In the Current Fashion
Free Will Brewing Co.

Actually a pinky or so of head, which surprised me a bit. Doesn't immediately disappear either. Not that it hangs out long, but yeah, you know. I smell the apple brandy barrel well before I ever get my nose near the glass. I didn't even realize this was aged in a brandy barrel till just now. I just assumed it was bourbon. Not sure I would have bought it if I was better informed. Maybe it will be good, though. It's big, burley stout and apple brandy on the nose. Some cinnamon, too, though I'm not sure I would have picked that out were it not written on the label. Vanilla bean and graham cracker are absent on my sniffer. Smells good, interesting and different. Taste is all apple up front, cinnamon and graham cracker on the back end and then more apple in aftertaste land. The cinnamon is nice and plays well with both the apple brandy and the stout base. Big and bold flavor profile, but the alcohol is well-hidden. Thick and slick mouthfeel with very low carbonation. This is pretty good, but I wonder if I'll still think so in an hour or so when I'm near the bottom of the glass. For fans of apple, that's for sure. It's also quite sweet and may end up being a bit much for my tastes.

 

500 ml bottle

pours jet black, with thick tan colored head. great head retention. aroma of roasted malt, dark chocolate, big apple brandy. The cinnamon and graham cracker is very mild. taste is similar - I wasn't sure if the apple brandy was going to work with the stout base, but it does. very smooth, no boozeness either from the barrel or the 14% abv. thick, full bodied, slick mouthfeel.