Flying Buffalo - Krakatoa
Griffin Claw Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

22 ounce bottle into snifter, 2017 vintage bottling. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, nutty dark roast coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, fudge, toffee, marshmallow, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, chili pepper, and dark/brown bread; with light notes of molasses, licorice, smoke, dark fruits, herbal, and roast/toast/oak earthiness. Incredible aromas with fantastic complexity and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, chili peppers, and bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, nutty dark roast coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, fudge, toffee, marshmallow, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, chili pepper, and dark/brown bread; with light notes of molasses, licorice, smoke, dark fruits, herbal, and roast/toast/oak earthiness. Mild roast bitterness and bourbon/oak/pepper spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, nutty dark roast coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, fudge, toffee, marshmallow, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, chili pepper, dark/brown bread, light smoke/dark fruit, herbal, and roast/toast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, chili peppers, and bourbon barrel flavors; with an awesome roasted bitter/sweet and bourbon/oak/pepper spiciness balance; with zero acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Slightly increasing drying from roast bitterness and bourbon/oak/pepper spiciness. Medium carbonation and full body; with a very smooth, creamy, silky, velvety, and rich mouthfeel that is fantastic. Slight slickness, chalky roast, pepper stickiness, and oak tannins. Alcohol is extremely well hidden; mildly warming 14%, with zero barrel booziness. Increasing pepper heat through the glass, but never overwhelming. Overall this is an amazing coffee/spiced barrel aged imperial stout! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, chili peppers, and bourbon barrel flavors; insanely smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV. Perfectly balanced rich malts, coffee, and barrels; with nice pleasant pepper spice/heat presence without overdoing anything. Amazing barrel integration; never boozy, tannic, or overly drying. A highly enjoyable offering.

 

 

Waxed bomber. This brew came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. Delicious roasty chocolate flavor with kick ass pepper throughout, enough to give a slight burn throughout the sip, but not overwhelming. Silky mouthfeel. If you are into pepper stouts, try to get ahold of this beast, delicious.