Imperial Eclipse Stout - Apple Brandy (Cinnamon and Vanilla )
FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

Beer Geek Stats
From:
FiftyFifty Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
Imperial Pastry Stout
ABV:
11.5%
Score:
+7 ratings needed
Avg:
4.2 | pDev: 7.86%
Ratings:
3 | reviews: 2
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 15, 2020
Added:
Feb 25, 2020
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
 
Rated: 4.35 by Buck_Jones from Michigan

Jul 15, 2020
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Had this at the Eclipse Party in December 2019. A better listing for the beer is probably Apple Brandy 2019 (as the FiftyFifty website makes no reference to any "cinnamon and vanilla" version).

Pours the usual mix of black and dark brown on top at 1/2". Always the sexy looker. Aroma put down more of that warming brandy and apple sweetness. Predictably reliable at this point.

Taste seemed better than the prior years. I remarked how this one lacked the chalky dryness of the first batch. Vanilla really smoothed it out and the cinnamon helped the apple impression reach its potential. Definitely the smoothest mouthfeel and most pronounced uniqueness compared to the majority of bourbon barrels they use (although I think an apple bourbon one would be cool in comparison). When the apple brandy is good, its great, when it isn't, you get that acrid char bitter dryness to it. I think the vanilla addition really helped it out here. I don't buy bottles anymore given the changes in the market, but I'll always try and go to the party to check these out. Covers the alcohol amazingly well.
Feb 25, 2020
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

3.74/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
On tap at Swillburger/The Playhouse in Rochester, NY.

This one pours a fairly dark black color, with a very small head, and not much lacing.

This smells really strongly of apple brandy - the barrels must have been extremely wet. It adds a big fruity sweetness to the base beer, almost coming across as chocolate covered raisins with apple spice. There's also port, hot chocolate, slight vanilla, and syrup.

There's luckily not much cinnamon in here. I'd want maybe a bit more vanilla to counteract the high fruity and sticky sweetness from the barrel. The base is slightly subsumed by the barrel here, but at least the apple brandy itself is pretty tasty.

This is medium bodied, slick, and sweet, with very little booziness. It's a slow sipper due to the intensity of flavors.

I feel the same way about this that I did with the regular Apple Brandy version I tried from 2016. It's just too sweet.
Feb 25, 2020