Incantations
Burlington Beer Co.

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a dark brown foamy head with some retention and some light lacing notes. Aroma of black chocolate notes with some vanilla and whiskey notes. Taste is also a mix of black chocolate notes with some vanilla and whiskey notes with a light woody finish. Body is about average with good carbonation with some alcohol notes that are discernible. Enjoyable BA stout but lacking a fuller body.

 

 

 

 

Pours a deep black with a small off white head that breaks quickly leaving a few wispy islands of bubbles behind. Not much in the way of lacing.

Smell is rich chocolate and barrel. I am able to pick out both the rye and bourbon. Leathery and vanilla notes are also present.

The flavor is a battle between the chocolate and the barrel flavors. I think in the end the chocolate wins. The barrel is actually coming in a weak second as this warms. Those traditional oatmeal stout flavors win the day.

Feel is about medium and there is active prickly carbonation. Coats the mouth nicely. ABV is well hidden.

Not too shabby. I really like the chocolate notes and the barrel as they work together. Like having one of those tiny booze candies at Christmas.

 

 

 

 

Can to snifter, the appearance was a dark brown color with a sly film of a little white foamy head that slid off at a moderate pace. Sliding lace. The aroma had some light bourbon to sweet wood, sweet rye, light milk chocolate, touch of vanilla, and a little bit of earthiness at the end. The flavor was moderately sweet with the earthiness sliding in to accompany a nice balance. Aftertaste was semi-dry with an unyielding pinch of spice coming from the rye which wasn’t in the initial taste. Finish was nice and discovered the smooth and sweet side of the rye penetrating the sweet wood and bourbon spike. The palate was medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt as projected. Overall, pretty damn good imperial stout. Hoping RAR will come here to Vermont to brew more with BBC.

Look: pours black with fair amount of dark brown carb.
Aroma: in my opinion where this one shines. Lots of chocolate with some whiskey and dry roast.
Taste: roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee. The barrel flavors have an "off flavor" at the finish.
Feel: adequate carb could use a little more mouthfeel.
Overall: pretty good beer needs some work on barrel execution.

 

Served on tap at the brewery.
Pours a very dark molasses brown with a hint of garnet on the edges, little to no head.
Aromas are tons of big roasted malt and a hint of sweet bourbon.
Flavors are really nice with tons of roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate and barely some bourbon.
Mouthfeel was excellent. BBC has ramped it up a little here and its not as thin as past stouts.
Overall, delicious beer but I still wanted more bourbon. Increase that, and it's worldclass.

 

Can received in trade with Jonathan

4/12/17 canning in collaboration with RaR Brewing in Maryland, aged in rye whiskey and bourbon barrels from Mad River Distillers in Vermont... Black pour with a dark brown head; left some lace motes behind... Aromas of chocolate malt, espresso, and drying wood on the nose, followed by more dark chocolate malt roast on the tongue. Impressions of coffee, whiskey barrels, and something almost sour, like black currant, too... Booze influences are mild... Smooth, moderate carbonation, bittersweet, medium-weight...