Wednesday 2016 (Cinnamon Hazelnut Bourbon BA Imperial Stout)
Peg's Cantina & Brew Pub

4.45/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Reviewed from (long-standing) notes. Consumed on 1/7/17. Poured from 22 oz. bottle into an El Catador Barrel-Aged glass.

A: Thick, dark, and opaque - essentially black. The thin tan head fades with minimal visible carbonation.

S: Cinnamon, chocolate and hazelnut up front. Then vanilla, cacao nibs, bourbon, and oak with mild coffee and drying tobacco behind. But mostly this is hazelnut with a cinnamon backer. The aroma on this beer manages to be both complex and different. Really, really nice, and exactly what it promised. I could smell this all day.

T: Follows the nose. Cinnamon, chocolate and hazelnut up front. A big malt body – sweet and roasted. Oak, vanilla and mild bourbon. A mild coffee roast to the malt bill, then more cinnamon and dry hazelnut. A nice nuttiness lasts though the swallow.

M: A nice heavy body, though maybe not quite as heavy as some of Doug’s stouts. The alcohol presence is incredibly mild for style – the bourbon stays fairly mild, though it still has some woody barrel flavors. Low carbonation sensation overall, but expected for style.

O: The barrel flavors are mild at best here. But even after almost a year, this is a hazelnut bomb with nice cinnamon flavor as well. Although the cinnamon-hazelnut combo might not be my personal preference, this is really solid if that seems like a good idea to you.

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4.75/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Really nice beer! Balanced fairly well, hazelnut more prominent than the cinnamon but that's not surprising with almost a year on this bottle. Overall, a great beer and happy to have tried it.

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4.5/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark brown to black in color with tan head; nose cinnamon, hazelnut, roast; flavor more of the same; some subdued barrel notes; quite sweet; body perhaps on the thin side for the style; smooth, creamy and drinkable.

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4.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On tap at CBC 2016. Pitch black with a thin brown head. Tons of cinnamon, toasted coconut, hazelnuts, roasted malts. Amazing beer, one of the highlights of this year’s CBC.

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4.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

On tap at CBC 2016, best of the whole show for me and also my friends. Really complex taste with all the components complementing each other perfectly. The only thing I would improve is the body. If it had a fuller mouthfeel it would be a perfect beer.

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4.46/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Tan head. Dark brown/black in color.

The hazelnuts actually show in this one. Very sweet and nutty. A nice amount of cinnamon. Then it is all dos. Sweet, malty, and thick.

Really solid beer. Very enjoyable.

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4.02/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

650 mL bottle. Brief khaki head. Smells of hazelnut, cinnamon, and bourbon. Exactly as described. Nice. Taste doesn't quite work as well. Lots of rich hazelnut. Sweet chocolate. Bourbon. Cinnamon. Cinnamon is pretty sharp and kinda dominates the flavor. Heavy. The cinnamon is a little bit distracting. I kinda just want more hazelnut.

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4.79/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

The hype is real with this one. You can smell the hazelnuts from a mile away, So smooth and rich, a real treat, one of my favorite adjunct stouts to date. Best of the weekday set

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4.21/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Cinnamon Hazelnut Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout.

Appearance - No surprise, Wednesday looks much like it's earlier-in-the-week brethren. Super dark with a glossy sheen. The head is much more fickle, however, as even a relatively hard pour yields a very shallow head with short retention.

Aroma - The nose is rich and dessert-like. Similar to Monday, there's a potent cinnamon note that carries the aroma. However, hazelnuts enter to add a pleasant twist. There's an enjoyable roastiness that imparts the stout base.

Taste - The taste is chock full of hazelnuts for sure. I'm actually not sure if I've ever had a beer that contained so much hazelnut flavor. In fact, with the roast and coffee notes, it reminds me of Wegman's cinnamon hazelnut flavored coffee that my wife buys. It is a tasty beer though! My one complaint would be that I don't really get any of the barrel or bourbon notes at all. There's may be a touch of bourbon mixing with the alcohol beat, but it's hard to tell.

Mouthfeel - The mouthfeel is medium-bodied with a creamy texture. It is a shade thinner than Monday or Tuesday.

Closing Arguments - Overall, this was a tasty and enjoyable beer. Although it does have a good bit of alcohol heat, it isn't as overpowering as in Tuesday. I still think I'd put Monday in front so far.

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4.96/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Poured from a 750ml bottle cellared at 55 degrees into a Cycle Weekday Snifter. Tasted alongside Nuthulu and BA Hazelnut.

Look: Pours jet black with a lingering 1 finger head.

Smell: Probably the best nose of any beer I've ever had. Big time Hazelnut with moderate bourbon aromas and just a touch of cinnamon.

Taste: Follows the nose. Big time hazelnut up front with some nice bourbon warmth and cinnamon on the finish. Cycle recommended to let this brew warm to room temperature, and they couldn't be more right. As the beer warms, the bourbon and cinnamon become slightly more pronounced. At room temperature, this beer is at it's best and the balance between the hazelnut, barrel, and cinnamon is truly something special. World Class.

Feel: Smooth mouthfeel that is just a touch thinner than my ideal BA stout. Gets thicker and chewier as it warms.

Overall: This was the star of our mini Nut beer tasting, though in fairness, it was the freshest of the 3. I would say this is definitely one of the top 5 stouts I've ever had, right up there with Pappy Black Magick and just a touch below 2 candles. This one is definitely worth seeking out.

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4.75/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Very smooth. Flavor is a lot of hazelnut without being a bucket of nutella. Just enough cinnamon to establish a badeline. Honestly a very smooth cycle stout that is high hazelnut with a not to intense cinnamon after taste. Honestly of the top 10 stouts ive had (including derivation), and easily the best weekday stout by a wide margin.

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4.95/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

This, so far, is my favorite of the beers released by Cycle last week. I've tried it only once (on draft at the Cycle event on 3/11), but it quickly made an impression on me. I gave it 5/5 on Untappd. It has great hazelnut flavor, and the inclusion of cinnamon makes for a near-perfect or perfect mix.

I drank this from the event sampler glass handed out to all event attendees, so it's difficult to give it a very thorough review. I didn't make note of any lacing on the glass, etc. It did have the body I was expecting, and the aroma exceeded expectations. The taste is wonderful. It's a smooth and excellent beer. I think this and &+ are my two favorites.

Might add more to this review later, if possible, but it may be awhile. I have only one bottle (the limit allowed at the sale on 3/9) and don't want to open it just yet. The bottles suggest that the beer is better fresh, and I tend to agree, but I think I'm going to hang on to this one bottle for a special occasion. Definitely worth seeking out and I recommend it highly. I just wish I got more than one!

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