Imperial Eclipse Stout - Frey Ranch
FiftyFifty Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talk about sourcing local, pretty much everything that goes into both the barrel and the beer is produced within a 200 mile radius I would guess. Putting Fallon, Nevada on the map beyond the airbase.

So hey, Eclipse beer pours black, big reveal. Brown head 1/2". Aroma just as expected, dark chocolate, bourbon, oak. Seems a bit more noticeable yet standard.

Taste is much the same, light sweetness, smoother mouthfeel. Seems to have more of the fudge character without any increase in viscosity. Little hit of vanilla rounding that out, never hot, for a barrel aged stout, pretty dang easy to drink. Appropriate carbonation and viscosity sets it apart from most barrel aged stouts.

There's been at least 2 years of Frey Ranch Eclipse, and at each party its been my favorite when stacked up against all the others, which is saying something. I really like the amount of bourbon that comes through, neither too much nor too little. 180 days is right in that spot. Oh man I'd love to show up to a tire fire in Fallon with one of these for old times sake.

 

 

I got it from Good Times Oakland, 500ml bottle.

It looks like a pitch black pour, small tannish head of foam, some lacing.

It smells of brown sugar, Bourbon, chocolate and vanilla, charr, quite nice.

The taste is Bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, brown sugar adds some sweetness, charr, and a bit of an empty spot that suggests some astringency. It's only a year old!

Close to full bodied if not so, the alcohol does creep in during the session but it's not overwhelming.

Overall, this is quite tasty; I just might not be a big fan of Frey Bourbon.

2023 vintage - drank 9/27/2024
Pour is black with a creamy cap of light cinnamon foam. Good retention.
Nose is fudge, bourbon, bourbon soaked fudge, bittersweet chocolate, oak, vanilla
Taste is oak, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, intertwined with soft bourbon, slight warming sensation in the belly, but doesn't drink hot. Roasted malt.
Smooth, moderately low carbonation. Full bodied.

On tap at Churchkey in Washington, DC.

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

This smells like lightly charred oak, brown sugar, roasted malt, dark chocolate, and a sort of herbal aroma.

This is a bit more watery tasting than some other Eclipse variants that I’ve had. It’s nicely chocolatey, with a good amount of roast, and some charred oak and burnt brown sugar notes that seem to be coming from the barrels. I also get a little bit of herbal bitterness that might be hop character – I don’t usually get hop notes from these beers.

This is medium bodied, but slightly thin for a barrel aged stout. It’s not all that boozy, and is pretty drinkable overall.

This isn’t one of the best Eclipse variants I’ve had, but I still enjoyed it.