Death Knell
Standard Brewing

really neat imperial stout here, blended from heaven hill bourbon barrels after around two years of ageing, so much to like about this one, i think it was my favorite beer we had at standard. i love the abv in this range for the style, doesnt need to be 12% abv to have a ton of flavor and depth, and this is just so much more approachable, no body or smoothness or complexity is sacrificed at all in this range. the beer is super mature too, oaken and whiskey forward in the nose, vanilla and coffee suggestions from the barrel and the roasted barley respectively, but its not too dessert forward either, despite caramel and chocolate notes as well. the residual sugar is modest, and the layers of flavor unfold impressively. i get rum raisin, unlit cigar, baking chocolate, and real vanilla bean. fuller medium bodied but neither palate coating or belly filling, which is a nice change of pace for a beer like this, and the relative lightness of the whole thing allows the quality of the bourbon to be more fully appreciated in the flavor profile, especially after it sits in the glass for a few minutes. really cool beer, nicely matured and blended, heaps of oak, char, and warming richness. a wonderful fall welcome beer. looking forward to trying more dark stuff from these guys now that they have moved the production of their funky stuff to their sister brewery. this seems like a promising start in that direction! both ambitious and meticulously well put together.