Barrel-Aged Pastry Stout - Apple Cinnamon Strudel
Toppling Goliath Brewing Company

Barrel-Aged Pastry Stout - Apple Cinnamon Strudel pours a dark brown, with no head at all. The aroma is filled with apple and cinnamon pie notes. The flavor is a stout roasted base, up front, with lots of apple and cinnamon pie mixed in, not over powering. A bit flat. Overall, with all its short comings, its a very well-balanced big stout.

 

 

poured from a 16oz can into a perennial snifter. pours cola brown but gathers in the glass a shiny black with no foam. hardly any bubbles. lighter brown see-through edges. plenty of bourbon and oak on the nose with a background of cinnamon-spiced apples. taste has all of that plus a big hit of sweet chocolate. as it warms there is a caramel apple thing going on. i’m amazed at how much the barrel makes itself known here and the apple cinnamon stays well in check in the background. medium-full mouthfeel. not insanely thick but not thin either. very drinkable for 15% abv. this and the maple granola were both very impressive. would absolutely pick up again without hesitation. what surprised me most was the barrel presence.

Pours dark black, with little carbonation. The thin head disappears almost immediately. Very black; no light is allowed to get through this. Aroma is heavily apple with a strudel smell. Taste is boozy first, followed by cinnamon and apple. Flatness of the brew holds this back a bit. Heavily sweet, with a honey overtone and a creamy texture. Chocolate is present, though underneath the other profiles.

16oz. can into a Founders snifter. Shared with schen9303.

Pours pitch black. Huge, oily legs. No head, no lace. Nose is apple cinnamon, chocolate, molasses, sweet cream, and booze. Somehow appetizing. Aromatic and boozy and somehow there's even notes of flaky crust. Beer opens chocolate, apple cinnamon, and brown sugar. Maple syrup, more chocolate, and vanilla in the middle. Sweet cream, booze, and more molasses and syrup at the finish. Pretty good. Body is full with low carbonation. Boozy, full, and chewy on the palate and goes down rich and thick with a sticky, lingering aftertaste.

I don't normally like pastry stouts but this one's quite good. Worth trying,