6th Anniversary Stout
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

22 ounce bottle into a snifter. Had 11/2/18.

Pours near black and opaque, with a half inch foamy head and some foamy lacing. Aromas of bourbon, malt, coffee, coconut, vanilla, some chocolate, light tobacco, some oak. Similar flavors- bourbon, coffee, malt, vanilla, some chocolate and coconut, light caramel and cocoa, a little tobacco, some oak. Smooth, a very good full body, well carbonated.

The coffee and barrels star, the coconut shows very well. Terrific aroma. It’s a little barrel forward, but still well balanced overall. Really enjoyable.

 

 

This one pours a fairly dark black, with a small head, and not much lacing.

This one smells like roasted malt, piney hops, dark roasted coffee, oak, bourbon, and light smoke.

I was wondering how a barrel aged hoppy milk stout would turn out- I was worried the flavors would clash. Luckily, they do not. The lingering hop flavor after barrel time lends some nice earthy balance to the sweetness provided by the creamy coconut and the chocolatey base. The coffee flavor is also very roasty and slightly smokey. There's not much bourbon itself, but the oak flavor is very present and very nice.

This is medium bodied, fairly creamy, with a good level of carbonation for the style.

Hardywood nearly always slays stouts. It was a treat to be able to try this one.