Batch 10 (Struise / Cabinet Sessions)
The Farmers' Cabinet

Draft at The Boilermaker in Philadelphia, PA.

Pours a dark purplish-plum color that's completely opaque with a one finger off-white head that quickly settles into a thin ring. Spotty lacing left behind.

Sweet boozy aroma with a nice spicy brandy barrel character.  Dry oak and a strong brandy presence slightly overpowering the other notes.  Booze and apple followed by sweet malt and vinous fruit.

Medium bodied with a strong barrel presence up front that lingers over the sweeter notes into a boozy finish.  Dry toasted oak, vanilla and boozy brandy but not overly hot.  The brandy overpowers a bit but as it warms, the sweet malts and vinous fruit notes come out.  Hints of grape, plum and fig lingering into a spicy, dry finish. Really nice when it opens up.

First had: on tap at Farmers' Cabinet, Philly, PA

People in the beer community need to realize something: Cabinet Artisanal is for real. These are some extremely good and important brews that they are cranking out. Pay a few extra bucks and try some. You pay $30-120489 dollars for a bottle of old Cantillon, well, this is just as good if not better and it's right on our home turf.

This is one of four collaboration brews Cabinet did with De Struise. This one was labeled as a quad fermented in red wine barrels and aged in Laird's apple brandy barrels.

Half poured served in a stem glass, dark cola brown with a small off-white ringlet; no lacing, but some oily streaking was going on. Aroma of cocoa, dark fruits, dark malts with a bit of roast. Taste of chewy chocolate chips up front, cocoa powder, plum, red wine, apple skins, dry, earthy. More of the fruit quality comes out as it warms, so don't rush through it. Smooth, with a medium-full body, alcohol is tasted a bit, but not too hot, at a "mere" 9%. Very tasty, very enjoyable.