a BA stout should be! The base stout still makes itself noticeable. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy, and the aftertaste is a great mixture of bitterness and sweetness from the bourbon.
May 17, 2021
Infinite Wishes from Smog City Brewing
Beer rating:
97 out of
100 with
188 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!