Mala Vida Brandy
Companyia Cervesera del Montseny

11.2oz bottle. Neck label includes 'BATCH No: 22/09/20'.
Black colored body. Brown colored head, which results in islands and a thicker ring. No lacing.
Aroma of roasted malts soaked in sweeter brandy oak barrels.
Taste is roasted malts in brandy barrels. Flavors of dark chocolate, anise, oak, vanilla, and dark fruit (prune, raisin, and a bit of dark cherry). Aftertaste includes charred oak.
More than medium mouthfeel. Nectar texture. Dry finish due to higher ABV%. Good carbonation.
Dense and complex, with the limited sweetness of the brandy barrel.

330 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet Kvadrat. ABV is 11%. Pitch black colour, moderate brown head. Pleasant aroma of roast malts, oak and brandy. Moderate carbonation. Medium sweet flavour with notes of dark malts, brandy and oak. Moderate hops.

A: Pours a near pitch black color with 2 fingers of head that fades down to a thin cap

S: Roasted malt, brandy, oak, dark fruit, anise, and some dark chocolate

T: Follows the nose. Starts off with the roasted malt, brandy, and dark fruit. Pulls in the dark chocolate, oak, and anise. Finishes with lingering anise, brandy, and dark fruit

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A solid brandy barrel-aged stout that makes for a nice sipper. Well rounded and nicely balanced. Worth a drink

07/24/20 bottle & home

 

 

 

 

 

Pours an almost pitch black color with a small light brown top of head that dissolves very quickly. Aroma is strong of roasted malts, coffee, licorice, chocolate, vanilla, raisins and dark fruits. The flavour is sweet with strong roasted malts in the back. Is a good presence of dark chocolate,coffee,licorice and dark fruits in the flavours. In the sweetness is some small presence of brandy. The finish is dry with a slight bitterness and still those strong roasted tones. Good balance on the flavours, and with long and strong aftertaste
Full bodied with a moderate carbonation. Mouthfeel is silky and smooth with the alcohol content very well masked.
A really great imperial stout. Very enjoyable

 

 

Best by 09/22/20

L- The beer pours black with a one finger mocha head. The head recedes to a thin ring with a large central island. Lacing appears as legs that slowly slide back into the beer.
S-The nose is strong with fruit from the brandy and there is an alcohol edge at the end. The malt gives impressions of chocolate and weak coffee, but struggles to rise above the brandy notes.
T- The first flavor to drop on the palate is the dark fruit of the brandy barrel. This doesn't linger here as long as it did in the nose. It soon overtaken by rich chocolate somewhere between the milk and dark spectrums. The beer ends with a bit of char and a pleasant warming, lingering alcohol burn. This is very nice.
F- Mouthfeel is on the high side of medium with a smooth, near slick lingering finish. Carbonation is low and accentuates the mouthfeel.
O- An excellent barrel aged stout. My first brandy barrel aged beer and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Its a perfect sipper for a cold damp day with it's slick warm finish. Complex and interesting in its flavor profile, I highly recommend it.

Black colour, minimum brown head that fades soon, small brwon lace.
Aroma of chocolate vanilla, licorice, oak, coffee. I don't feel much the brandy.
Full body, dense creamy texture. Carbonation is the usual in this kind of beers, not much.
Taste of coffee, chocolate, dried fruits, vanilla. This is not the chili version but I feel some hot notes. Still can't get the brandy.
A robust warming beer.

 

 

One of the best stouts tried this year----Valesbeer (Valentines beer for the little lady)
poured into a snifter. Pours pitch black with a nice brown head of foam that settles
to a thick ring, thin light layer, and features nice sudsy lacing. Nose of cocoa, coffee,
heavy brandy and booze, dark raisins, light char, and sweet dark malts. Taste nails the
WOW and BALANCE factors expertly! Rich cocoa layers over dark roasted coffee notes,
and swims friendly with brandy and oak notes with a touch of dark cherries, dark malts,
and strong booze with a smidgen of light hop notes on the rear. Excellent mouth feel--smooth,
rich, moderately coating, warm, low carbonation, lightly slick, and coating.

EVERYTHING I look for in a imperial stout and more----worth the price!
Buy 2---you'll want another!

Cheers!

 

From Hopcat Chicago's awesome bottle list. Poured into standard tulip glass. I enjoyed the brandy barrel influence as this beer came to temp. Low carbonation, moderate lacing, nicely balanced throughout.

6-2