Blackbeard's Bliss
Odd Side Ales

 

 

 

What a treat! This stout has an amazing mix of flavors with beleive it or not, a black pepper finish! Not sure if I am on board with the pepper, but other than that, I like this beer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

32 ounce crowler into snifter, canned on 10/29/2016. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, rum, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, peppercorn, brown sugar, and dark bread; with lighter notes of molasses, smoke, char, raisin, and roast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt, peppercorn, and rum barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, rum, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, peppercorn, brown sugar, and dark bread; with lighter notes of molasses, smoke, char, raisin, and roast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate roast/char bitterness and rum/oak/peppercorn spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, rum, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, peppercorn, brown sugar, dark bread, light molasses/roast/char, and roast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, peppercorn, and rum barrel flavors; with a great roasted bitter/sweet and rum/oak/pepper spiciness balance; with zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light dryness from bitter/spiciness, increasing through the glass. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very smooth, creamy/silky, fairly sticky/chalky, and slightly slick balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is well hidden with a small warmth lingering warmth, and bit of rum barrel booziness; but not overwhelming. Overall this is an outstanding rum barrel aged imperial stout. All around awesome dark/roast/bready malt, peppercorn, and rum barrel flavors; very smooth and easy to sip on for the big ABV. The peppercorns fit in perfectly with the spicy rum barrel notes, and never feel out of place. A highly enjoyable offering.