Collaborative Evil 2010
Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon

For this year's Collaborative Evil, I must say Fat Heads really thought outside the box. The theme was "Baltic/Imperial Porter" and, while other entries from places like Flossmoor and The Brew Kettle used ingredients like smoke and coconut powder as their "featured ingredient", the boys at Fat Heads flexed their creativity by blending together a bourbon barrel aged Baltic Porter (Battleaxe) with bourbon barrel aged smoked porter (Up in Smoke). This certainly gets points for uniqueness, and, from the feedback they received at GABF, people really liked this beer even if they bended the rules a bit.

On tap @ Fat Heads. 10oz, served in a snifter. Thanks, Mike!

Looks nice in the snifter. A black body with some brown notes and a nice off-white head on top. A good looking beer overall, but nothing legendary.

Smells like bourbon, sweet malt, and just a touch of smoke. Some dark fruit, chocolate, and mild coffee and roast and toast. A hint of vanilla but much less barrel character than the Bourbon barrel aged Battleaxe.

The taste is really nice. I've not had the bourbon barrel aged Up in Smoke yet, but that beer has done a number on the bourbon barrel aged Battleaxe, making it much less sweet than without the blend. The dark fruits are joined by chocolate and mild coffee and a nice touch of smoke right when the caramel malt reaches its peak. That's the best part of this beer - the smoke hits right at the perfect time!

Mouthfeel is good, much less syrupy that the BA Battleaxe. Creamy with moderate carbonation and good, lush body. Some lingering bourbon and smoke in the finish. A tad boozy, but the intricate flavors make that well worth being the price of admission. I could drink much more of this, but not in one sitting. A great idea, well executed, and I hope to have the other component on its own soon!