What Happened?
Anchorage Brewing Company

 

 

This is appropriately named, because the barrels are incredible, with depth in booze, wood and barrel candy flavors that anchorage excels in, here especially vanillins, but then there is a pronounced harsh bitterness before exuding bitter roast and nuttiness. Not metalic but close, wrost of all those wonderful barrels are smothered, indeed what the hell happened?!? Feel reflects the sharp cutting bitterness and booze warmth at war, here coconut which wasn't detected before, is felt to smooth out somewhat. Smell tells of a beer that could have been: deep barrels meeting vanilla, coconut, dark chocolate, roasted malt, nuts and nougat in a simultaneously rich and rustic way.

these are getting absurd, and i dont just mean the price, this was like 70 bucks or something for a little bottle, i guess if you can command that, but it seems a bit excessive, or a lot excessive, but here i was buying one, so whatever, i feel like whenever i see an anchorage beer i cant miss it, and thats the case with this one too, and im glad i didnt, although i was also glad to be sharing the bottle a number of ways, this is so sugary that its mandatorily a small doses thing, and the truth is that this one significantly less well refined than their best beers, barrel forward and delicious as it still is of course. syrupy deep brown with no head and legs that seem to permanently stain the glass, near still, as thick as they come, and sort of still visibly hazy and sedimented, doesnt look as clean and tidy as it could, size perhaps is the point with this. all the oak in the world in aroma and flavor, enough malt sweetness left over riding the vanilla that this is on the palate forever, tons and tons of natural vanilla, love that part of it, if it wasnt so real and high end it would be way too much, but it isnt, even at temperature and as intense as it is. the alcohol is off the charts, and with the sugar that slows this thing to a crawl, not to mention the lack of carbonation, but i get big chocolate here, cooked banana, good espresso, and more of the coconut than the pistachio, which is what sold me this beer, definitely wanted more of that nut thing, but its natural in here, this might be better without the coconut, it overtakes this as soon as it warms up a little and its at the expense of the more subtle pistachio, still there though, and thats cool, so nice with the roast and the coffee notes. this is stuck to my teeth and tongue, vanilla for miles and miles, in my burps, even the next morning after i brush my teeth, molasses and cigar, it just hangs on and on and on. i do kind of like all the body but not the sugar and the booze, its over the top, like a snifter of cognac or something to have only in very small doses. lingering coconut, really sexy. this is cool, the coconut is great and the pistachio makes it, but it feels just slightly forced and sloppy from these guys. worthwhile still, but i would not rank this among their greatest offerings. gnarly price point, holy cow.

 

poured from a gold-waxed 375mL bottle into a TG DBA tumbler. pours a silky but thick black with a few bubbles that fizz away immediately. bourbon barrel, vanilla, coconut and chocolate on the nose. taste imparts heavier flavors of oak, earthy nuts, barrel char, bourbon and sweet chocolate, vanilla and coconut. thick, full mouthfeel. these anchorage barrel-aged stouts are a real treat - literally and figuratively. the pistachios play second fiddle to the vanilla and coconut, and even the barrel here. they don’t distract from anything but they also don’t add a whole lot either. which is fine by me. perhaps they’re just not as strong of a flavor as hazelnuts (which the last anchorage BA stout i had had hazelnuts in the mix). it’s decadent and rich and tasty though. really enjoyed it.