Imperial Eclipse Stout - Belle Meade
FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

 

 

 

Christmas gift from a generous customer. I have largely ignored this series due to the price. I also find it strange that the onus is placed on the consumer to do research to find out what is in the bottle. 2017 vintage.

Anyway, this is an undeniably unique and delicious stout. The Meade barrel effect is prominent and harmonious with a sort of jammy, remarkably smooth, big stout.

**
03/20/20

2017 bottle to snifter.

LOOK: cola color, very nice creamy beige head. good retention.
AROMA: roasted malt, hint of coffee,
TASTE: roasted malt, wood, coffee, honey kick in the finish.
FEEL: a tad thin for style, a touch flat. smooth sipping though.

**

2018 Vintage, Coral wax.

 

2018 Vintage
11% ABV

Appearance: Very dark brown bordering on black with a generous sized dark beige head that gradually faded. nice looking Stout

Smell: Brown sugar and mild coffee/roasted malt aromas. Not a bad nose but the aromas are subdued and mild.

Taste: The taste profile features brown sugar, roast malts, mild vanilla, and tannic oak notes. The finish is fairly dry ending with some Bourbon and tannic oak notes. Mild alcohol presence.

Mouth-feel: On the light side of medium bodied with a medium level of carbonation.

Overall: Good Eclipse variant. The honey is present in the initial swallow but the beer dries out nicely on the finish. The type of barrel used for bal-aging definitely is apparent in the eclipse variants.

Off? Just not good.

 

 

I thought this was a really enjoyable stout. A bit sweet but easy drinking and great tasting.

Look: black with an inch mocca head

Aroma: roasted malts, chocolate, honey

Flavor: sweet, honey, chocolate, dark roasted malts, oak, alcohol hidden.

Feel: full bodied, creamy

This was a fun take on the annual eclipse stouts. Meade barrel gave a nice bread and honey aromas to nose. Taste was still malt heavy with a west coast styling of hops for a stout, but the meade barrel cut the sweetness on the front, and brought out some biscuit like sweetness on the end. Better than bourbon barrels? No, but fun

 

Had some of this at the Eclipse party. Seemed like it was the variant that was kinda hush, not a lot of info was going around about this one. Looks the standard eclipse look: black and dark brown, tan head, 1/2".

Taste is similar to the grand cru of Elipse. Chocolate, oak, bourbon, roasted malt, the usual descriptors. Hides alcohol well, not overly sugary, well hopped with old school C hops but no so much bitterness that it detracts from all the other good things the beer does. Just enough sweetness and bitterness to balance the beer and keep its smoothness running from pop top to the end of the bottle.

Real good and real expensive stuff.

22 oz 2017 bottle into pint glass. Pours a very dark ruby brown with a thin but persistent light tan head. Initial impression is quite sweet at first, but bourbon, charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, and maybe a little caramel gradually make their presence known. Mouthfeel is smooth and velvety, not overwhelmingly thick. Carbonation is just sufficient to showcase the flavors. Finish is ever so slightly bitter, but nicely balanced by the overall sweet character.
At $35, this is the most expensive bottle I've ever bought. It might be the most expensive bottle I'll EVER buy, since there are so many less expensive options. But it's good. It's really good.