White Label Imperial Russian Stout (Bunnahabhain BA)
Brouwerij Emelisse

May 2016: Shared 330 ml bottle at local tasting. ABV is 11%, 75 EBU. Black colour, minimal tan head. Aroma of roast malts, peated whisky, tar and iodine. Low carbonation. Sweet flavour, but the peat soon overpowers the sweetness. Notes of tar, liquorice and iodine.

 

Dark brown with a small dark mocha head, quickly reduced to a thin film, but sticky and lingering.
God, i love peated whiskies! Bunnahabhain blows up in the smell, warm, strongly peat smoked, with a nice caramel edge, and some chocolate and deep roast induced by the imperial stout afterwards. Hint of licorice, hint of vanilla, nice woody notes.
Peated Scotch first in the taste, sweetened with dark malts and caramel. A touch of raisin, then chocolate and roast, getting stronger and stronger. Faint licorice, even some hints of sherry and herbal liqueur, blown away in the ashy finish, extra smokey, with some roasted coffee bean.
Peat dominates the aftertaste, with a really dry mouthfeel from the Scotch that leaves just some bits of dark chocolate, burnt sugar and coffee dregs. Everything seems to fade slowly, in time, but the peat smokiness stays stuck. I, for one, like that. Medium body, low carbonation, smooth, slow sips.
Unlike the Ardbeg BA, this one brings rich caramel and roast from the RIS base, with a clearer balance. Not too boozy, but you might have your knees shaking when you finish it. A great show for Bunnahabhain barrels, but mostly for Emelisse.

On Tap in Des Moines, IA
Islay all the way! If you don't like a bit of peat smoke in your scotch, this may not be for you. If you like the Islay scotch flavor profile, this is a great blend of a beer and scotch flavor. I love Islay scotch and also Stouts, so this worked well for me.