Heart Made of Soul
Brewery Vivant

16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 11/0/2018. Pours opaque pitch black color with a 1 finger dense and rocky tan head with great retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, orange peel, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, peppercorn, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with light notes of molasses, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, spices, moderate oak barrels, and light-moderate fruity/spicy yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, orange peel, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, peppercorn, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with light notes of molasses, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Mild herbal, floral, grassy, zesty bitterness; and yeast, cinnamon, clove, oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, orange peel, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, peppercorn, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, dark/brown bread/crust light molasses/licorice/dark fruit, smoke, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, spices, moderate oak barrels, and light-moderate fruity/spicy yeast flavors; with a great roasted bitter/sweet, and yeast/oak/spiciness balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, and lightly sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Minimal warming alcohol for 7.5%. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged spiced Belgian stout! All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, spices, moderate oak barrels, and light-moderate fruity/spicy yeast flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly bitter/spicy/drying finish; fantastically soft feel. Perfect balance of rich malts and vibrant spice flavors; with great oak barrel presence/integration, and restrained Belgian house yeast notes. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing experimental style example. Not overwhelming on any aspect.