Liquid Spiritual Delight - Heaven Hill Barrel-Aged
2nd Shift Brewing

Look - black thick syrup, nice lacing
Smell and taste - chocolate caramel and a lot of barrel
Feel - full body with a lighter carbonation
Overall - this was very tasty!

 

Barrel Aged Liquid Spiritual Delight Heaven Hill 2024 from 2nd Shift Brewing. 12 fl oz can, received in a trade with @Not2quick. Reviewed 22/11/24 (Review 3398). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Side of can stamped “PACKAGED ON 5/8/24”. Stored at 34 degrees at home. Served at 56.4 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 60.6 degrees F.
Appearance – 3
First pour – Ruby Brown (SRM 24), clear.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, Ruby Brown at the bottom edge.
Head: Average (Maximum 1.5 cm, aggressive center pour), sienna, high density, initially fizzy. Quickly collapsing to a 0.2 cm crown constantly renewed by carbonation and a thin, partial cap.
Lacing – None, as anticipated at 11.7 % ABV.
Aroma – 4.25 – Distinct sweet cocoa aroma with a hint of caramel and weak raspberries - no yeast, no hops, no bourbon, no barrel. No ethanol (11.7 % ABV according to the label).
Flavor – 4.25 – Begins slightly sweet with cocoa and raspberries. No oakiness, but subtle hints of bourbon. Subdued caramel as it warms. No yeast, no hops. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Initially, barely noticeable gastric warming.
Palate – 4 – Medium: weakly syrupy; soft carbonation.
Style: Follows the style guidelines as loosely condensed by BA.
Final impression and summation: 4.25 Looks like virtually every other American Imperial Stout on the market. However, the lack of in-your-face bourbon in both aroma and flavor is a pleasant change from most BBAs. I like this. If that’s what Heaven Hill brings to the barrel, I’ll have to try bourbon again. Thanks Justin!

Barrel aged Imperial Stout. One thing notable from this beer was that, from it's twelve ounce aluminum can, it open with absolutely zero headspace. It poured a thick, black, almost syrup-like liquid. Very slim, almost non-existent head. It resembles a motor oil. The taste aroma has a boozy, fruity smell....think dark berries soaked in a strong brandy. Underneath the booze and fruit notes is a solid and thick malt scent. Not stout, but like an old-style barleywine. There is also a woody note, from the barrel aging I suspect. The taste is intense...very fruity at first, with an intense warmth. I get lots of berries....raspberry, blackberry, mulberry, and more. There is a high residual sweetness, some malt flavors, and a low-level, but omnipresent, bourbon flavor. The finish is lasting. Thick and dense in body. Lots of experiences in this glass. Maybe more than enough, but it's interesting.

poured from a 12oz can into a perennial snifter. pours a thick and oily black with some mocha brown swirls and thicker mocha brown collar. nose is bourbon-soaked fudge, vanilla and even caramel. taste follows. not overly sweet just perfectly chocolaty with a nice bourbon finish. thick mouthfeel. amazing barrel-aged imperial stout.

Pours black with no foam, instead coated by a layer of fatty oil. Oil clings to the glass after a modest swirl. This oil gives the impression this beverage will be heavy. Aroma is thick roasty and toasty malts with brownie batter, fudge, and mild dark chocolate baked into every corner. As those notes fade, barrel, oak, and char become more apparent. Despite letting this pour warm over the course of several hours, bourbon never disrupts the flow and refrains from adding a spike of boozy alcohol. Of those latter, barrel related notes, oak really shines through - adding an intense woodiness to the finish. Flavor profile is back to brownie batter and fudge, forming a yin and yang. Roasty and toasty malts sit underneath, along with very mild dark fruit notes. The latter start to show up a little more as the beer warms, but are never dominate, more of a flash and then gone. Barrel adds a swell of complexity alongside bourbon, leather, and char - though none of these shine out of proportion, allowing the imperial stout qualities to shine throughout. Mouth feel is thick. As the oily look may suggest, the beer drinks rather flat and still, with a light softness around the corners. Overall, a robust stout that utilizes barrel aging to enhance rather than distract. Really wonderful to sip.

Served in a 15.5oz Spiegelau tulip from a 12oz can.