Tiramisu Little Nonsense
Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project

for their 5th anniversary, these guys took their barrel aged imperial stout and turned it into a heavenly dessert, spiking it with lady fingers (of all things!), coffee, cinnamon, vanilla, and cocoa, and the result is incredibly good. i just dont think these guys get enough credit for their unique barrel aged beers, this is really and truly world class. its slick looking in the glass, leggy and viscous but also bubbly for what it is, deep black in color, and emitting this wonderful wintery aroma where hot coffee melts into rich chocolate, warming cinnamon, and sweet vanilla. i get notes off bourbon, cognac, and baked sugar cookies, an odd lighter element in such a dark brew. its all there in the flavor too, hearty earthy cinnamon and deeply roasted coffee play well with the dark malts, and the vanilla clings to the starchy body and the oak in here and stays present through the entire beer, even there after the swallow. the bourbon is robust but it doesnt take over, even when this warms up a little bit, and its not all the boozy for how strong it is. this is a sipper, a sweet, layered, unique beer that demands careful and contemplative consumption. the added ingredients come together super well, and these latest barrel aged verboten beers have really floored me. they should be getting a lot more attention than they are...