Smoke Screens & Oil Slicks (Cognac Barrel Aged)
Other Half Brewing - Center Street

 

 

Traded out for this recently as I was away when this was released. I enjoyed the other bottled version of this that had vanilla but this was the better of the two in terms of taste and feel. Amazingly smooth and balanced, this was what a good American Double / Imperial Stout should be as it wasn't overwhelmed with booze or lactose, hops, or malt!

Nice pour to this as the liquid was chocolate in every sense of the word, with a sufficient and offsetting head of mocha. It was smooth and silky before slowly settling down. Lots of cognac, rye, cherry brandy, and a hint of booze in the nose with all of those present in the taste. Milk chocolate and a wonderfully slick mouthfeel reinforced those flavors and took them all to the next level. The smoke didn't come out until the liquid faded away, resulting in a beer that was faint in it's caramel, bourbon, and meat notes but in essence, was a Chocolate Stout over anything else.

Lots of alcohol here but it was quite recessed to the taste and only detectable once I finished this off. This was an impressive brew that felt like Cherry Brandy, dark chocolate, and Rauchbier all rolled into one. One of Other Half's strongest offerings and possibly the best bottle that I've ever had from them - worth seeking out for the level of craft present. Would love to have this again!