Splendiferous
Rochester Mills Beer Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I picked up a can of Rochester Mill's Splendiferous for $4.09 at The Lager Mill. I haven't had the best of luck with the last couple versions of Milkshake Stout I've had, but I thought I would take a chance on a different series from Rochester Mills, so lets see how it goes. 2016 Vintage. Poured from a tall 16ox can into into a snifter.

A- The can looks good, it's got a nice design to it and it's a little eye catching. It poured an amber burn orange color that took on more of an amber color when held to the light and it had a finger and a half worth of creamy light tan head that died down to a thin ring that eventually faded away and it left a little bit of patchy lacing behind. This is a good looking beer, I have no complaints.

S- The aroma starts off with a higher amount of medium sweetness with the bourbon barrel being the first to show up and it imparts some light bourbon, vanilla, oaky and noticeable coconut like aroma. Up next comes a noticeable fruity aromas with some dark fruits showing up and it's followed by a little bit of a noticeable alcohol aroma. Up next comes the malts which impart a caramel malt, caramel, light cocoa, brown bread, bread crust and sweet malt aromas. This beer has a good aroma, the different aspects work well together and it's true to style.

T- The taste seems to be fairly similar to the aroma and it starts off with a higher amount of medium sweetness with the bourbon barrel still being the first to show up and it imparts all the same aspects that it did in the aroma with the coconut showing up more this time and it makes for a nice flavor. Up next comes those dark fruits which are a little lighter than they were in the aroma, but not by much and it's followed by a noticeable alcohol flavor that's just slightly boozy. Up next comes the malts which impart all the same aspects that they did in the aroma with the sweet and caramel flavors being the flavors that stick out the most. On the finish there's hardly any bitterness with a little more sweetness and alcohol taking it's place and it had a nice caramel, sweet malt and bourbon barrel like aftertaste. This is a good tasting beer, the bourbon barrel flavors are really nice and the balance is right where it needs to be.

M- Pretty smooth, pretty crisp, slightly prickly, on the thicker side of being medium bodied with a higher amount of medium carbonation. This beer has a good mouthfeel that works well with it.

Overall I thought this was a good beer and I thought it was a good example of the style, nothing stuck out as being out of place and all the flavors worked well together and they had nice balance. This beer had nice drinkability, one pine can is the perfect amount for me. What I like the most about this beer is the balance, no flavor ever got to be too overpowering and the coconut aspects from the bourbon barrel are very nice. What I like the least about this beer is nothing, there isn't anything about it that I disliked or would change. I would buy this beer again and I would recommend it anyone looking for a barrel aged imperial amber ale. All in all I was happy with this beer and I was a lttle impressed with how coconut forward the bourbon barrel flavors were, it made for a nice barrel aged beer. It's one of my new favorite beers from this brewery and it's a good example of the style. Good job guys, this is one tasty beer, keep up the hard work.

Pour is a hazy amber color into the tulip glass. Some spotty lacing left. I'm just going to bottom line this one: if you like bourbon, this one's okay. Otherwise, it's just hot. I just didn't get any of the amber notes. Total booze. My wife ended up finishing it, since she enjoys it. Not my favorite of the four in the pack. Looks nice in the glass, though.

 

 

 

 

 

Out of the 4 this one was my least favorite. Still not a bad offering. The blend of the bourbon barell flavoring with the base red ale didnt quite go together as well as the other 3 in my opinion.

 

16 ounce can into tulip glass, best before 4/12/2017. Pours slightly hazy deep orange/light copper color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of caramel, brown sugar, coconut, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, brown bread, light roast, herbal, light pepper, and oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, bourbon barrel, and light earthy hop notes; with good strength. Touch of barrel booze appears as it warms. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, coconut, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, brown bread, light roast, herbal, light pepper, and oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/pine bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, coconut, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, brown bread, light roast, and oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, bourbon barrel, and light earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitter/spiciness balance; and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light dryness from bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness, lightly increasing through the glass. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy, and lightly slick/silky/sticky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is well hidden, a small warmth lingering after the finish; with minimal barrel booziness. Overall this is a great barrel aged imperial amber ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, bourbon barrel, and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to sip on for the ABV. A very enjoyable offering.