Hoarders Cuvée (2018)
The Bruery

375ml bottle poured into a snifter

A- pours a dark brown color with a ruby hue, one-finger foamy khaki head has short retention

S- aroma has elements of both stout and barleywine; chocolate, raisins & char from the stout, caramel, toffee, brown sugar & honey from the barleywine. Christmas spice gives aromas of cinnamon, ginger bread & honey bun. Light oaky barrel in the background.

T- first taste is Christmas in a glass. An array of spices that blend brilliantly, mainly cinnamon and ginger spice that is reminiscent of gingersnap cookies. Mid-palate gives a malty sweetness that adds, caramel, toffee, chocolate, molasses & booze soaked figs. The finish brings out the barrel, adding some oaky and barrel juice, followed by more caramel & chocolate. Lingers of gingerbread cookie and boozy caramel

M- heavy body with moderate carbonation leads to a slightly foamy mouthfeel that turns viscous into a warming finish

O- this one is outstanding. The blended beer cuvee is perfect and the spices are all in sink

 

A: Poured into a snifter to an essentially black beer which is topped by a finger of soapy tan head which fades quickly without a trace.
S: Smells of ginger and cinnamon with some dark sugar notes along with some hints of bourbon barrels.
T: Taste is ginger and cinnamon with some cookie notes, hints of vanilla and caramel with a touch of oak, maple syrup and some chocolate. There's a lot going on in this beer and the cinnamon and ginger kind of dominate the flavors. On the swallow there's more cinnamon and ginger, some more maple, chocolate, caramel, vanilla and oak with some lingering spicy cinnamon and ginger flavor.
M: This beer has a slightly silky body which is on the heavier side of medium. Carbonation was pretty lively on the pour but is pretty mild on the palate. Due to the ABV this beer has a slightly drying finish.
O: Overall this beer is very enjoyable. It has great flavors and a really nice amount of complexity. The ginger and cinnamon but the other adjuncts still come through as well. Definitely well worth the cost of admission.

Bottle. No head. Murky brown black color.

A lot of cinnamon and ginger snap cookie. Maple syrup can be found and maybe the graham crackers but I wouldn’t have guessed it. Lots of bourbon. Chocolate, fudge, and vanilla.

I surprisingly like this a lot. It’s warming, but in a good way. I love the holiday spice.

Received from @2beerdogs in NBS BIF 10 – Thanks Derek! Reviewed 12/29/19.
No date other than “2018 Edition”. Stored at home at 42 degrees and served at 61 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 3.
First pour – Medium brown, clear.
Body – Dark brown, opaque. When held to direct light, murky and translucent at the top.
Head – Average (Maximum two cm, aggressive center pour), light tan, low density, short retention, diminishing to no crown and no cap, just a few regenerating bubbles around the rim.
Lacing – None but not unexpected in a 16.6% ABV libation.
Aroma – 4 – Roasted malt quickly being overpowered by bourbon with notes of graham cracker, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg (?).
Flavor – 4.5 – It begins with a sweetness, almost cloying. The first swallow burns all the way down, but after that no alcohol (16.6 % ABV as stated on label) flavor or aroma is noticeable, although a moderate and continuous gastric warming occurs. The predominant flavor is bourbon and graham crackers, interesting in itself because graham crackers are basically flavored wheat crackers, so is there enough wheat present to make this a wheat wine? Probably not. Cinnamon is noted and could come from either or both the graham crackers and the added cinnamon. The same setup is possible with the ginger. No diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide, no malt, no hops.
Palate – 4 – Full, creamy, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4.5. The lack of head and lacing is not unexpected at the 16.6% ABV; otherwise, the appearance is as expected for an imperial stout. After the initial burst of roasted malt, the aroma becomes (and remains) spiced bourbon. The additives ginger (Graham crackers, ginger snaps, ginger), cinnamon (graham crackers, cinnamon), maybe molasses (depending on the brand of graham crackers and ginger snaps), cardamom and clove (again, cracker brand dependent but not noted in either taste or aroma), and brown sugar (ditto) may or may not be mulled in the final taste and aroma. Overall, this is a stimulating Strong Ale, with the flavors helping to balance the depressing effects of the alcohol.

 

Into a snifter.


Vintage Bruery barrel-aged, over-the-top, decadent stout. Plenty of ginger and cinnamon join the familiar band of bourbon and vanilla and cocoa.

This is a Christmas cookie in a beer, but more drinkable than you’d think.