Whiskey And Oak Black Beauty
Five Seasons North

 

Appearance: Dark brown, near black body with a thin, bubbly, tannish head.

Smell: Dark malts delicately scented with whiskey and oak, along with notes of spiced licorice, chocolate (though faintly), bananas, and cloves.

Taste: Sweet dark maltiness with a taste of unsweetened chocolate and hints of charred, roasted grains. Fruit flavors of banana and grapes. Mild rye spiciness. Dash of clove. Relatively mild whiskey and oak components that blend in well with the surrounding brew. The fruitiness seems to grow a bit more upon warming. Final hint of roast on the dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium-low carbonation.

Drinkability: A beer that's full of flavor yet displays a charming degree of complexity and elegance. Nice work as always, 5 Seasons!

Cask at the Altanta Cask Ale Tasting.

Pours a dark murky chocolate brown with a tiny bubbly off-white head that dissipates immediately leaving no lacing.

The aroma starts out very fruity with lots of bananas and bubble gum from the Belgian yeast but there are plenty of other things in the nose as well - chocolate and dark fruit especially. The bourbon and oak play great supporting roles without dominating while the rye spiciness is barely detectable.

The whiskey is more evident in the taste, opening the taste and melding with the Belgian fruitiness perfectly. The chocolate and dark fruit layer in on top of the lighter fruits before the rye spiciness finishes things off with a slightly dry oaky finish. Very complex and super tasty.

The mouthfeel is unbelievably smooth with the rye presence and low carbonation.

This was the best beer of the day for me. A great beer with tons of stuff going on that all comes together just perfectly. Outstanding.

Edit: Had this one again out of a bottle and just confirmed what I had suspected based on the cask - this is one of the better beers I've tasted. Tough to decide between this and Quinte55ence as 5 Seasons best beer to day.