Dark Spot - Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
Union Craft Brewing Company

 

 

2022 version.10% ABV. Pours black with soapy looking, dark brown head. Only getting dark roasted malts (no barrel) in the aroma. Taste is of charred and roasted malt with a hint of whiskey upon swallowing. Drinks like a much heavier beer. I really liked this one, but it's hard to believe it spent over a year in a barrel. Tastes like an excellent non-barrel aged imperial stout sold at a BA stout price point.

Limited edition of 2580 bottles.

Pour very dark and viscous, minimal fizz and only the tiniest wisp of a nut brown head.

Aroma is pleasantly sharp, charred barley mingling against a surprisingly robust hop profile with just a little bit of barrel-ness to smooth out the booze burn.

Flavor is likewise surprisingly old-school. Not much by way of barrel intensity, but that's not a bad thing. Sometimes it's nice to drink a complex stout that doesn't taste overwhelmingly of vanilla or whiskey. Citrus spice up front, presumably from the cognac barrels, which lends a nice fruit complexity to the bitter grainbill and high-alpha west coast hop blend.

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: This is one of the darkest beers I've ever seen. Pours a very small mocha brown head on a solid black body. Menacing.

Smell: Very strong oak barrel and roasted char character. Very dark chocolate.

Taste: Big flavors. Bright cognac flavors up front, finishes with dry roasted barley. The brightness is a bit surprising and maybe not my personal favorite, but it's well executed and transitions smoothly to the dark roast.

Feel: Thick, warming, and filling. This is a heavy beer. Light carbonation.

Overall: Heavy, big, dark. This one is an acquired taste. Using cognac barrels was an inventive choice, but I think if this was aged in more standard bourbon barrels it could be a standout.

Pours a pitch-black color. The head is a finger high and tan in shade. It's such a soft and creamy head, and retention is pretty good, though not amazing. A thin yet fairly even streak of lacing sticks to the glass. In general, though, this is an absolutely beautiful stout.

This aroma comes across like it's deeply roasted - so much roast in fact, that it gives off a distinct umami character. In general, it reminds me of a European stout, as the focus is on bittersweet dark cocoa, smoke, subtle piny hops, and of course, the aforementioned roast. Oak is subtle, but not nonexistent. In particular, I get just a hint of the cognac the oak casks once held. Rye whiskey doesn't come through spectacularly. Still, this nose isn't bludgeoning in any manner, rather it's nuanced and contemplative. And better for it!

In general, I pick up more oak character than the aroma suggested. Spicy, citrusy cognac really seems to shine through at first; rye whiskey is far more subtle. As it warms up, some of the malt nuances rear their lovely heads. Indeed, the deeply roasted character manages to poke through with bitter dark chocolate, soy sauce (not in a negative way), cream, peat smoke, and...uh...roast. I've said roast a lot, haven't I? Well, this is a roasty stout, so I stand by what I said. The finish really brings the cognac forward. It's not perfectly cohesive in its balance and structure, but it's fairly close to being perfectly cohesive, and that's what ultimately matters.

Soft and creamy in texture, it manages to conceal the alcohol almost perfectly while still allowing some alcoholic nuanced to be displayed. It's a tad too slimy in texture if I could niggle. Carbonation is fairly low in general - just enough to propel the flavors onto the palate and quickly down the gullet.

An excellent barrel-aged stout in general. There are no serious flaws, just meaningless nitpicking (I could have used a bit more rye whiskey flavor, the texture could be ever-so-slightly creamier). I will say: this one is better suited for fans of European imperial stouts like myself. Regardless, it's a powerful barrel-aged stout that manages to stand out from the horde of faceless bourbon bombs, and I highly recommend seeking it out.