Hellshire X
Oakshire Brewing

Review: 2468
Name: Hellshire X
Brewer: Oakshire Brewing
Location: Eugene, OR
Style: Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
ABV: 15%
Canned: 2020
Date: 30 July 2025
I am heading back to the cellar to get Hellshire X, another COVID beer. I am serving the beer in a tulip glass at a temperature of 50 degrees. The pour created a creamy, foamy, half-fingered dark tan head with poor retention. I wasn't expecting much retention, given the beer's age and high ABV. What I saw was adequate. The beer's color is a pitch black, with rusty brown hues, charting at SRM 34, and is semi-opaque. The appearance of the beer is average.
Nosing the beer, I noticed this is a behemoth considering the barrel aging and the base of the beer. I detect notes of chocolate, cherries, wine, port, raisins, figs, dates, bourbon, char, wood, and floral esters, as well as honey and phenols. Smelling the beer again, I notice caramel, molasses, toffee, dark roasted malts, bread, malty sweetness, a hint of fire, coffee, and earthiness.
The first sip reveals the extent of barrel aging this beer underwent. Notes of chocolate, tannins, red wines, berries, cherries, wine, medium roasted coffee, port, raisins, figs, dates, bourbon, char, wood, and floral esters, as well as honey and phenols. A few more sips, I notice caramel, molasses, toffee, dark roasted malts, black pepper, bread, a malty sweetness, a hint of smoke, and earthiness.
The mouthfeel is coating and chewy, finishing a bit warm. The body is chewy and has a hint of carbonation.
Final Thought: The beer has been put through hell; I think the barrel aging could have been a bit more finesse. It is as if there is too much barrel aging done. I do enjoy the port/wine notes that impart a distinct flavor on the beer. Overall, this is a solid offering from Oakshire, and it is my first beer from them.

Absolutely phenomenal nose. Potent and a little intimidating, frankly, but in a good way. All of the barrels come through, along with a very potent malt base, with notes of dark red cherry, chocolate, caramel, toffee, bourbon, port, corn, honeycomb, raisin, cola. There's frankly a ton going on, but it's so powerful that it can be tough to pick things out.

Similar on the palate: this is rich, complex, rewarding, and absolutely powerful. Bourbon barrels arguably take the lead over the other two, but they're all complementary - and none even begin to drown out the huge malt base, which delivers decadent notes of chocolate, dough, espresso, molasses, honeycomb, and toffee.

This is a massive, bold beer, and an absolute delight. It's almost exactly what you want in a huge BA imperial stout, although it would have benefited from more port and rye barrel presence overall, adding layers that a more standard BBA imperial stout can't quite summon.