Know Yourself
Barrier Brewing Company

Poured from a 16 oz can into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Dark, dark brown pour... nearly black. Somewhat thin with 2 fingers of brownish head.

S: Tart cherry and chocolate. Roast and vanilla.

T.F: Follows the nose. Chocolate covered cherry, vanilla, and roasted grains. Sweet up front modestly balanced out by the roast and tart cherry. The vanilla is lighter but noticeable, and the flavors work well together. A bit on the thin side for an Imperial Stout and the robust ABV. Creamy... with more chocolate and cherry to finish.

O: A decent Imperial Stout and the flavors worked well. Some more body/heft would have really helped but still well worth a try.

Got this one from rutger this past summer. Cheers!

From a 16oz can into a snifter
Imperial stout with tart cherries and vanilla
Collaboration with KANE Brewing

APPEARANCE: Pours out clear black and yields a 1+ finger, looser, foamy, fizzy tan head with okay retention. Clearer black body with higher levels of carbonation for the style. Head fades to a faint splotchy wisp and ring. A ring and touches of wisp remains but leaves no real lacing on the glass as it empties.

SMELL: Roasted aromas, coffee, sweet vanilla and some definite tart cherry on the nose. Leather and hints of milk chocolate too, but the tart cherries are more prominent. This is unfortunately much too mild to be interesting.

TASTE: Cherry flavors, a bit of tartness as well, with notes of leather, roasted flavors and hints of vanilla up front. Some more roasted flavors at the swallow, moving into a medium but lingering finish of roasted malts, leather, vanilla and milk chocolate, a touch of coffee bitterness, and a mild tartness from the cherry additions.

PALATE: Medium body and slightly higher carbonation. A bit light for the style, a little foamy perhaps, goes down fine and finishes a bit mouth-coating.

OVERALL: It feels like this could have been so much more. The flavor is okay and everything is decently balanced, but it’s a bit mild overall and body is not quite as thick and syrupy as a stout with vanilla and cherry should be. Really like the concept but would like to see a more dominating brew here. In any case, this was enjoyed and disappeared far too easily. Thanks again, rutger!

 

 

CAN
Jet with pocked tan; ash, fig, + port nose; cocoa, tart grape, mellow cherry, Raisinettes, carob, earth, light roast coffee, with dark chocolate to end; smooth, round, chewy.

4 x 5

Deep start. Tart more than fruity, chewy, + the vanilla is quiet. Cherry kinda kills the stout character. Interesting flavours, but not sure it adds up to what it should.

Pours a big mocha colored thick frothy head with moderate retention, some lacing, pitch black thick beer with some nice legs

Nose lots of nutty and coffee aromas, dark chocolate, cocoa, some vanilla, fresh fruity coffee beans, with a bit of roasted aromas, a bit of caramel and baking spices with heavy roasted malts and coffee but not acrid, and a bit of tart cherry in the background

Taste rich thick dark malts, fudgey cocoa and dark chocolate, more roasted malts, with a bit of char but not acrid, roasted coffee and nutty coffee beans as well as a bit fruity, light caramel and sweetness, turning a touch syrupy, some vanilla and earthy notes, cherries come in but make it taste almost infected due to the fruity flavor and the roast clashing a bit, roast starts to get a little acrid as it goes, cherry is not overpowering but still makes it seem infected, medium bitterness from roast and a bit of hops

Mouth is thicker bod, a touch creamy and rich, nice moderate carbonation, very light alcohol warmth

Overall not a big fan, roasted malts get a bit heavy, vanilla is nice, but cherry flavor makes it feel like an infected soured over roasted stout where everything seems to clash, not really a fan of this one unfortunately

Amazingly original and well-balanced, love both brewers, being a shore guy.
Agree w Greywulfken. This category "More misses than hits" but this HITS! Pleased to be review #8!
a) Pretty persistent mocha head that lasts and laces over a ruby-tinged black body.
s) Almost salty to counter the sweetness or tartness of the fruit.
t) Continued triple see-saw between sweet, tart, bitter, salt, grass, and hop.
f) Smooth, soft, medium-full-bodied... Just the right bite, finishing tang.
o) As good as any imperial stout you can find, definitely let it warm and grow on you. It gets better and better.

 

 

 

 

 

Stouts usually make me feel like I just ate a big piece of boozy cake afterwards, but this one is different despite having vanilla in its flavor profile its subdued. The ABV is great and despite clearly being stout in taste and flavor it doesn't feel like it has to strictly remain a dessert beer.

 

 

 

A - Dark brown / black pour with moderately thick and creamy toffee colored lacing.

S - Dark chocolate char and roast with some delicate smoke and some spice.

T - Light chocolate char, some cherry buried way down, plum, dark roasted cocoa.

M - Full body with a soft texture along with a few carbonated pricklies.

O - The ABV is completely hidden in this beer. Not much personality but wouldn't balk at getting more of this one.

 

Black in color with a small brown head. Good retention, and some spotty lacing.
Smells like malted milk balls, cacao nibs, roasted grains, burnt toast, a hint of sour cherry.
Tastes like malted milk balls, sour cherry, dark chocolate, burnt grains, toast, a hint of vanilla and cream, and coffee. Lightly tart, roasty, but not sweet or too bitter.
Feels a bit light for 10.5%, but it drinks like a nice 6% porter or oatmeal stout.