Music Maker
Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project

 

a really cool series of coffee oatmeal stouts here that have apparently used a variety of coffee beans, including a series of barrel aged coffee beans. i reckon it changes each batch, and the one i had was done with rye whiskey barrel aged coffee beans, which apparently pick up some of the whiskey character as they respirate or whatever they do after (or before?) they are roasted. i know not nearly enough about processing coffee, but i do know i love the beer. like all verboten beers, its a great recipe, with a nice frothy feel and creaminess from the oats, a rich dark chocolate profile from the roasted barley, a little bitter, but very dry, perfect platform for this coffee. i dont taste a ton of whiskey in this, obviously not a barrel aged beer, but there is like the essence of it here somehow, not sure i can pick out rye specifically, but i know i like the coffee in it! there is a nice roastiness and sort of subtle vanilla and smoke to the coffee that really stands out. the genius in this beer is that its mild as a base, its not too strong, bitter, sweet, rich, nothing, its just mellow, and so the nuances of the coffee can really stand out. high headed stuff from verboten. i would love to try this coffee on its own too, with the barrel aged beans, it certainly imparts a unique flavor into the beer. i hope to have the chance to try other coffee variants of this one, and better yet side by side. this rye whiskey barrel aged coffee bean edition is exceptional.