2 Live Gran Cru Greatest Hits - Vol. 4
Voodoo Brewing Co.

Glossy black with a thin, dark brown head that quickly dissipates to a sort of charred quarter pipe circumference.

Early Times BM dominates out the ass--in particular, its substantially smokey and woody expression is on full exhibit here. The extreme aphotic malt acidity certainly adds tang to the background, kind of like chocolate-raspberry, while some heat fumes the gullet.

The subtle introduction of other threads here certainly elevates it a hair above its straight BM base.

Is this really over four years old or did Voodoo re-up on this 12 oz., black-waxed bottle? The taste will tattle.

The pour is dark, slick, still black. The nose is full of bourbon, sweet malt, & booze.

2 Live Gran Cru Greatest Hits - Volume 4 admits no age. Gentlemen Today would be proud. All of the typical big stout notes are here, & strong: char, sweetness, sharp roast, cocoa. The bourbon comes roaring in afterwards & promises that I'll be reaching for the heartburn cure before bed. Oh, & boozy. Full & deep. If there'd been more ounces, I would not complain.

My lack of poetic description does the beer a disservice - it's an excellent example of a purebred barrel aged stout. This is how I remember the Voodoo experience!

 

Released in 1/2021; consumed on 6/18/2022

Pours a velvety, motor-oil black body topped with a half-finger of dark mocha foam; a brief head retention leaves a glossy void and rich, creamy collar, while no lacing whatsoever holds to the walls of the glass.

Aromas of darker cacao meet an expectant charry roast upfront as lighter bourbon barrel washes vanilla and fudgy caramel subtleties across the bouquet, leaving residual toffee and smoke lingering.

Taste opens to dark chocolate sporting a healthy char eased by barrel and developing dark fruits over the mid-palate; raw cacao and distant toasted fig enmesh on the back end, with subtle vanilla and touches of cocoa and coffee grounds lingering through the finish.

Mouthfeel brings a body on the fuller side of medium and minimal carbonation, leaving creamy textures with a backing grit coursing over the mid-palate; a soft char lingers to mild bittering, fading silky as a moderate dryness eases subtle warmth through the finish.

The roasty intensity carrying the profile absorbs a background barrel influence, softening oncoming char to subdued waves of sweeter, bourbon-laden influence; malt-forward char impeccably bodied and with progressively softening edges.