Cuvée Blend (2022)
3 Sheeps Brewing

I believe I picked this up at Casanova in Hudson in 2022. This beer is a blend of 23% RIS, 18% Barleywine, 18% Belgian Quad, and 41% Imperial Stout from the bottle label. It is aged with figs and molasses. The parts were aged in bourbon barrels (RIS, Barleywine, Imperial Stout) and rye whiskey barrels (Quad). It is served at room temp.

There was a bit of smoke when popping the top. The beer looked like it was a thick pour from the bottle. The color is pitch black, even when held up to the light. The head that formed on the first pour was 3 finger, and brown. It looks a bit frothy. The retention wasn't the best, but not too surprising considering the alcohol content. There's no lacing on the glass as the head dissipates.
The nose leans toward the imperial stout/RIS. It smells more like one than a barleywine or a quad, though hints of them are there. Lots of fig, plum, raisin, caramel, toffee, chocolate, molasses, and brown sugar. Very complex aroma.
Oh, wow. The flavors of all the parts are trying to come into play here, and they are fighting for the top, but I would say the Imperial Stout/RIS wins here. Now while the competition is fierce, they competitors are very friendly and work well together. I get so much fig, plum, raisin, dates, caramel, toffee, chocolate, brown sugar, and molasses in the mix. Since it's aged with figs and molasses, I can see why they seem so powerful in the mix of tasty flavors.
The body seems thin at first, but gets thicker as it lingers in my throat. There's a hint of a soft creamy feeling, and There's a bit of a burn from the alcohol that hits on the back.
Damn! I am so glad I bought this. It is so delicious and very well made. 3 Sheeps really know what they're doing.

Pours the color and clarity of cola with a loose, mocha-colored head that quickly disperses into a soapy ringlets and a fizzy band around the shoulders. Noses expresses roast, cocoa, vinous notes and a hint of spirits. Taste follows nose - some molasses comes forth in the flavor profile, as well as burnt brown sugar. The barrel-aging is present, but not particularly forward. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with a bit of fizziness to the carbonation. Overall, a very nice imperial stout that isn’t overly adjunct forward.

Matte black body with a finger of tan foam. Nose features anise, barley, raisin, molasses, baker's chocolate, earth, leather, rye, and various barrels with darker woods. Taste is much the same but sweeter: caramel, fig, and brown sugar replace anise, raisin, and leather. Medium body with good malt and barrel but not overly boozy, but is chewy.

Pours relatively thin from the bomber for the age and ABV, but consistent with other similar 3 Sheeps beers. Plum, cherry cordial and cola on the nose. Brown sugar, strong fig, roasted malts, light vanilla, hints of leather from the barleywine on the palate. Somewhat high carbonation, or at least the impression of such from some bright cola and root beer botanicals that give some balancing acidity.

 

22 oz bottle poured into a tulip

A- Black with a small tan head.

S- Chocolate, toffee, figs/dark fruits, caramel, whiskey, oak, touch of licorice.

T- Toffee, chocolate, figs, dark fruits, caramel, oak, hints of vanilla, whiskey, hints of licorice.

M- Smooth, medium to full body.

O- A great cuvée that’s is very easy to drink. Was thinking it would be more stout heavy but the Quad and Barleywine really shine in this.

 

 

 

The look is dark matter infinite black. Luscious brown foam that quickly dissipates. The smell is very strong with milk chocolate, graham cracker, barley wine malt/sweetness, fudge, bourbon, fig, and molasses. The first sip is a rush of flavor. Barley wine jumps to the forefront, the sweetness of the Belgian quad follows, along with milk chocolate, bourbon, rye bread, with bitterness at the end. The mouthfeel is oily, thick, with a lot of carbonation, but smooth. Overall, this is better than last year's version, and it is quite unique, but I may just prefer any one of the base beers on their own.

Poured black with a brown head that remained at the surface. At the nose I smelled like it all: stout, Barleywine, and quad; with notes of dark fruits, cocoa, and bourbon. The taste was exceptional; toffee, bitter cocoa, figs, and bourbon throughout. As well as bitter hops. No alcohol but the whiskey became more pronounced as it warmed at little. It was a very easy sipper, not too sweet nor too bitter. Not quite full-bodied but very smooth and silky. Overall, an amazingly executed cuvée blend!