Vastness of Space - Old Rip Van Winkle
Cellarmaker Brewing Co.

Had on tap at Cellarmaker Oakland.

Look - Pours a pitch black color with a beautiful brown head.

Smell - Malt, chocolate, bourbon, and vanilla.

Taste - A very nice bourbon, with vanilla and chocolate.

Feel - Nicely creamy, maybe felt a bit hot for 13.5%ABV, but perhaps that's to be expected when you're emphasizing the Rip Van Winkle barrels.

Overall - A very good stout! I'm glad I stopped in to try it!

On tap at Windsor Homebrew in Anaheim, CA.

There’s no wrinkle in the Winkle. Damn shit is smoother than the pants your grandma ironed a permanent pleat into. Yeah, it’s just pleasant. It’s not big like a Mike Tyson KO. No no. Think of a stealth boa constrictor choke old when you least expect it. Unlike a Kardashian, this beer does not need a filter.

Don’t forget to clean your drawers, my children.

 

On tap at Cellarmaker Berkeley

A: Pours dark brown basically black with a little dark khaki head that quickly settles out and leaves a little spotty lacing.

S: Rich smooth bourbon, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, slight umami notes, spice, roasty malt, chocolate, faint oak, and a touch of char.

T: Brown sugar, toffee, smooth rich bourbon, vanilla, a little spice, roasty malt, light char, milk chocolate, toasted coconut, slight umami tones, leather and faint oak, and subtle earthy notes.

M: Full body, mild carbonation, creamy smooth with just a touch of warmth.

O: I've oogled a bottle of this at a local haunt for a while, but never quite got to the point of pulling the trigger. Today however, stopping by the taproom I couldn't say no. It is basically bourbon barrel aged candy. Sipping this one has been blissful.

Sweet candied caramel and chocolate malty, dark fruity, leather and oak, and a sweet bourbon barrel nose on this one! With the candied caramel/toffee notes with a touch of chocolate, this smells like a black barleywine! Taste follows exactly with some barrel heat on the backend that lingers a bit. My first impressions of this was a a bottle share where pretty much everyone enjoyed it, but came away saying that it shows up like a barleywine...this confirms those first impressions. You guys sure this wasn't blended with an English Barleywine?! Ha! This is delicious but sweet and presents more like a barleywine than a stout IMO.

Poured at fridge temp. Pours motor oil black with little head. The nose is phenomenal. Huge notes of chocolate, marshmallow, bourbon, vanilla, molasses, and big dark fruit.

The taste is immense, powerful, boozy, and wonderful. It's loaded with barrel character, but is balanced by oak, vanilla, molasses, brown sugar, slight astringent, raisins, and slight maple syrup. So much going on!

The mouthfeel is thick and creamy. It's a bit hot, and there is definitely a slight burn on the way down. I don't think the ABV is hidden. Interesting and really nice experience overall.

Bottle at share. Dark brown, syrupy pour, a few stray bubbles. Sweet, malty aroma, woody, bourbon. Taste is pretty mellow to start, sweet, chocolate, malty. Boozy notes are a lot calmer than in the aroma. Smooth.