Assassin
Toppling Goliath Brewing Company

On tap at the brewery - Decorah, IA
L: inky black body; nearly no head
S: boozy bourbon, oak, caramel, fudge, roast
T: very boozy and rich; heavy bourbon, oak, caramel, toffee, fudgy chocolate, vanilla, dark fruit, roasted barley, white pepper, earthy hops
F: full body, sticky and sweet, lower carbonation, a boozy sipper with spicy bourbon lingering on the palate and burning the throat
O: excellent balance of sweetness, roast, and booze - everything I expect from a barrel aged Imperial stout

 

Cellared 3 years. When we beer has been hunted for years, you grow skeptical the hype will be met. Indeed the thrill of the hunt can be better than the catch. NOT so here! Wow this is as amazing as stated by so many others on here. Pitch black body with a brown head that sticks around. Smells of amazing barrel with char and fudgy emphasis, along with molasses, dark chocolate, raisin, caramel, and roasted earth. Taste adds a nougat and more toasty oak backing than what was smelled. Feel is massive without being syrupy, boozy to just the right level, chewy, robust and yet so smooth all at once, the abv sneaks up on you like an... well you know.

Finally ticked this one, courtesy of Mortalis 7th anniversary party line share.

The smell and taste were overly boozy for me, not enough malt that I like. This was a 2023 in the taproom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022 vintage.

L -- Deep inky black with a moderate viscosity and very little head produced with aerated pour. Looks almost still in the glass
S -- Dark chocolate, coconut, nougat, whisky, Smells a lot like Maman, but with a little more herbal kick. Very promising
T -- Super wet barrel character, has this nice rye/oak spiciness to it. Dark chocolate fudge, coffee liqueur, vanilla, char. Quite a bit of heat. Becomes a bit cloying over time
F -- Oily but not super velvety/thick. Makes for a smoother drinking experience
O -- Definitely a standard bearer for the style given when it was first released. Split two ways this was still too much. It does get a little on the cloying side

81/100

 

 

 

 

2022. Drank out of a BBT tulip summer 2024.

Decadent look, light lacing.
Smelled nice.
Tasted great, not overly boozy but enough to appreciate. Thick and sorta almost chalky in a positive way. Chocolate - not too dark or mild.
A well executed stout, not over the top in any way, just about right. A pleasure to drink, glad I finally got to try this.