Frisky Bat
CAUTION: Brewing Co.

what an intensely flavored brew. takes robust porter to the next level with a huge heap of smoked malt, and with this added alcohol, its a really powerfully flavorful beverage. definitely one of my favorites ive ever had from caution, who you dont hear to much about for how prolific they seem to be with their beer... nice black and hostile to light appearance, with a sudsy head that relaxes very slowly. hints of a whiskey barrel in the nose, but its really pretty dominated by the grain. coffee black bitterness, ashy almost burnt intensity, carbon minerality, and the smoke, which is as if from a live fire, growing and continuous, short of overpowering, but aggressive to say the least. the flavor is a lot like the nose, but there is introduced here a pleasant vanilla sweetness that must come from the whiskey. it really is needed to balance the prominence of the dark malt, especially the smoke. the barrel char works with the burnt grain character, and the result is a remarkably deep and nuanced beer. it gets a little harsh with the smoke in the end, and the booze really presents itself as it warms, but i like this one a lot. i guess they do it slightly differently every year, and i have not experienced the others, but if i were them, i would consider making this a full time offering. very few porters of any kind match this level of abyssal grain property. big fan. where do you buy this? i have never seen it in a liquor store...

Bottle label data: WHISKEY BARREL AGED SMOKED ROBUST PORTER 33 IBU

Nearly black body; thin yet creamy, lasting, light tan colored head. Cocoa aroma with traces of alcohol and smoked grain. Rich, dark roasted grain notes; dark chocolate; hints of vanilla flavor; some booze. Heavy body; rich and creamy on the palate; residual sugar sweetness with semi-dry finish.

This beer offers a rich and flavorful treat to the taste buds. The ABV blends in well with the dark roasted grains and whiskey barrel aging. The smoke character is barely discernible in the smell and is lacking in the flavor but the overall taste is most satisfying without this element. Big, bold, nice depth and good complexity.