Ecchymose Bourbon
Brasserie Dunham

L: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a dark brown / black color and a thick, opaque consistency. There was a half inch of foamy, tan-colored, fairly long-lasting head. Very good lacing.

S: A very nice aroma of malt, bourbon, chocolate, licorice, dark fruit, licorice and an herbal quality.

T: Tasted of a good amount of malt (present throughout), a good amount of dark fruit (plums, in particular) some licorice, a bit of the herbal quality, and some chocolate. An interesting, lighter than expected flavor. It's not as focused on chocolate as some imperial stouts, but it manages to work. Solidly tasty.

F: A decent amount of carbonation with a smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: An easy to drink, well done stout. Drinkable.

750 ml. bottle.
Moderate to vigorous pour yields a full one inch tan head over a dark brown body with some lacing. Head dissipates to a ring in few minutes but comes back with a swirl or two. Nose of cinnamon and rosemary, with cocoa next, and vanilla and oak from the bourbon barrel. Taste is where the cocoa takes over, gently, as if saying it's my turn now. Cinnamon and blueberries are represented with a bit of rosemary as well. As it warms, aromas and flavors change with cocoa and whiskey on the nose and blueberry and whiskey making their flavors known also. Wow, what a ride! Nice feel and overall, a great Imperial Stout from Dunham, Quebec. Cheers!

l'ecchymose is a barrel aged collaboration imperial stout with 4 hands that is made with blueberries, rosemary, and cocoa nibs, an awfully unique combination of extra ingredients, especially in a big stout. i have grown to trust and love both breweries involved in this one, so its a treat to get to try this. rich and frothy headed from the bottle, very active and dense, legs on the edges of the glass and a neat aroma of tangy dried blueberries that almost suggest the presence of a bacteria in here, earthy dark cocoa that adds bitterness and richness to the already deep malt base, and the rosemary, which is pleasantly subtle but enough of it is there to come through all the grain in this, christmasy and culinary rather than medicinal. the flavor is nicely complex and well layered, with the berries and nibs turning into an almost dark chocolate covered dried blueberry thing, bitter and sweet and tart all at once. a good little bit of barrel on it, char and vanilla are cool notes to work in, tobacco and smoke faintly, the rosemary adds a needed freshness to an otherwise dark and heavy brew. the complexity here is amazing. it sounds like there might be a few different versions of this, a cider and a bourbon barrel, or maybe its a blend of beer aged in both, its complex enough neither would surprise me. somebody let me know if you do, but this beer is sensational, however its aged! great use of some ingredients not commonly found together!