Maple Bourbon Barrel Imperial Porter
Nimble Hill Brewing Company

32oz Crowler into a goblet. Picked up at Sabatinis in Exeter PA 2 months ago. Was hoping to share this one with friends, but no takers, and it's the last beer in the fridge. Gonna be a long slow sipper at 15.0abv. (in the end 3 1/2 hours)

But first, a tale of how this beer came to be, according to Nick the Wise, bartender at Sabatinis. All hail Nick the Wise.

Yeah verily, some years ago, Sabatinis and 16th Ward bar went in together to purchase a used bourbon barrel. They filled said barrel with maple syrup, and sat on it (not literally) for some time. They then bottled the bourbon maple syrup and sold it. When the barrel was empty, they sent it over to Nimble Hill Brewery in nearby Tunkannock, who brewed up a batch of Imperial Porter, filled the barrel, and aged it for 4 years. The barrel was then returned to Sabatinis, to unleash on an unsuspecting public.

Which is where I came in......

Pours a brownish black, leaving the look of a classic imperial stout/porter. Black as night body with initially an impressive coffee with a dash of cream body. This quickly fizzes out to a ring and faint covering, then nothing, hence no lacing.

The aroma is strongly of bourbon, with a hint of dried fruit. The booze somehow manages to smell "smooth".

Upon tasting, it's hard to find the maple syrup or porter amidst the bourbon, but my guess is that the syrup, porter, & aging have really taken the harsh edge of the bourbon, which comes off as very smooth, warm, & boozy. In a way, it suggests a RIS. Now I'm not really a big fan of bourbon beers, but this one doesn't rip the the lining of your mouth off. Inviting might be a good word for it.

The mouth is closer to full than medium, finish (and to be honest, the beginning and middle) is bourbon, but it's smooth, and really rolls nicely around the tongue.

Overall, the booze is the dominant factor here, which to me at least, is not usually a good thing in a beer. This one however, is smooth and warm enough to be an enjoyable sipper over the course of several hours. If the maple syrup was more prominent, and the dried fruit on the nose came through, I probably would have rated it higher.

I admit to cheating on Beer Advocate and checked in with Uptappd. This beer hasn't been mentioned since late June, and should probably be considered retired, unless Lindo at Sabs decides to do it all again.