Blessed
Anchorage Brewing Company

Part of me wanted to age this for a long time. And then things in my life recently made me feel we should do what we can while we can, so maybe I should drink the hugest ranked beer I have in my collection.

It’s sweet, flavorful, balanced, and boozy.

Dark, very brown edging, oil sheen top.

Strong sweet notes of coconut, vanilla, toasted dark malt, and bourbon barrel so strong it can burn your nose hair.

Taste is a duel between strong booze of the bourbon barrel and the sweetness of the coconut and vanilla.

Feel is the weak point here. It’s maybe too much of a booze burn, and it’s a bit sticky and thick. I’m thinking aging it would have helped, and it’s my fault for that.

But I wanted to try this beer, and I did. Glad I did. It’s big on flavor and booze and very enjoyable for the attempt.

 

Way to sweet for my palate - but I feel very blessed that I had the opportunity to try it

 

 

2021 editiion, drank May 2022. So sweet, even the small bottle was a lot to drink solo. Ten Years was much more balanced.

 

 

 

Pours squid ink black and settles in the glass like a black velvet cloak, stopping all light, sitting under a sudsy dark tan head that dissipates quickly, as expected with a beer of this gravity. Absolutely gorgeous imperial stout.

I don’t know if the nose of a beer can be decadent, but this beer’s nose is, with rich cocoa and vanilla notes up front, some dark cherries, and a sledgehammer of oak and barrel notes.

The taste is led by the vanilla and cocoa notes, and they are rich and chewy, moving into the dark cherry flavors to cut the sweetness a bit, and then finishing with the oak and a welcome boozy warming from the three bourbon barrels featured in this beer.

The mouthfeel is as rich and decadent as a gooey bourbon soaked brownie sitting in a dip of vanilla ice cream. I can’t imagine a more perfect rendering of a BA imperial stout.

If Woodford Reserve, Willet and Heavenly Hill were to get together and make a beery baby, they would be so blessed to have this stout. Slumbering away for extended aging these three barrels give Anchorage Brewing a love child that can compete with the best.

Jet black and pouring like inky tar, Blessed pours with a luscious, ominous and velvety pour. While shy on froth the overwhelming scent of molasses, chocolate, whisky, oak, coconut and cream align with stronger scents of coffee and campfire. Once on the tongue, the immense sweetness of molasses, brown sugar and fudge carry and nearly brownie-batter taste with those sweeter bourbon barrels playing a maple and coconut sweetness.

As the sweeter flavors swirl on the tastebuds, notions of mound and almond joy pop off of the middle palate while the malts remain juicy and plush. Trailing into a smooth espresso, cappuccino character, the late taste brings out all of those coconut, toasted oak, vanilla, cherry and savory smoke to have the session trending warm, sultry and savory set of pleasantries.

Full bodied, pillowy and fortified with nearly port-like proportions, the stout is simply magical. It pushes the boundaries in what is a fully malted imperial stout before pushing into the pastry realm. The warmth of whisky is soothed with caramel malts, vanilla and coconut and balances the sheer malts with utter ease.

Top tier.

05/20/23 bottle @ Mimi’s house AVL

 

2022 bottle, thick like motor oil, black, sweet, boozy, opaque, chocolate, dark fruits. Minimal carbonation that is appropriate for the style. Smooth barrel.

2022 Vintage. Blessed is an excellent beer that has a rich, full-bodied taste of dark chocolate and vanilla / marshmallow. Nice thick viscosity and mouthfeel, with a strong chocolate aroma, and easy to drink and enjoy. One of the better beers I've had from Anchorage. I think it's a little overrated on this list, but that's not really a slight - probably more preference than anything. I fail to see how anyone could be disappointed with a pour of Blessed.