Colourant
Perennial Artisan Ales

Obsidian black with absolutely no head to its silky surface.

Whoa, no chocolate added but it gives me big chocolate syrup vibes, though equally as bold of coconut.

Boozy yet rich, it's a good pastry combo.

Drank from a 750ml 1pt 9.4 fl oz lime green wax dipped bottle purchased on Tavour
2024 Vintage
Served in a tulip

The beer poured an oily and slick, medium-full bodied, near pitch black hue. A touch thinner than I anticipated. The liquid was topped by a small, frothy, khaki colored crown that quickly dissolved. There was no lacing whatsoever, but some clear drippy legs trickled down the sides of the glass.

The aroma was super rich, fragrant and complex. Cinnamon came through strong. Loads of vanilla too. There was a punchy but smooth bourbon quality as well. Nice rich, molasses-like sweetness too. A subtle, savory dark fruit presence emerged as the beer warmed. The coconut also made its presence known. Later, the bourbon notes intensified.

The flavor profile was similar to the nose and equally impressive. Big coconut presence up front. Cinnamon appeared as the beer moved along the palate. Loads of boozy, bourbon-y warmth too. There was a big vanilla presence in the center. Nice rich chocolate syrup presence here as well. Bourbon notes also came through strong. Some roasted malt character was noticeable on the back end. The beer finished with more roasted malt notes and lingering oaky barrel character.

The mouthfeel was medium-full bodied. A touch thinner than I anticipated but still super oily and slick. The liquid contained a finely beaded, zippy effervescence that fluffed up really nicely on the palate.

While Colourant is a sweet, adjunct-infused pastry stout, the barrels and booze really helped to balance out this beer nicely. All in all, this is similar in many ways to Perennial’s Barrel-Aged Abraxas but, in my opinion, better.

 

 

Honestly this came across as a more sugary ba abraxas. No peppers to cut the cinnamon and vanilla, instead coconut adds more saturation. So the smell gets some of the barrel character more, taste the sweetness dominates instead. Feel is sugary and full, more cool than warm overall, chewy. Looks the part with opaque black body and a tan head with thick lazy lacing.

 

Poured from a big bottle at fridge temp. I missed the warning about coconut flakes and got a bunch in the glass. Scooped them out so all is good! Pours a very thick and viscous black with faint head. The nose is incredible. Chocolate, vanilla, marshmallow cream, coconut, cinnamon, cashews. Basically as described. Not really picking up any barrel on the nose.

The taste is excellent, and follows the nose nicely. Cinnamon punches first, with coconut and milk chocolate following. Pastry stout at its finest. Vanilla, slight molasses, pie crust, and an ever-so-slight hint of roasted malts. Maybe a hint of coffee grounds. Some barrel, but it's minimal.

Mouthfeel is super thick and heavy. Sweet aftertaste. Lovely stout overall. Couldn't drink more than a glass.

Dark pour with medium viscosity. When th ebeer settles, you're greeted with a handful of coconut floaters lazily making their way around the motionless liquid. Hardly any agitated head buildup.

The nose features cinnamon almost exclusively at first. After a few moments, notes of Mounds bars follow closely as dark chocolate and coconut make their way to the forefront to create a symphony of as-advertised pastry aromatics.

The palate again comes on strong with cinnamon, this time carrying the chocolate notes with it a bit closer. That said, a lot more coconut hits a lot sooner than on the nose. With a touch of bitterness and an oily texture, the two combine for a great balance of baking spice and coconut macaroons. The vanilla in the background does well not only to bolster the comparable notes from the coconut, but also mellows the cinnamon just enough so that it's not overpowering. The cinnamon sugar and oaky barrel integration that lingers into the next sip really leaves you with Cinnamon Toast Crunch vibes.

Medium-full mouthfeel; fully-coating and very sticky. While the barrel didn't integrate a whole lot into the nose or palate overall, the boozy warmth is really felt on the back end of this; very warm and with just a touch of residual bitterness.

 

poured from a safety yellow-waxed 750mL bottle into a perennial snifter. pours fairly pitch black with no foam but in its place is a thick layer of coconut flakes / floaties. on the nose i get cinnamon, vanilla and cinnamon whiskey most prominently on the nose and in the taste but also chocolate and coconut as it warms. the vanilla beans help with the chocolate flavors and the coconut isn’t massively sweet, i think in large part due to the cinnamon. really good flavor profile though. thick, full mouthfeel with a coconut slick finish to it. this was awesome.

L: Pours black, motor oil. Coconut flakes in the pour. No appreciable head, lacing, or retention.

S: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and sweet chocolate, vanilla, and slight malt.

T: Very sweet. Some bourbon barrel, chocolate, cinnamon, and vanilla. Liquified dessert. Hint of dark, candied fruit. Some coconut as well.

F: Full-bodied. Thick, syrup-like mouthfeel. No carbonation.

O: Very sweet, nearly cloying. Sugar bomb. Needs more bourbon barrel or coffee to balance out. A fine beer but needs more balance. With Perennial's track record, I've got no doubt they will improve on this iteration.