Ancho Chile Lava Cake
Odd Side Ales

 

 

 

12 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 9/17/2019. Pours nearly opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, chile pepper, coconut, toasted oak, fudge, roasted nuts, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Mild booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malts, chocolate, vanilla, chile pepper, bourbon barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, chile pepper, coconut, toasted oak, fudge, roasted nuts, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Light herbal, grassy, roast, charred bitterness; and bourbon, oak, pepper spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, chile pepper, coconut, toasted oak, fudge, roasted nuts, dark bread/crust, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, chocolate, vanilla, chile pepper, bourbon barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a great roast/hop bitter/sweet and bourbon/oak/chile spiciness balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness lingering bitter/spiciness and bourbon/oak tannins. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/slick, and fairly sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 17.5% and barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic flavored barrel aged big imperial stout. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, chocolate, vanilla, chile pepper, bourbon barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV, with the mellowly bitter/spicy/tannic/drying finish. Nicely soft, and not overly bitter/spicy/charred. Fantastic balance of rich malts, chiles, vanilla, chocolate, and bourbon barrel presence/integration; with mild earthy hops and fruity yeast. Light residual sweetness with lingering bitter/spicy/tannic dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding style example as expected. Not overwhelming on any aspect.