Ralphius - Apple Brandy/Bourbon
Free Will Brewing Co.

 

Sampling a 2023 bottle of this beer at cellar temp. 375 ml bottle size purchased during Ralphius release day.
Pouring into my snifter the beer pours a jet black color and no light passes through the glass. A dense beige head of 1 cm foams up and fades slowly to an edge layer soon after I finish pouring the beer. This edging remains throughout the tasting and gives some scattered lattice after a swirl or sip from the glass.
Aroma on this beer features some dark fudge, a bit of bourbon and some fruity apple too. I do get fusol booze on the nose as well, but no hop character.
First sip reveals a medium body with fairly smooth texture and soft gentle carbonation. Beer does leave a bit of stickiness on my lips after each sip.
Flavor follows the nose advertisements, I get some fudge and bourbon notes with a bit more roasted malt here and some fruity apple with caramel notes too. Booze is present with black peppery bite, but not a lot of warmth. Again no hop character present on this beer.
Another tasty Ralphius variant, Ive enjoyed almost everyone of these beers over the past two years or so, this one is solidly in the win column.

Matte black with a half finger of creamy-looking, dark mocha foam that lasts a good while for this series before settling into a soupy crown.

Definite apple in the nose, with some light roasted malts, leather, chocolate and vanilla behind.

Caramel, chocolate, marshmallow and strong alcohol heat hit much harder in the taste. Some roasted malt peaks through again, too, and a nutty component. There’s a ghost of the apple present, but it’s buried, in particular, but the heat.

Slick, medium-bodied or better feel with tight carbonation.

One of the boozier examples from a series known for putting hair on one’s chest. The apple interplay with the base isn’t my favorite, but it’s still fun to try.

The apple brandy is subtle, most noticeable at the exhale, regular BA Ralphius is at the helm. Lots of deep, dark roast and luscious bourbon accented by faint cinnamon and vanilla. Another great Ralphius.

Pours deep, dark brown. Aroma is a bit light. Subtle notes of oak & even less apple. Taste is much, much more intense. Strong notes of roastiness & bitterness with the sweetness of bourbon, apple brandy & vanilla. Mouthfeel is full. Great Ralphius variant.

Wow, this is packed with complexity and big, bold flavors. Both spirit forward and offset by a massive stout base, every barrel aged note (whiskey, wood, subtle apple, vanilla, and tobacco) is countered by the anticipated Russian imperial characteristics, roasty tones, and an assertive bitterness that lingers into the finish and balances out the sweetness here. Body is medium full, with medium low carbonation, a touch of syrupiness in the mouth but no stickiness in the end. The nose is maybe a little indistinct; again the apple is quite subtle, But I do get a distinct woodyness that’s appealing.

In the end you have a huge sipper that presents with rounded sweetness but concludes on a bitter, somewhat drying note. This is serious stuff and a far cry from all the candified pastry junk on the market.