Stone and Sea
BuckleDown Brewing

Canned 05/15/18 and poured into a pint glass boasts an infinitely dark brown body with hints of cola-colored edges when backlit and briefly floats a tight-bubbled 1/4in tan head leaving spotty lacing.

Aromas of toasted oat and bourbon up front are joined by fresh air and cocoa as it comes up to temp.

Chocolate, cocoa, bourbon, oak, vanilla, and toasted oat flavors combine to produce an enticing elixir without being sweet.

Mouthfeel is tongue-coatingly creamy but clears the palate cleanly leaving only a slight booze warmth.

Overall a well made oatmeal stout. There is definitely a proper temperature for this beer as when too cold the cocoa oak and vanilla seem throttled and when too warm the booze can overpower all.

 

12oz can, purchased as a 2-pack with Breakfast at Sea. A thick foamy tan head subsides in to a thin layer atop a thick pitch black ale. Huge boozy bourbon aroma with roasted barley, dark cocoa, and oak. Balanced flavors of dark chocolate, roasted grain, bourbon, oak, vanilla, caramel, oatmeal, and bitter earthy hops. Full body, a little chalky, modest carbonation, booze is warming and hot at times, bitter finish with bitter cocoa, roast, and hops lingering on the palate. Another awesome Imperial stout from BuckleDown - the bourbon is strong making it a sipper, but I enjoyed it thoroughly.

12 ounce can into a snifter. Canned 5/25/18, had 7/2/18.

Pours an opaque, dark brown, with a one and a half inch foamy head and a good amount of slippery, foamy lacing. Aromas of roasted malt, chocolate, cocoa, caramel, bourbon as it warms, some vanilla and molasses, light figs, light smoke, a little brown sugar. The taste is a little more focused- roasted malt, bourbon, chocolate, caramel, some vanilla and molasses, light oak. Smooth, a solid full body, well carbonated.

Great aroma, very good flavor. The barrels come more to the front as it warms, but don’t dominate. Drinks easy for the ABV. I like this, it’s well worth a purchase if they do it again.

The bourbon is felt very strongly in both taste and especially smell. Just got the feeling the oatmeal stout base couldn't stand up to the booze at all, just run over. In the bourbon's path of destruction there are enjoyable note of vanilla, molasses, oat, and lots of cocoa. Still more balance needed on this one

 

 

 

Canned 5/15/18; drank 6/19/18 @ the Yarchives.

Black appearance.

A violent pour yielded a nice tan head; frothy lace.

Bourbon, cream & fresh earth notes in the nose.

Creamy medium thick mouthfeel.

Strong bourbon & cream flavors up front; mild milk chocolate notes on the finish.

A booze bomb. Drinkable, but not enjoyable. I'd rather just have a glass of bourbon.