Indulgence Ale (2014)
White Birch Brewing

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled in 12/2014. Pours pitch black color with a 1-2 finger dense tan head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toasted dark bread, raisin, plum, fig, light pepper, light smoke/char, and roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt and moderate fruity/earthy/spicy yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toasted dark bread, raisin, plum, fig, light pepper, light smoke/char, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate roast bitterness and yeast spice on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toasted dark bread, raisin, plum, fig, light pepper, light smoke/char, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and moderate fruity/earthy/spicy yeast flavors; with a great roasted bitter/sweet balance and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very smooth, creamy/silky, and lightly sticky/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a light warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is an outstanding Belgian imperial stout! All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and moderate fruity/earthy/spicy yeast flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the big ABV. A highly enjoyable offering.

 

 

 

22 ounce bottle, bottled December 2014, bottle count of 1600, 10% ABV. Served in a DFH snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about a half inch tan head that stayed around a little while. There's also a decent amount of lacing. The brew smells like roasted malt, dark fruit (cherry, plum), chocolate, and some coffee. Taste is similar to the aroma, it tastes like roasted malt, dark fruit (plum, figs), molasses, bittersweet chocolate, coffee and a bit of licorice. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit slick and syrupy with low/moderate carbonation. I think it's a good brew, I wouldn't mind trying it again in the future. $9.99 a bomber.