Rime Of The Ancient Mariner BA
Brouwerij De Molen

 

For those of you at Borefts in 2012, you'll remember that big, amazingly decorated barrel sitting there at the entrance. Well, this is the beer that came out of that barrel. Big thanks to J&R for bringing it over to the pre-Zeebra festivities this year.

From a 75cl corked & caged bottle into a snifter
Barrel aged imperial cherry stout

APPEARANCE: A dark brown and slightly transparent pour yields a two finger, thicker looking, fluffy, light brown head with great retention. Black body with no real carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a good foamy wisp cap and clings to the sides of the glass. A splotchy wisp and ring leaving some falling dots of lacing down the glass.

SMELL: Roasted notes, pure chocolate, some chocolate chip cookie aromas, with bourbon, oak, some sweet cream and toffee on the nose. . Pretty nice.

TASTE: Bourbon, alcohol, toffee and lightly roasted flavors up front. Very boozy and alcoholic for sure. Big finish of alcohol, oak, some dark chocolate, toffee and sweet cream. Hot stuff, but no real burn. Plenty of flavor on top of it as well.

PALATE: Medium-full body and medium carbonation. Creamy on the palate, enough weight as well, goes down smooth and finishes slightly mouth-coating. Decent heat lingers.

OVERALL: Pretty nice stuff. Some good, complex flavors and aromas here for sure, and lots of the good stuff to contemplate. It's still pretty hot and boozy at this stage, so it could even use another decent stretch of time in the bottle. That said, if you're like me and you enjoy a little heat here and there, then this'll be right up your alley. Thanks again for bringing this one guys. Never thought I'd see it.

 

 

 

Incredibly complex beer that brings a Belgian feel to the a big Impy. Lots of chocolate melded with a sourish finish. The Belgian yeasts come into play with this beer as it has levels of nuance different than an American stout. Great stuff and a treat to try