Barrel Aged Seven Devils Imperial Stout (Brewers' Private Reserve)
Sockeye Grill & Brewery

2015 vintage. Poured from a bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Nearly black pour with a finger of mocha colored head. Solid ring of lacing.

S: Rich and roasty. Vanilla, booze, and bourbon.

T.F: Just like it smells. Rich roasted malts, dark chocolate, and a bit of mocha espresso. Vanilla and boubon... oak and whiskey. Some bitter roast for balance. Medium bodied and smooth. Better as it warms. Drinks like it's in the 10-11% ABV range.

O: A well executed barrel-aged stout that held up great in the cellar. Really enjoyed this taste of Idaho.

when i had this it was listed on a chalkboard menu at 8% abv, no way thats correct right?! this feels and tastes stronger than that, im sure it may change from year to year, but i suspect its closer to whats listed here. in any event, i havent had much barrel aged beer from sockeye yet, so i was stoked to get into this one. its not too much barrel, which is nice, more oak than whiskey even, and its mellow as can be in terms of flavor integration and texture, luxurious without being too sticky or viscous, and really pretty well refined, i was immediately impressed. cool nuance here like cherry cola and good espresso, but also some less stouty wrinkles like honey and raisins. there is definitely a dried fruitiness to it that makes it almost festive this time of year, intentional or not. the barrel adds some vanilla and just a little whiskey heat and corn sweetness, its balanced with nice bitterness from the roast but not over the top body or punchy bite, really almost carefully done for a style thats usually abrasive to me, really good. high smoothness to the feel, a bit of alcohol and residual sugar, but all pleasant to me, good and oaky, some dark chocolate character to finish. not overly huge, really well done, one of the best beers ive had from these guys and rightly hyped up around here!

 

 

On tap at Black Friday. This one burns just by looking at it. I was trying not to like it...but what’s not to like. Black body, singing alcohol aroma, taste unites the alcohol, roast grains and wood notes into an unholy mess of greatness. Sockeye, I bow in your direction.

2015 Corked and Caged 750ml bottle from the Fairview brewpub poured into snifter.

Pours black. Duh. Not too aggressive a pour, so minimal head dissipates quickly.

Smell is divine. Whiskey is subtle but present, super sweet vanilla, some oak, dark roasted coffee. Really great.

Taste follows the nose. Dark coffee with caramel, vanilla, toffee. Smooth bourbon flavors throughout. Barrel character isnt overpowering.

Feels smooth, subtle carbonation. Tiny bit of booze heat, but in a good way. Not as thick as I thought it'd be, but it works.

Overall, this beer is freaking great. Very balanced. The barrel treatment lends depth of flavor without an absurd heat.

I've never had a barrel aged stout in a can, but I can tell you that this thing is delicious... Nice and toasty with a good barrel character, I wish I could find this out west.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Received this one in a Mystery Box trade with Shaimless and was extremely excited as I loved Sockeye's Double Dagger and figured there's no way this could be a let down

A - Poured into a snifter dark appearance with a half inch foam head with decent lacing on the glass but thick and looks are tasty

S - The smell is amazing coming from this beer, the dark chocolate is overpowering and awesome with hints of oak, coffee, vanilla, marshmallow. Really one of the best smelling whiskey aged stouts I've had the pleasure indulging in

T - Taste is much the same with a dominate dark chocolate forward taste with a bit of coffee roast vanilla oak and very trace amounts of barrel presence which works terrific for this beer. The finish is smooth with more chocolate and some hints of the marshmallow taste faded into the background as it trickles down the throat. Really a pleasure to sip on. The chocolate and roast balance perfectly up front

M - Mouthfeel is creamy nearly full bodied with a non-dry finish that leaves you wanting more

O - I was extremely impressed and this should help set the stage for more barrel aged stouts in cans. I couldn't have asked for more and exceeded my expectations in terms of taste and the smell, the smell is again wonderful

If you can find this beer go ahead and grab it. Really enjoyed this one

Was late to the party on this one and was only able to grab one of these special brews; 12oz can into my Hill Farmstead tulip.

A: Dense black pour from the can; cascading brown head settles into a small ring.

S: Lots of big dark chocolate and whiskey notes competing right off the bat. Vanilla is prominent as well, and more oak unfolds as it warms. Doesn't smell 'boozy' per se, but the barrel is here in force. Very nice.

T: More dark chocolate, cocoa and vanilla. Whiskey is strong but not too hot, with notes of dark caramel, light brown sugar, and oak. Some dark fruits poke through on the palate, and a flash of cinnamon on the finish. Lots of roast and black patent malt in this one, with just a touch of char.

MF: Thicker bodied, somewhere between medium and robust/full; medium carbonation, a bit viscous, with just a hint of heat.

O: Really impressed, this could easily pass for a bigger-name BA imperial stout in a blind tasting. Easily the best BA-beer I've tried locally (in cans too? Crazy...). There is a good amount of whiskey character to this one, without the extreme booziness; I'm not sure how long this one laid in a barrel but its darn near perfect.

 

I know this has been on tap before, but I missed it. Saw the tweet today that they have about 20 cases of 12oz cans. I made the move QUICKLY... picked up one 4-pack.... I will be back tomorrow morning!

Good reverse cascade of bubbles with the pour.... Deep dark brown head has nice retention with okay spotty lacing. The brew is absolutely black with no light escaping.

The nose is thick chocolate... the whiskey comes out as vanilla and a bit of oak... but chocolate is the big player here by far.

Flavor mirrors the nose with a minor nice balance of dark malt and a hint of char... subtle dark fruitiness really rounds it out nicely... possibly something that I associate with black licorice in the distant finish

Smooth light carbonation accentuates a little lighter than expected body... but not a game changer.

Really pretty damn well done... I doubt cellaring will do any good... this is tasty right out of the gate and needs no time to come together.

4/4.25/4.25/4/4.25