Bourbon Barrel Aged Hellfighter (Cafe De Olla)
Karbach Brewing Co.

 

Hellfighter pours rich and dark looking. Smells great with the chocolate, coffee and sweet molasses aromas. Taste is very chocolatey and sweet coffee flavors with some dark fruit like dates, prunes and raisins. It feels thin in the mouth and easy to drink. Overall probably the best of the Barrel-Aged Hellfighters I've had the pleasure to taste.

 

Appearance: Deep amber in color, opaque before a strong light. A small, fine-beaded tan head crowns the body, but soon fades to a dusting of foam, with a circlet of bubbles about the glass wall. The lacing is thin and finely-beaded, but leaves a pronounced ring.

Aroma: Massive aroma of dark chocolate and mellow roasted espresso beans, the aroma has more of a presence than the taste of many ales. Strong and sweet alcohol presents, but without any harshness, complimenting the aroma well.

Taste: Opens with a strong wave of dark chocolate-coated espresso beans. Soon after follows a surge of sweet, cordial-like alcohol. As with the aroma, the alcohol is quite pleasing, and offers a mellow warming note. Later in the taste, the dark chocolate and espresso beans vie for supremacy, but in a gracious manner. The taste finishes with the lingering aftertaste of dark chocolate-coated espresso beans.

Mouth feel: Full and very rich, with a consistency like that of whole milk, and just a kiss of carbonation.

Drinkability/Notes: Absolutely superb, just the archetype of a dessert beer, and indeed of a beer crafted with care. It would pair superbly with rich chocolate desserts. My only regret is that I didn't acquire a number of bottles of this, when I had the opportunity.

Presentation: Packaged in a custom eleven point two ounce brown glass bottle with a pry-off crown, served in a Save the World Brewing teku at the Lake House.

 

 

 

Look: Deep brown with a small tan head that fizzle down to nothing
Smell: espresso beans, dark chocolate, Dark malt, toffee
Taste: like a rich dark chocolate covered espresso bean, very rich and deep flavors.
Feel: Full bodies, feel like a think beer you could chew on. I very much like this.
Overall: this is like the richer, more complex, more full version of karbach's "Bourbon Barrel Aged Hellfighter (Single Origin)". Maybe it's the different coffee choice or a longer barreling, but this is more mature better version of that beer - and I still like that beer.