2 Live Gran Cru Greatest Hits - Vol. 5
Voodoo Brewing Co.

Deep, dark pour, with dark brown head buildup that climbs to about a quarter inch before slowly dissipating into a barely discernible ring around the body of the beer.

The nose is a great balance of whiskey-drenched raisins, smoked malt, and aged leather. I'd read that the barrel character was a bit abrasive when fresh, but it's mellowed so nicely. With time and temp there's a nice layering of crispy sheet pan brownies.

The palate brings more of the same - a barrel-aged masterclass. Bourbon comes on full force - burn caramel, smoked vanilla, whiskey-soaked staves, and a touch of astringency. On the backend of the palate is a touch of drying cocoa and nuttiness.

The weight to this is medium-full, balanced expertly by a low but present carbonation. The length is fantastic and the warmth is felt in the pit of your stomach and well into the next sip.

 

 

2 Live Gran Cru Greatest Hits - Vol. 5 from Voodoo. Purchased from Voodoo Brewing, Meadville, PA, 24/01/22 for $ 53.82 (Including tax and additional charges to take part in their Lottery)/two 12 oz bottles ($ 2.24/oz). On room-temperature shelf at store and stored at 37 degrees at home. Reviewed 26/08/22. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated bottle. Served at 55.5 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King Snifter. Final temperature 60.9 degrees.
Appearance – 3.
First pour – Deep Brown (SRM 30), opaque.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. Under direct light, same but chunks of precipitate rest on the inside curvature of the glass. When rear-lite, still opaque except for some light penetration (olive) at the edge.
Head – Tiny (Maximum two mm, aggressive center pour), sienna, high density and fizzy, miniscule retention, receding to a partial ring of near-microscopic bubbles constantly being renewed by effervescence (No crown per se) and no cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 3.25 – Weak aroma of harsh whiskey. No malt, no hops, no yeast.
Flavor – 3.25 – Begins sweet and cloying, a bit like a mouthful of powdered malt, no hops, no yeast. No ethanol (12.6 % ABV according to BA, NOT marked on label) aroma or taste. Marked upper and lower gastric burning like a cheap whiskey. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, slightly thicker than water, lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.25 OK, I’m going to assume I drank this too fresh – if you’ve got a bottle, wait a few more years before you wrestle with the wax. Distinctly too hot for me.
PS - Although, as I finish off the glass, and the temperature approaches room temp, I have to admit it smooths off some of the rough edges.

 

Black and viscous with sparse brown head and surface film. Boozy bourbon, oak, bakers chocolate, espresso bean. Thick rich mouthfeel, medium to light carbonation. Bold and rich.

 

Muddled black with a short tan head receding to a creamily curled ridge leaving short but wavy lace.

Quite oak forward and woodier than I often find in BRC, it's pleasantly enjoyable in that way, swallowing slightly warm and even spicily peppery before exhaling all kinds of roasted nuts, cocoa dusted dates, tobacco and even hickory.

The medium but rounded body almost attains thicc status before a nearly crisp, buzzing carbonation cuts through to a slightly chewy dry finish.

I got lucky with Voodoo putting this on draft for BA Day this past weekend, considering I've always whiffed on scoring 2LGC bottles. This is quite possibly the most mature, oak forward BRC out there--if not all time, at least within the past few years of releases.

poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter. pours an oily black with a thin, dark brown foam cap. cap recedes into a collar around the glass; a few swirls remain throughout. very well integrated oak and bourbon with some smoke and char on the nose. taste is a lot of tobacco, leather, bourbon, dark cherries and the slightest hint of chocolate. as it warms it’s even more dark fruits. medium-full mouthfeel that finishes dry. not my favorite voodoo but still a good barrel-aged imperial stout.

So I guess voodoo is adding industrial grade glue to their wax now? Jesus. I cut enough off to get a bite with an opener and bent the shit of the cap up. Cut a little more wax off and continued to pry. Repeat 3 times before I got the fucker open. Massive hiss when it initially cracked though. Hmm

Pours incredible looking. Dense thick oily. Frothy deep, deep brown head.

Smells like a magick. Sweet blurbon cream liquor all day.

Taste. Goddamn is voodoo on a streak lately. Id never question anyone who told me this was purely black magick. I dont really have the palate to pick it apart from zangief or the 3rd in the blend but its fantastic. I would say less sweet than my favorite magicks, more ashy and bitter, very fucking hot. Very, very fucking hot.

Feel is awesome. Not quite as volumes as the last orange BM I was lucky enough to try but huge nonetheless.

Overall incredible beer. Iso more of these if anyone's got them.