Barrel Aged Fionn
Angry Chair Brewing

 

 

 

 

The beer pours Black with a medium off white head. It has medium low carbonation. The beer smells of hazelnuts, almonds, caramel, coffee, and light bourbon barrel. It tastes of hazelnuts, almonds, marzipans, caramel, coffee, and light bourbon barrel. The feel is medium, and very drinkable. A very tasty barrel aged stout from Angry Chair.

 

 

 

 

On draft at Angry Chair. Served in a mini snifter glass. Pours a dark black body, half finger offwhite head, short retention and not much lacing. Smell is a bit of astringent booze, black coffee, milk chocolate, a bit of lactose and toasted grain. Not a lot of hazelnut or coffee here. Flavour follows, again with the hazelnut and coffee conspicuously missing. A bit of smoke and burnt grain on the finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, slightly lower in carbonation, bitter and burnt grains on the finish.

 

 

 

 

 

The hue of this beer is that of an opaque, dark black tea, with almost no head, as what tan foam is there rapidly yet quietly disappears to nothing. Actually, that was from a draft pour--from the bottle, there's a soft thin blanket that persists for a good while.

Aroma does bring freshly roasted hazelnut and dark cocoa to the fore, as a touch of woodiness and a hint of creamy vanilla occasionally pop in.

Flavors of toasted hazelnut are paired with subtle marzipan as dark charred oak and cocoa notes linger not too far in the background. At times I get peanut butter wafer in this creamy, medium-full bodied beer featuring a moderately fine but filling carbonation and sticky dry finish. I think this is the most barrel character I've gotten from a BA Angry Chair stout, and it's really the perfect amount here.

Surprisingly, this is not too sweet, especially relative to other AC brews. The first time I had this it was the most balanced, most drinkable and enjoyable pour at a tasting that included other AC beers on draft, including BA Rocky Road, Strawberry Cream, Tea Time and CLN LVN. The second time I had it, from a bottle almost nine months later, I was even more impressed. BA Fionn should be one of their more highly regarded beers, and is possibly the best hazelnut beer ever made.

 

On tap at Angry Chair Brewing

Poured into a snifter

Black liquid, tan foam ring

Aroma of dark fruits, figs, raisins

Taste of dark fruits, bourbon, brown sugar

Low sudsing , alcohol well hidden,

Good beer