52.5 HZ
Triptych Brewing

 

poured from a 16oz crowler into a snifter. pours an oily black with a thin, brown foam head. dark brown around the edges but mostly pitch black. aromas of strong, almost harsh barrel heat and vanilla frosting. flavor is packed to the brim with vanilla-frosted chocolate cake, oak, whiskey-soaked chocolate with a dash of nuttiness to it. it’s not a vanilla bomb by any means (which i really appreciate), but if i didn’t know any better i’d never guess it had pistachios in it. it’s still wonderful tasting and better tasting than smelling. it’s got a slick, full mouthfeel with a nice carb level on it. a really delicious barrel-aged stout offering from Triptych!

12oz can poured into Deep Woods VSOJ glass; poured at fridge temperature.

canned on date of 10/06/2021. really cool can art of a humpback whale breaching the surface of the ocean.

Appearance: pitch black bodied stout that looks pretty thick while pouring in the glass. Thin cap of medium brown head that drops fairly quick to a ring around the glass.

Smell: chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, and oak. Maybe a hint of nutty pistachio, but its faint.

Taste: chocolate, vanilla, coconut, oak, smooth bourbon all really well balanced together. Hint of tobacco, leather and molasses in the middle. finishing with a little bit of rye whiskey spice mixed with baking spices. Seems like those Willet barrels are also adding a nice little extra layer of barrel character that I am really digging in this stout. Perhaps a nut richness is hiding in there from the pistachios, but I am not getting it distinctly. Either way this is really tasty stout and I could care less if I can taste the pistachios or not.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied stout with lower levels of carbonation. Much lighter bodied stout than the ABV would suggest. Slight booze note in the finish, but its pleasant and to be expected.

Overall: Expectation are fairly high following my discovery of Force way beyond our control earlier this year. I am fully on board with these Triptych stouts. They are exceptionally well done and do not disappoint at all. Triptych has one hell of a barrel program in my opinion. I give the slight edge to Forces Way Beyond Our Control as the better stout, but I am still wavering a bit on that statement because I really love rye whiskey and the little smack of Willet barrels popping in this stout is just awesome. It seals the deal. A great sipping stout / barrel aged dessert stout that doesn't go full blown pastry. Balanced and really nice complexity that does not get boring through the entire 12oz of the can.