Even More Metal
Jester King Brewery

 

 

 

maple bourbon barrel aged imperial stout with in house smoked vanilla beans. i think this would be a better beer without the funky jester king culture. there, i came right out and said it. to do a big stout with evil twin, who is the master of them, is an opportunity to start with a really epic base beer, and i feel like they did that in the mash but not in the ferment. the sourness isnt heavy or anything, but it breaks down the body and interrupts the smoothness, it also makes it feel a little thinner in a way that exposes the alcohol, so this one comes in pretty hot. shiny near black in the glass with an aroma of light campfire smoke, toasted almonds or something nutty, and then a winey bretty funk that seems weird with the maple and the whiskey. i like how the vanilla beans carry the smoke, and one can easily appreciate that unique element in the flavor of this beer, its really different. the roast on the grain doesnt seem to be as dark as it could be, without the bitterness and the depth, like its got as much brown ale as stout character in the mash. the maple is really nice in isolation, woody and high quality and killer of course with all the bourbon it carries with it, but with the acidity and the citrus note in the yeast profile its kind of weird, and it gets weirder as it warms. the whole thing is undeniably unique, but i feel like as much as we enjoyed it, it was a little disjointed and couple be improved if just fermented with a simple english ale yeast or something, but thats not really jester king is it? i bought an extra bottle for the cellar, we will see how this one does over time. for now, file it in the weird and eccentric category.

edit: time has not been amazing to this, 2018 vintage opened about four years old, batch 1. its more sour now, really sharp, and with some of the vinegar properties that their other old wild stouts have, sharpness with otherwise rich flavors never really appeals to me, and it breaks this down a lot. the smoked vanilla is still incredible, and some of the nuance in the big grain bill seems almost more apparent now than it did fresh, which is rad, but the bacterial piece is running away with this, and despite all the body and complexity, its harsh to drink on, stays on the palate forever, and is probably last its prime for most palates, even without any oxidation or flavor fade. not disappointed, i expected this, and its still wildly original and fun, just a small doses thing at this point. again, would love this with a clean ferment...