Port Barrel Aged Abduction
Pipeworks Brewing Co.

The poor man's Utopias. Delicious!

Had at a bottle share, thank you friend! Medium black with brown foam that quickly is abducted away. Tons of dark fruit in the smell: grape, plum, date, amongst others, with licorice, sweeter dark chocolate, and port but subtlety so. Taste is pretty similar, add some caramel, slight coffee, and the port presence grows as it warms, really well balanced. Booze helps the feel in a good way, with viscous smoothness without losing the robust malts. Better than the bourbon BA version!

 

22 ounce bottle into a snifter. Bottled early 2018, had 8/4/18.

Pours near black and opaque, oily looking, with no head and some spotty, soapy cling. Aromas of chocolate, port, malt, grapes, plums, figs, some wine, some caramel, light oak. Smells terrific and the taste is every bit as good. Flavors of port, malt, chocolate, plums, grapes, prunes, figs, oak, some wine and caramel. Very smooth, a great full body, well carbonated.

This one will linger in the memory for a long time. The port barrels are incredible, and there’s so many rich aromas and flavors that are layered and complex, a great feel. A really masterful job by the Pipeworks brewers.

 

 

Huge port, dates, fig, prune, dark chocolate, very light roast, charred oak, caramel

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to the incomparable HIGHPA for this bottle, one amongst a herd of Pipeworks bottles that have headed west over the past few months. Split with my wife.

The pour is black black, with a mocha head that sticks around, at least in ring-and-spot form, forever. The nose is heavy on chocolate & dark fruits; it even smells thick.

Abduction – Port Barrel Aged hits this port-lover right in the brandy feels. The port is strong enough to leave a slight erection, but not strong enough to bludgeon the base stout into a coma. Lovely port that starts with dark berries & plums before the base beer arrives as rich, chocolate, deeply sweet, with just a tingle of alcohol. Oak & ripe grapes (grappa?) on the finish. Decadent. I could have easily drunk the entire big bottle, & ended up singing along with a Glass Tiger album by the end.

What arcane wizardry is this? The marriage of port & stout upon display here is close to perfection. The only reason I can think of why this isn’t in more demand is that people are stupid. Seriously. One of the best beers I’ve had this year, & one that deserves a place among the very best.

 

 

 

 

Drank this 3/24/18; split a bomber with a friend. No notes, this is from memory.

Midnight black appearance.

A rough pour yielded almost no head; minimal lace.

Oak, sweet cherry & mild milk chocolate notes in the nose.

Thick, creamy mouthfeel.

Oak, sweet cherry & milk chocolate flavors up front; mild booze heat emerged as this warmed.

Oak-y & sweet; tasty & unique. Wish I had another bottle...