Imperial Brown Stout London 1856 Marc De Bourgogne
The Kernel Brewery

 

 

Pours motor oil black with a half finger broad head, revealing a nice lacing and big, mocha colored bubbles in the glass. Shows its viscosity after swirling, leaving back a sticky lacing with tiny bubbles.

Reveals a fermented, acetic fruitiness on the nose among charred, earthy malts. A nice, rich red berry defined fruitiness rises up after a while, blending into bakers chocolate, toffee and a note of fudge.

The sweetness from the nose is present on the palate from the very beginning, accompanied by soft whipped cream and additional milk chocolate. Malts and the barrel collide for a short moment, creating a fermented coca-cola impression, straightened out by rustic, rich malts and the cream. Roast for days, this is like sitting at a bonfire, topped off by alcoholic plums and sugared sherries. Not particularly hot, while producing a prominent bite, coming from a very full bodied, heavy wine. Finishes with boozy rock sugar, dry alcohol soaked grapes and wooden, scorched malts.

Very untamed barrel aged stout, revealing a bit too much of a strong headed blend, which only occasionally works well with the rich malt foundation of the base beer. When both parties connect, the flavors are beautifully complex, rich and savvy.

 

Deep, roasted flavor. Finely, but not highly carbonated. You can sense the 10.2% alcohol level but its not overpowering. Not sure I can pick out the Marc de Bourgogne cask aging. Perhaps at the very end there's a hint of "spirit" coming through (could be the Marc, could be the 10.2%). Having said that, the Marc aging might mask more of the chocolate/coffee notes that one typically finds in their stouts. Consequently, its not as complex as other stouts. Still a fine effort and I give them credit for experimenting.