Element of Reverence
Cigar City Brewing

My second & last 500ML bottle. I have to admit I’m not wild about fruit in my stouts but hey, it was part of the deal. Split with my wife.

The pour is about the color of dark. The nose is about the odor of all advertised elements, in order: vanilla, bourbon, coconut, pineapple.

Elements of Reverence brings a subtle fruit game. The coconut merges with the pineapple to create less of a fruit & more of a tropical bouquet experience (no, I don’t know what that means). Pineapple is subtle. The Bora Bora taste does break up the malts into a largely secondary experience & the bourbon is minimized as well, though the oak is stronger. Gentle bits of vanilla & chocolate on the finish. Very sweet. Not something I could drink a lot of.

Harking back to the experimental roots of El Catador it’s hard to ding this one for taking a leap of faith. Good beer that doesn’t taste like anything I’ve ingested previously

 

This is a wonderful beer

Dark pour with impressive head for the ABV and style that fades leaving very little head and slight legs.

Smell is great, Oak, vanilla, dates, chocolate, tobacco, a slight hint of ABV and pineapple.

Taste is a WOW beer. All of the notes from the nose with the pineapple and coconut as a subtle afterthought that compliments but doesn't stand out front.

Thick and chewy with lots of oak and a touch of carbonation.

Overall these guys continue to dial in the barrel aged program and this is in an elite class of beers.

 

 

 

Received from @roguer in an NBS BIF. Poured into a tulip glass. It pours a dark walnut - approaching black. The dark mocha head dissipated almost immediately. The nose is outstanding. Roasty, smoky malt, a strong bourbon presence, and subtle but noticeable pineapple. It's really appealing. Its taste is fantastic. It opens with roasted malt and tobacco. As it warms there are increasing notes of fresh pineapple, shaved coconut, molasses, and raisin. The barrel notes are surprisingly delicate and nicely compliment the other flavors. The flavors work very well together. It's sweet but not cloying. The mouth feel is thick and chewy with low to moderate carbonation. And the 11.5% ABV is nicely hidden. It's a great after dinner sipper. Overall, Element of Reverence is something to be revered. It's delicious and mouth feel is fantastic. I'm grateful to @roguer for the chance to enjoy it.

Very good head production and retention for the style, ABV, barrel treatment, and additives. Exceptionally dark body, and a very dark brown head.

Nose is strong and rich, featuring notes of bourbon, oak, molasses, brown sugar, caramel, red grape, coconut (although it's unclear if that's a note from the bourbon, or if the added coconut is coming through), lemon zest, licorice, prune, coffee.

Similarly rich on the palate. The added pineapple and coconut don't really make themselves known until the back third; up front, it's a roasty, thick, semi-sweet BBA imperial stout. Chocolate, molasses, brown sugar, toast, raisin, bourbon, cherry; kissed with a slightly tangy pineapple note, while the coconut carries through the finish.

Incredibly thick, creamy, and smooth.

This is an incredible base imperial stout, taken to the next level with the bourbon barrel aging, and then with the added fruit just for a nice touch and something that sets it apart from the rest. It's not a fruity pastry stout; it's a BBA imperial stout, that happens to have a touch of fruit.