Matryoshka (Mexican Vanilla Bean, Coconut & Lime Leaf)
Fort George Brewery + Public House

2023 vintage: 12.2% ABV

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a snifter at 58 degrees.

Look- Black, opaque, dark brown frothy head, below average lacing, average head retention, plentiful visible particulate at the margins.

Smell- Bourbon, cocoa, black licorice, vanilla, oak, high strength of scent.

Taste- Bourbon, cocoa, oak, coconut, vanilla, slight lime at finish, highly boozy, mildly sweet, very high strength of flavor.

Feel- Medium body, slightly below average carbonation, highly mouth warming, highly mouth coating, sticky, highly boozy, moderately bitter, mildly sweet.

Overall- Black and opaque in appearance with plentiful visible particulate at the margins. Bouquet was bourbon soaked with notes of cocoa, licorice, vanilla and oak. The flavor was very vibrant with bourbon at the forefront balanced by cocoa, oak, coconut, vanilla, and slight lime at the finish. The feel was medium body with highly mouth warming and coating properties. Overall this beer was a complex and delicious beauty. It provided a wonderfully enjoyable drinking experience.

Beer # 2800 on BA.

500ml waxed bottle that I stumbled onto the last time I was in Idaho Falls; this variant intrigued me with the lime leaf addition, thought I'm sure it can't be that different from the other variants I've tried.

A: Dark brown pour sits absolutely opaque black in the glass with a consistent one finger of mocha-colored head.

S: Snappy, earthy and nutty character meets the roasted malt and barrel complexity on the nose. Impressions of oak and zippy spirits, nutty coffee bean, licorice and molasses. Has a cola-like aspect to it, maybe Vanilla Dr. Pepper or root beer.

T: The palate agrees with the nose, sarsaparilla root meets whiskey & cola...impressions of dark chocolate and an unrefined brown sugar...vanilla bean as well, with a clear, zippy flash of lime, really just a passing accent for the warm and complex palate.

MF: Viscous medium-to-full body hides the alcohol fairly well overall.

O: Overall a really pleasant variant, just enough different from the Vanilla BBA version I tried earlier this year. Definitely a quality brew with a touch of nuance.

 

 

Taster at Fort George. Dark brown pour with ring of beige head. Heady aroma brings a lot: vanilla, chocolate and coconut to name a few. Taste is slick and sweet, chocolate, roasty, vanilla, all wrapped up in warm, lush bourbon notes.

super heady variant of this legendary stout, so lucky to have been able to try it at the barrel bar on their wonderful campus in astoria last weekend, a real treat! i have to confess, i expected a little more of the lime leaf on this, its such a distinctive and pungent ingredient, but its really subtle, way less intense than expected, its easily the least evident of the three added ingredients, which is somewhat a shame, as its also the least common by far, not even sure ive ever seen in used in a beer like this, super cool. viscous and shiny and near black from the tap with a short but frothy burlap head, pretty, well refined, dense. the nose is awesome, coconut seems fresh to me, tropical for sure even without a ton of the lime leaf in support of that vibe, the vanilla is strong, high end, and compatible as can be with the whiskey character coming through, light smoke and char, old wood, warming alcohol, licorice spice, and a little bit of middle malt sweetness. the lime leaf is zesty and subtle, not as fragrant and perfume-like as it can often be. the flavor is all of this, lots of barrel, a strong coffee note, so good with the whiskey, vanilla, and the milky fresh coconut, less toasted more fleshy and real, not sure if it is or not, but it seems that way and i dig it. the lime leaf adds herbal bitterness, and its all at the end. this is sweet but not overly so, its long, palate coating, and huge bodied. i love the beer, the base stout and the barrel ageing are expert, but i have to confess it was the lime leaf that drew me to this and i definitely wanted more of it in here, its an accent at best, more of it would be amazing, i like whats there from it, and think this is quite intelligent overall. very impressed by fort george in our visit there, a powerhouse brewery for sure. need to get into some more variants of this one...