Skeleton Key - Vanilla
Bellwoods Brewery

2018 batch. I think the earlier versions did not have vanilla, just the Chinese restaurant pantry list of spices.

This one pours a dark black color, with a small white head, and not much lacing.

There's a lot of vanilla on the nose here, even a couple years out from the release. It's sweet, a little bit candy-like, a little bit earthy. I get some cinnamon, black pepper, licorice, and chocolate, too.

I'm not going to pretend that I get every single spice on the ingredients list here. Black pepper and all spice definitely stick out, along with cinnamon and and a dark licorice-like flavor - maybe that's the star anise? I wish I got some of the ginger or the juniper - but they seem to be slightly faded. There's a good dollop of vanilla here - sweet and authentic tasting, adding a big flavor dimension without overwhelming anything. There's a very slight rum barrel spice here, but nothing too big.

This is medium bodied, creamy, and pretty rich, with very little booziness to it.

I'm really surprised at how well this one aged - it's a super unique BA stout in a world of sugary sweet diabetes bombs.

 

Got this from peensteen this past summer

From a 500ml bottle into a snifter
Vintage: 2018
Spiced imperial stout with vanilla
Aged in rum barrels for 1 year

APPEARANCE: Black pour yields a 2+ finger, medium looking, fizzy, noisy tan head with good retention. Black body with hints of carbonation evident. Head slowly recedes to a half wisp and ring, clinging to the glass. Splotchy wisp and ring remain leaving touches of lacing down the glass as it empties.

SMELL: Big nose of rum barrel, brown sugar, vanilla cream, milk and pure chocolate, raisins, licorice, some ginger and hints of cinnamon as well. Spicy with lots of sugary rum and vanilla aromas.

TASTE: Boozy rum, brown sugar with some spicy flavors and milk chocolate up front. Notes of raisins, ginger and cinnamon with some alcohol at the swallow, moving into a bold finish of sugary rum, wood flavors, some ginger and cinnamon character, raisins, milk chocolate and some vanilla cream lingering on the palate. Decent alcohol as well.

PALATE: Medium-fuller body and medium carbonation. Semi-creamy on the palate, goes down smooth with no real burn and finishes somewhat mouth-coating. Solid heat lingers. Good feel.

OVERALL: This is good but not quite as decadent as some of the other batches have been. The rum barrel is a little sharp and woody in the flavor, making it more booze heavy than it has been in the past. That said, it’s still a lovely, enjoyable treat that’s well worth the effort. Skeleton Key is usually out of this world but this rendition remains barely within our stratosphere. Thanks again, peensteen!

 

Got in a BIF from Coronaeus. 500 ml bottle into snifter, bottled in 10/2018. Pours opaque pitch black color with a 2 finger dense and rocky dark tan head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, peppercorn, clove, anise, nutmeg, ginger, juniper, spruce, toffee, vanilla, rum, toasted oak, biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, raisin, cherry, fig, date, smoke, char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Slight barrel booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, spices, rum barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, peppercorn, clove, anise, nutmeg, ginger, juniper, spruce, toffee, vanilla, rum, toasted oak, biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, raisin, cherry, fig, date, smoke, char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Mild herbal, grassy, roast, char bitterness; and cinnamon, peppercorn, rum, oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, spices, toffee, vanilla, rum, toasted oak, biscuit, dark/brown bread/crust, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, spices, rum barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet and spiciness balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, fairly sticky/chalky/tannic, and lightly slick mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 10.9%, with minimal lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is an amazing rum barrel aged spiced imperial stout. All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, spices, rum barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the big ABV, with the mildly bitter/spicy/tannic/drying finish; great soft feel. Perfectly balanced super rich malts, spices, and rum barrel presence/integration; with solid earthy hop presence/balance. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing experimental style example. Not overwhelming on any aspect. One of the best rum barrel aged beers I've had.

Body is hue of an inky dark chocolate bar, completely opaque, topped by a vivacious, sizzling, cocoa head that peters out to a rim within a minute.
Nose is assaulted by aromas of fruitcake, stewed cherries, dates, cinnamon, vanilla. Colour me enticed.
Wow - uniquely silky and unctuous feel, pure luxury. Big dried fruit flavours of dates, prune, raisins - all of it rum soaked and accompanied by vanilla, although there's little sign of the abv until well into the seemingly eternal finish. Even with all that sweetness, there's balancing, rich but soothing chocolate bitterness, as well as that touch of alcohol heat. Enough to provide a semi-dry finish. The chocolate becomes more pronounced over time, like a mexican hot chocolate. It has that touch of spicey heat too, though not distinct. Light carbonation, but a full body. People that like the nitro feel of a Guinness could enjoy this.

What a treat! Absolutely delicious, with impeccable sweet & rich bitter flavours, and delightful feel. Have it for dessert, all on it's own.