Imperial Brown Stout Auchentoshan BA
The Kernel Brewery

 

Pours motor oil black, with a small dark brown head, revealing huge bubbles which remain visible, when the beers head has already collapsed to a thick ring of lacing at the rim of the glass. Beautiful looking beer, never loosing its head retention entirely, coating the glass with tiny bubbles after swirling.

Smells of a lovely combination, featuring tart cherries, covered with milk chocolate among burned, earthen malts. A sharp, boozy harbinger sticks out, adding peppers, dried wood and licorice, alluding to the potent barrel addition in this.

Drinks incredibly soft and thick, smooth and sweet, while changing completely during the finish, when the barrel becomes present, adding a bitter, boozy dryness. A wild ride on the tongue, this has a bigger body, feathered by almost no carbonation but lots of whipped cream.

Tastes of melted milk chocolate, dried cherries, licorice, which transforms the whole taste foundation to a bitter chocolate state, featuring wood bark, dried wood, burned malts and dark, fresh forest earth. The barrel adds a prominent dryness, featuring more wood and peppers from the nose. Finishes with lots of toffee, the barrel dryness and a milk chocolate creaminess.

Again, the barrel transforms the base beer in all facetts possible, while this time both blend harmoniously together. This creates a chocolate covered warmth, while the best part is the beers look and velvet mouthfeel.