Warlock Flip Flops - Woodford Reserve Wheat Whiskey Barrel-Aged
Voodoo Brewing Co.

 

 

 

Having them side by side, both Warlocks pour an amazingly viscous tar black, so much so they are seemingly unable to build heads, until slowly a very dark chocolate brown head of fine bubbles surfaces, then in the Stitzel disappears just as suddenly, while in the Woodford remains a fine blanket for a short clip before dispersing to a thin chain and spotty surface.

This purple waxed bottle's syrupy thick body delivers a sort of hickory-splintered dark chocolate that's given some respite by a slow to surface carbonation, lifting up some tingly warmth and toffee. And coming back to sip on this after spending some time with the Stitzel, it's got a little more sting of boozy heat to it here.

I absolutely did not expect a Voodoo and Bruery collaboration to be this nearly gelatinous, good god! And honestly, for me, this characteristic is what dings my review on both accounts, although I know it's also in part the type of thing that commands more hype than many of Voodoo's other BRC releases of late. That said, it's still amazingly delicious, but I think I preferred the expression of the Stitzel bottle by a hair over this one.

 

poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter. pours an inky, oily black with not a drop of foam save for a couple tiny mocha brown swirls here and there. amazing chocolate bourbon bites on the nose. the barrel is there but it isn’t ‘massively in your face and sting your nostrils’ there. very akin to the NG H&S bottle i had last night. so we’ll integrated not only on the nose but on the taste as well. it’s straight bourbon-soaked chocolate with the slightest hint of vanilla and maybe even a touch of coconut. again, as with the H&S, missing the earthy char and tobacco that recent BMs i’ve tried have had. extremely full mouthfeel with a perfect level of carb. thick and coats the mouth. this is a great collaboration imperial stout. reminiscent of Maman and BCBS.

Poured cold to the Glencairn glass. Is used motor oil black, still as night. No discernible head, but then, after five or six seconds, a wave of teeny tiny bubbles break through the surface. Thick looms!

Nose is bourbon barrel char and sweet dark malts all day. Maybe a hint of vanilla and leather.

First sips bring a superb sequence of bourbon bite, barrel wood dryness, molasses type sweet dark malt base, char, followed a long lingering taste of the mix. It has that distinct Woodford Reserve characteristic that I enjoy immensely in stouts aged in their barrels. I can’t describe it well, but it’s birchy, woody, spicy…just perfect with imperial stouts.

Mouthfeel is intensely full, but with just enough of that scant carbonation to keep it sub-syrup level. Much more conducive to sipping than thinner stouts.

Lacing does not live here, but the legs are almost literally staining clear glass chestnut brown. La Brea tar pits action going on with this one.

Bourbon bites up front, but is backed off by the sweetness so that it doesn’t come across overly hot. Warming arrives soon, maybe three ounces in.

A bit pricey at $25 and a road trip to the brewery, but an excellent beverage.

 

Thickest, densest beer I've ever poured.

Smell reminds me of the first time I smelled BCBS 10 years ago. Not necessarily because it smells the same. But I had never smelled anything quite like the BCBS back then, I started cackling/laughing in amazement excitement as it smelled so intense. This beer is evoking the same response. Having said all of that - it DOES actually smell like BCBS, but on steroids. All the dark fruit, berry, sweetness and oak and more.

Taste and feel - here we go..... fuck this is rich. It IS very BCBS like if I have to compare it to something. But its a kick up. Thicker, denser, chewier, fuller. An absolute monster of a beer. Hot, yes. This is without question the densest beer ive ever drank. Now I'm sure there might be some thicker that have oreo particles in them but I dont fuck with that shit. For a non adjunct stout this is the pinnacle. A 5 on feel, absolutely no question.

For taste I have to give it a 4.5. Its exquisite but it lacks a bitterness that I crave in a huge stout these days. I drink less sweet stouts like BCBS and Black Tuesday and more roasty ones like BA expedition these days.

Overall rating this beer exceeds the 4.5 data point on taste and is a 4.75 overall for its 5.0 absolute experience of a mouthfeel.

This is one im laying down for MANY years. I love age on a sweet beer. Just like the sweetness of an English barleywine, old ale, or scotch ale becomes less a focal point after years and this has the characteristics i think will also hold up and even improve long, long down the road.