Imperial Eclipse Stout - Rye Cuvee (2019
FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

Deep, dark brown pour, clear, appears an opaque black in the glass; thick and lasting light tan head, dense and spongy texture. Decent aroma; raw barrel wood; light cocoa. Rich dark chocolate base flavor; boozy; marshmallow; sweet cocoa. Heavy body; velvety with an offset of a sharp, boozy bite; warm.

I would have liked to have tried this a few years younger. I get the feeling some of the malt and barrel-aging highlights may be fading a bit. That being said, for a fiver year old or so beer, this still drinks nicely and has a fine subliminal kick.

ABV: 12.8%; pouring temperature: 53 °F; bottling info: 2019
Source: Tavour

Nose probably popped more when it was fresher. Mouthfeel seemed slightly thin. I liked the beer, but I'm a Rye fan in general.

Roasty dark malt and barrel on the nose. Rye whiskey forward on the taste but it’s a bit subdued. Lighter medium bodied, booze is subtle. Tasty, but probably would have enjoyed it more fresher.

 

Eclipse. Rye. Barrel. This series doesn’t turn my crank like it once did, but those three words combine to give me…feelings. 500ML bottle, gray wax.

Pretty darkness topped by mocha bubbles that stick around longer than your average big stout. Mild sweetness & a wallop of rye to the nasal.

Imperial Eclipse Stout – Rye Cuvee harks from a simpler time, when the lactose intolerant didn’t have to check labels & stouts over 12% were a rarity. And Eclipse beers were defined by the base brew. There’s that roasty edge with a touch of chocolate underneath a solid rye note & finishes with a sharp bitterness that feels disentangled from the roast. No booze detected. Moderate viscosity compared to modern-day stouts, but makes it easier to sipple.

Overall a very nice example of a straightforward stout in my favorite barrels.

Cellared can for 2 years. Typical black pour with a tan head. Big rye and barrel leading the nose, dark bitter chocolate and earth supporting. Taste is much the same, light smoke and molasses linger. Rye and booze heat, despite aging, still have very strong textures, their sharp warm drives the beer, lighter body for an eclipse, drier too. A chewy stout for early winter

Picked up a 4 pack of this because why not? Unlike the bottles in this/that era, these were relatively within the price range of similar beers.

Pours black. Brown head, 1/3", has the same standard look that Eclipse has held "through the years." Nice typical bourbon/whiskey aroma, true to every rye Eclipse ever, it has a lightly sweeter nose and taste.

Taste was nice, again, so many of these Eclipse reviews are so similar, roasted malt heavy on Totality, chocolate, oak, almost walnut like dark wood presence alongside all the sweet rye whiskey notes. Mouth feel wasn't up to the high standards, I thought this was a bit more bitter in the mouth feel than almost any (maybe Brandy) Eclipse ever. All in all, its just like all the other Eclipse rye/cuvees in that they bring an amalgamation of Eclipse, but coming in just a drop sweeter and a heartier bitterness likely from the roasted malt and bittering hops via Totality base. Simply worth having for the format and sticker.