Flying Buffalo - Bourbon Barrel-Aged - Mole
Griffin Claw Brewing Company

 

Very nice spiced Stout. Served on tap in a chalice. Dark, oily liquid with a rim of mocha bubbles. Nice, warm aromas of vanilla, char, chocolate and spice. Very nice balance of sweet and heat, with chocolate, vanilla and spice upfront, some roast notes and just enough heat on the backend to be interesting without overpowering.

 

 

A - Pours a very dark brown with a thin tan head. Nice amount of soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is dark chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and light borubon.

T - The taste is dark chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla, cinnamon, chilis and borubon.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a nice crisp finish.

O - Very nice spiced stout. The chilis aren't overpowering and add a nice punch. Defiently a slow sipper with ABV being unnoticeable.

 

 

 

16 ounce can into snifter, 2018 vintage. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, nutty dark roast coffee, caramel, molasses, toffee, vanilla, cream, bourbon, toasted oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili peppers, and dark/brown bread; with light notes of coconut, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Bit of booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, spices, and bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, nutty dark roast coffee, caramel, molasses, toffee, vanilla, cream, bourbon, toasted oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili peppers, and dark/brown bread; with light notes of coconut, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Light herbal/roast/char bitterness, and cinnamon/pepper/bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, nutty dark roast coffee, caramel, molasses, toffee, vanilla, cream, bourbon, toasted oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili peppers, dark/brown bread, coconut, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, spices, and bourbon barrel flavors; with an awesome roasted bitter/sweet and pepper/cinnamon/bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying/acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness and pepper/cinnamon/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and fairy full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety, and lightly sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mildly increasing warmth of 12%, and lingering pepper heat; with minimal barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic coffee/spiced barrel aged imperial stout! All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, spices, and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the mildly bitter/spicy/tannic/drying finish. Perfectly balanced rich malts, coffee, spices, and bourbon barrel presence/integration. Not overly boozy, tannic, drying on barrels. Nice pleasant pepper/cinnamon spice/heat presence, without overdoing anything. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing style example as usual.