From The Vault: Barrel-Aged Cuvée (2022)
Fremont Brewing Company

A - Pours a very dark brown with a tan one finger head. Light spotty lacing.

S - Aroma is cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate and coconut.

T - The taste is dark chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla, cinnamon, maple and a nice wash of bourbon on the finish.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a slick dry finish.

O - Really solid. Wish it had a touch more body though.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque in the glass with a quarter finger, dark khaki head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, bourbon, plum, cinnamon, light vanilla and cocoa. Flavor is dark toasted malt, bourbon, cinnamon, coconut, cocoa, dates, raisins, and vanilla. Medium bodied with luxurious moderate creaminess. If anyone wants to know what a well balanced blend of Bbomb and BA Dark Star tastes like, this is it. It's hard for me to not try a combination of two of my favorite Fremont ales. Bourbon is assertive, but not hot. Cinnamon is the more dominant adjunct flavor and coconut is a clear note, but subtle, which is nice. Mild cocoa and vanilla, but contribute to the blend. This is the best cuvee I've had from Fremont and wish I had picked up a few more. On par with the other masters of blended strong ales. Excellent

 

22oz bottle poured into a snifter

A- pours black in color with a one-finger foamy khaki head that reduces to a ring around the glass

S- rich and malty on the nose with equal parts caramel & cocoa up front, followed by aromas of pipe tobacco, leather, dried dark fruits & anise. Undertones of cinnamon, coconut cream & vanilla. As it warms, plenty of barrel emerges, adding bourbon, wet oak & more vanilla

T- sweet caramel & toffee up front is quickly followed by rich chocolate brownie batter. Mid-palate brings out the barrel, adding barrel juice and oak, as well as bringing out the vanilla and coconut flavors, adding a creamy note as well. Some dark fruit notes emerge on the finish, with notes of fig, black cherry and raisin. Lingers of cinnamon, chocolate, barrel and a hint of maple sweetness

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that turns slightly creamy into a warming, velvety finish

O- a wonderful blend that is noticeably Dark Star, with the B Bomb blend adding a nice caramel and dark fruit balance. All adjuncts are noticeable, if even a little bit. Well done.

22oz into a tulip. Pours a dark chocolate brown with a thin mocha head.

Aroma is rich and complex, right out of the fridge. Vanilla, bourbon-soaked figs/dates, toasted walnuts, toffee, chocolate, coffee.

Taste follows nose. Like the aroma, leads off with smooth vanilla and some smoky barrel char, caramel, dark cherry, bitter chocolate, coconut, and just a hint of booze. Dry oatmeal stout base (Dark Star) becomes more prominent as it warms. Some subtle cinnamon heat. Can’t say I’m getting much maple syrup but maybe it’s one of those ingredients whose difference would be more noticeable by its absence. So good.

Mouthfeel is smooth and slick, medium-heavy. Coats the palate, lingering flavor. Nice warmth on the finish.

Overall another home run from Fremont, they continue to blow me away with their barrel-aged stuff and blends.

**
11/24/23

Bottle to snifter.

Raisin, cocoa, brandy,black pepper, rum cake, walnut, cola, fall spices.

Sharp, medium body.

A lot of interesting notes.


**

 

On Tap at Ale House . Pours a dense mohogany color with a nice mocha head. Smell is rich with chocolate ,coconut,bourbon and molasses . Taste is superb as it warms coconut/chocolate mix with bourbon maple syrup,char . Mouth feel has many layers from molasses,char, toasted coconut has some sweetness in finish,this was a treat

 

 

There are brown hints in the black opaque body, with a foamy finger's worth of dark brown foam for the head. Rich dark chocolate, bourbon, caramel, toasty oak, vanilla, maple, cinnamon and a kiss of coconut star in the aroma bouquet with various malt backing. Taste is a symphony of the rugged, rustic, and roasted elements with a touch of earth and char blending in with the sweeter and boozy flavorings! Feel is boozy, smooth, and chewy, accentuating the complexity of the blend, and yet given the sneaky lighter body I would not age this. If this becomes an annual tradition like FW anniversary blended ales, we are in for a treat!

 

 

Beer # 2600 on BA.

22oz waxed bottle, split and shared with the wife.

A: Stout-dark pour, completely opaque and oily in the glass, with a hefty khaki-mocha head that fizzles out.

S: Incredible, rich, and reminiscent of so many of their barrel-aged series. Sugary toffee, chocolate espresso, bourbon, vanilla, oak, tobacco, spice, dark fruits, French toast, coconut, molasses.

T: Strong, smooth, complex, milk chocolate, vanilla-soaked oak chips, bourbon and almond liqueur, dark toasted caramel, maple syrup, gingerbread, toasted coconut flakes, rich confectionaries, balancing roast character, mild char, dessert coffee, brandy, brown sugar, Barbados espresso, cherry cavendish pipe tobacco.

MF: Full, velvety, creamy, luscious, savory, delectable.

O: Spot on for what I wanted when I read the bottle. This maintains the wonderful complexities and idiosyncrasies of each brew represented in the cuvee. B-Bomb is the perfect addition to a stellar lineup of stouts; its so similar overall, and yet distinct in its own way.

 

Outstanding mashup of some of their best beers! So smooth!