Fayston Maple Imperial Stout - Rum Sherry Cask-Aged
Lawson's Finest Liquids

The lands of milk and honey have nothing on Vermont. As the land of maple and maple have the sticky-sweet elixir flowing like rivers, Lawson's Finest Liquids team up with Mad River Distillers for an imperial maple stout that doubles down on sweetness and savoriness with rum and sherry cask aged character.

Deep and dark mahogany with coffee browns and dark garnet hues, the tawny ale may be shy on foam but is bold with a high dessert wine perfume of dark, dried and condensed fruit, maple, chocolate and leather. With a host of dried fruit, there's a tingle of the nose and a vinous tone that suggests wine, rum and port. Decadently sweet on the tongue, the taste of molasses, maple, honey, toffee and chocolate completely dominate the early palate.

The same dominance spreads across the middle palate with a malty-rich taste that captures the pleasantries of plum, black cherry, date, raisin, fig, red grape, black currant and an overall wash of sherry. Turning slightly spicy for balance, the vinous spiced broaden to hints of rum-laced holiday spice, licorice, leather and toasted oak. Lightly bittered and drying modestly in finish, the wood tannins take an edge off of the cloying sweetness.

Full bodied, warming and rewarding to the tastebuds like fine port, sherry and madiera, the ale finishes long and leathery with plump malts and a simmering warmth in the chest. It's a delicious beer that has as much in common with barlelywine as it does stout.

 

 

Pours an deep dark brown with some tan head that quickly dissipates. Some dark fruit, prunes mainly, figs, and almonds on the nose. Some semi sweet chocolate as well. Lots of fruit notes are present up front. I get raisin, prume, some of that fig newton character, then a touch of heat, and an almond chocolate finish. Not getting any maple at all though, especially not a hefty dose of maple. It's a nice stout with complexity. It's not too sweet either, I like this vein of barrel aged stout.

This one pours a fairly dark black color, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.

This smells like boozy molasses, rum spice, caramel, maple, roasted malt, smoke, dried fruit, and oak.

This intriguing barrel that this was aged in adds some fruity and molasses-like sweetness to the very roasty base beer. There’s only a little bit of maple, just a kiss, with dark chocolate, oak, and maybe some vanilla.

This is medium bodied, rich, somewhat roasty and sweet on the finish, with no real booziness.

This is a beer that really seems to take to barrel aging well.

Black, full-bodied pour with minimal mocha foam. Sherry/Brandy nose. The barrel comes through first in flavor, with maple syrup sweetness in support. The malts contribute a roasty, almost burnt sharpness. All of these creates a wonderful sweet/booze blend overall. There's a sip here and there where the booze comes a little too far forward, but upon further warming, the blending returns, and makes for a delicious winter sipper.

 

Dark brown/black appearance with a moderate tan head, moderate retention, nice lacing. Big maple for sure, butterscotch, caramel, funky boozy notes. Medium thick body, medium carbonation. Interesting.

 

 

 

Short pour into a snifter. Jet black with no head to speak of.

Sherry/port nose immediately. Faint cherry/stone fruit.

Taste is sweet. Barrel is forward. Maple sweetness gives way to the sherry in the back of the throat. Notes of burnt cocoa and coffee.

This is so delicious. Just enough booze and alcohol burn to offset the sweet.

 

 

 

1 Pint, .9 fl. oz. bottle.
(500 ml.)
Moderate pour yields a one inch tan head over a near black body with nice, sticky lacing. Nose of rich dark malts, maple syrup, and hints of rum and sherry from the barrel. Taste of maple syrup, milk chocolate, booze from the barrel, caramel, and nuts. As it warms, the booze (10.5%) comes forward (especially on my upper cheeks!) Nice feel and overall, a stellar stout, a tad on the sweet side, but, oh so delicious!
Find it, grab it, drink it, savor it.
Cheers!