Sinister Sister - Barrel Aged
Pike 51 Brewing Company

8900th review! 22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 6/2017. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and rocky khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice dense foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, hazelnut, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with light notes of coconut, toffee, dark fruit, molasses, smoke, oak char, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, hazelnut, cocoa, moderate bourbon barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, hazelnut, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with light notes of coconut, toffee, dark fruit, molasses, smoke, oak char, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Light herbal, grassy, woody, roast, charred bitterness; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, hazelnut, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, biscuit, dark/brown bread/crust, light dark fruit/smoke/char, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, hazelnut, cocoa, moderate bourbon barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet, and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and fairly sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 9.7%, with zero barrel booze lingering after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged flavored imperial porter. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, hazelnut, cocoa, moderate bourbon barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; dangerously smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly bitter/tannic/drying finish; great soft feel. Fantastic balance of rich malts, hazelnut, cocoa nibs, and bourbon barrel presence/integration; solid earthy hops and mild fruity yeast. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding style example. Not a ton of barrel, but adequate. Not overwhelming on any aspect.