Imperial Eclipse Stout - Grand Cru (2016)
FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

2016 vintage; consumed on 1/28/22

Pours a clean black body with a steady stream of effervescence feeding a lush few fingers of creamy, hazelnut-hued foam; excellent head retention leaves a half-finger of rich cap, a large, frothy collar, and a haphazard spattering of webby/spotty lacing dotted around the walls of the glass.

Aroma opens with resounding notes of sticky, fresh wildflower honey drenched oily caramel and boozy bourbon, while a waxy undertone guides to soft cocoa fused to a tangy, toffeed oak and wispy vanilla easing to the close.

Taste is waxy honey dominant, sporting marshmallow sensations beneath waves of boozy oak and faded bourbon; hints of cocoa over the mid-palate fade to booze-soaked cherry, while the finish suggests vanilla, flambéed orange, and a charry malt lingering.

Mouthfeel brings a medium body and a prickly, moderate carbonation, dispersing fluffy textures into a boozy char over the mid-palate; a clever spritz levels alcohol warmth minimally on the back end and a slight creaminess persists to the finish.

Overwhelming booziness washes over 6 years' worth of prickly, bourbon-tinged oak, leaving a one-dimensional onslaught of honey to completely overtake perceptible shreds of cocoa roast and vanilla; heat softens to reveal distant layers as the beer warms, but at this age, it's in all likelihood past its peak.

 

A: Poured into a snifter to a black beer topped by a dense and slightly rocky two fingers of light tan head which fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing.
S: Smells of bitter dark chocolate and dark roasted coffee with some hints of baking spices. There's some oak in there as well.
T: Tastes of dark chocolate, italian roast coffee, charred wood, and some burnt sugar. Slight oak with a hint of caramel and vanilla but mostly astringent oak flavor with a hint of licorice and molasses. On the swallow there's some marshmallow and vanilla with more chocolate, roasted malts, coffee, and oak with some lingering charred wood and burnt sugar.
M: This beer is on the heavier side of medium in body with a silky feel on the palate. Carbonation is a little heavier than expected but not out of line for the style while the beer has a drying finish.
O: Overall this is another really nice offering in the Eclipse line. A little different than the year prior but still a great amount of complexity and a really interesting beer to drink.

L: A very dark color.
S: A very strong dank, dark flavor.
T: A very dark beer that is reminiscent of Rogue XS but lighter.
F: Dark and heavy.
O A more accessible Rogue XS>

Pours black and brown toward the edge with another kind of brown in the head, 1/2" deep, looks quality. Aroma was you know, bourbon and roasted malt, hardly anything unique going on when you just blend everything. But you know, it works, if it ain't broke don't fix it kind of shoulder shrug at this point, its everything in what you've come to expect from a grand cru Eclipse.

Taste is a relatively smooth affair with really nothing novel to write about. Chocolate roasted malt, oak, bourbon, smoothness, booziness in restraint but obviously there kind of deliciousness. A slight bitterness. Components like the rye or apple brandy aren't noticeable here other than perhaps that bitterness I allluded to. It isn't significant, but maybe slightly higher than the individual barreled Eclipse beers.

Super expensive unfortunately.

 

 

2016 vintage at time of consumption was a little over 1.5 years old and drank along side the 2011 vintage just for grins.

Bomber into a matching eclipse snifter appears black in color with an excessive amount of khaki head that fades leavin spotty lace.

Aroma is roasty and earthen with a green tinge of yeast/vegerative hops, minerals and carbonic character which is not surprising considering the excessive level of carbonation.

Taste is roasty and earthen with a mineral aspect but also a bounty of honey-like sweetbess. Faint raw oak and espresso bitterness

Medium to lighter in body with excessive carbonation. Not sure what to say other than the eclipse of the last several years just dont live up to what they use to be. This one wasnt offensive, its just not as good as what i know it has been in the past

 

a beer of nearly unrivaled depth and complexity, and something very special to get to drink on, given the rarity of the grand cru blends and the price of all of these. i often find that the beers that blends more than two different types of barrels are just a bit too much, kitchen sinky and more novelty than anything else, but thats not the case here, as the various components in the blend form an awfully unique union that cannot be readily broken back down my analysis. one thing that i love about this beer, and still is a very obvious feature in this variant, is the honey. it gives the beer a definite richness, but also a sort of delicate sweet floral character, more than just a gravity spike, it really sort of defines the base beer, i love the juxtaposition against the heavy black malts in here, its a brilliant recipe. the barrels here are a little hard to pick out, but i have no doubt there are several bourbons at play and maybe a rye whiskey too. along with the honey, i get strong vanilla and barrel char in both nose and flavor, and a little bit of that spice, soft cinnamon, maple, and of course the alcohol, which is sturdy here to say the least. there could also be something like an apple brandy or cognac in the mix here, although its hard to get past the whiskey. i get some fruitiness, rich woodiness that doesnt seem charred, and it it has a different kind of sweetness. the layers keep coming, especially as this sits a little bit, and as strong as it is, the alcohol seems to almost enhance some of the flavors in here. its super silky and full bodied, round and soft in its enormity, and its well carbonated for what it is. this is so unique and complex and delicious, i cant imagine anyone not loving it...

 

 

 

 

Whiskey oak roasted malts, dark chocolate. Thick full body and low carbonation.

A nice beer, some definite hot whiskey to it. Not my favorite but a good variant.

22 oz bottle at room temperature into pint glass. Pours a very deep ruby brown color, with a surprisingly substantial tan head. Initial impression is, again surprisingly(considering the ABV), a very smooth and complex blend of chocolate, honey, oak, and bourbon (roughly in that order). Alcohol is surprisingly well hidden. Medium mouthfeel (could have been a little thicker) and carbonation (could have been a little lighter). Slightly bitter finish.
This was, at $35, the most expensive bottle of beer I've ever purchased (or ever WILL purchase). (Lesson learned: ask the price BEFORE you drive a half hour to the bottle shop.) It was good, but not nearly as good as some other stouts that are much less expemsive.

 

Look: Dark, mocha colored head, more head than I anticipated. Giggity.

Smell: Roasted malts, honey, bourbon, another spirit I can't quite place.

Taste: This thing is much sweeter than I thought, but that's ok. Follows the nose well, but pretty damn hot still.

Feel: Velvet like smoothness, carbonation on par.

Overall: Opened this on a whim, I can see this aging exceptionally well.