Absinthe Barrel Aged GFY Stout
Spiteful Brewing

 

 

Pours dark brown almost black with a thin short lived tan head. Smell was of absinthe and lots of black licorice. Taste had the licorice and a touch of mint with some chocolate notes. Slight absinthe burn on the back end - this must've been really hot fresh. Feel was honestly pretty thin - thinner than some porters. Needed more heft and body. Overall a cool beer - I enjoyed it and thought it was well done, but that base beer is just way too thin.

I suspect this beer benefited from some age to allow the absinthe to settle. Also, if you know what absinthe is, you know what to expect with this one - its nothing surprising - and if you like absinthe this is really unique and tasty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Large shared bottle.

Pours thick and dark with a good head.

Aroma - very reminiscent of black jelly beans.

Flavor - again, a pronounced black licorice element with fainter dark roasted grains. Sweet but at an appropriate level.

Overall: recommended.

 

 

 

Pours ink black with a nice finger of creamy brown head that quickly subsides, leaving a ring of foam around the glass but no lacing whatsoever. It's actually kind of a neat trick to watch the residual head slide down the glass after each sip without any adherence.

The name delivers, for sure. Immediately after the pour, I was assaulted by a wave of black licorice, fennel seed, lemongrass, and dat green Nyquil. The flavors are similar, but the stout provides enough sweetness and malt to balance the pungent aromas; no need to pour this absinthe over a sugar cube. The barrel flavors come in at the finish, with a sweet and woody pulpiness reminiscent of chewing on raw sugar cane; the finish also provides hints of grape and dark baker's chocolate. From its intensity and full body, I would have guessed this to be more in the 11-12% than the 8% it is.

Strong enough to be a gimmick beer, but nothing is out of place if you like absinthe and understand what to expect. There is not much subtlety to be found, but what else would you expect from a beer called GFY? Really glad I picked up a bottle of this on a whim back before any ratings had been posted.

 

 

 

 

22 ounce bottle into a snifter.

Pours an opaque, very dark brown, with a quickly dissipating small head, some foamy cling. Smell brings roasted malts, chocolate, mint, some vanilla, some licorice/anise. Taste also leads with roasted malts. More mint and vanilla than the nose, some chocolate, less licorice than the nose, a bit of oak. Light alcohol, some bitterness on the back end. Smooth, creamy, taste lingers on the tongue.

Good effort from Spiteful, the barrel aging adds a lot of flavor and does not detract from the base stout. The absinthe is stronger, earlier into the bottle. A little high on the price point, but well worth a purchase.