Morticia - Conditioned on Bourbon Soaked Oak Spirals & Coffee
Barrier Brewing Company

Served in a snifter from a can which was packaged 10/27/2022.

Appearance: deep dark almost opaque Brown tinted black body with a dark tan head which rose about 10 mm off the body.

Smell: what are rich chocolate aroma, it smells like coffee and good old fashioned cocoa powder mixed together.

Taste: nice complex creamy chocolate with espresso bean. Very complex slightly sweet but not overly done, do not think this is all pastry Stout which feels like straight up sugar in a glass.

Mouth: super sticky body, soft carbonation.

Overall: great beer, honestly it's more of a Russian imperial with a little extra love. Worth grabbing, if you want to share it that's on you. Salud!

Poured into a 13 oz Teku glass canned on 12/29/21. Pours a very attractive near pitch black with a 2 finger mocha head that leaves a few streaks of lace. 4.25

Aroma is deep dark chocolate, roastie coffee, oaky vanilla, and toffee. 4

Taste follows dark chocolate, coffee, woody vanilla, and toffee. 4

Mouthfeel is above average, soft gentle carbonation, a tad dry, and at 10.1% it goes down rather easy. 4.25

Overall this is a nice stout, doesn’t out as awesome, but would still say worth a shot. 4

 

 

 

 

12/04/20 stamped on bottom rim. Poured into a small snifter.

A: Black with 1-finger beige head with good retention and streamers of lacing despite the high ABV.

S: Aroma is nutty with coffee and bourbon not working together quite right. Some vanilla and roast sneak in there but doesn't have quite the right aroma.

T: The flavor is solid but not in the upper tier for the style. Everything is there but just lower intensity with no signature character of the beer. Black coffee, bourbon, medium caramel sweetness are all there but just less. Same nutty quality as in the aroma in the finish and aftertaste. Alcohol is present but not overbearing. Not a lot of roast (aside from coffee) or dark fruit come through. Bitterness is medium.

M: The mouthful is thin for the style, not the right feel at all with medium body at most. I wonder if the carbonation level is too high.

O: Misses in a lot of spots unfortunately. I think I would either leave out the coffee or the bourbon barrel - the combination leaves a muddled aroma and flavor profile that is pleasant but muted. The feel is way off but is fixable, probably with lower carbonation and a different yeast that will leave more body. I don't think they need to go back to the drawing board but it does need some edits. I had a 4-pack of this beer over a 2-3 week span so not just a one-time sample. I like Barrier's beers so I think they will make it better.