Hypersleep - Bourbon Barrel-Aged - Chocolate, Ancho Chiles And Cinammon
Other Half Brewing - Center Street

 

Appearance: Pours pitch black with a one finger beige head; decent retention, leggy with some dots of lacing

Smell: Powerful aromatics, filled with chocolate syrup, caramel and Bourbon tones; the cinnamon and Ancho chili also come through

Taste: Chocolate, caramel and cinnamon forward, with the Willett barrel emerging, through the middle, along with the Ancho chili; a blend of all the flavors linger into the finish; there is an underlying sweetness, as well

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and syrupy with low to moderate carbonation; plenty of warmth in the gullet

Overall: A powerful Imperial stout, just a bit on the sweet side for all on the cinnamon and Ancho heat it delivers

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was the last of the Hypersleep beers that I bought when they were released at Other Half, and by far, this was the one that had the most "kick" to it. One of my favorite pairings in a beer is anything chocolate or cocoa with chili (or chili powder) and this one fit that combination to a t. Rich and hot, this had a wonderful flavor profile that was a bit unusual but everything in this beer's profile ended up meshing quite nicely together!

Nice, chocolate hue to the liquid as I poured it out. Virtually *zero* head topped this off as it was capped by a thin disk of offsetting bubbles that quickly settled down. No lacing could be seen either as this was much thinner than I anticipated. Lovely aroma of cocoa nibs and powder, bourbon-barrel aging, caramel, and bitter chocolate with just a bit of cinnamon spice tossed in the mix as well. The taste took that to another level as the Anchos took this up another level. Quite a burn from it as it complemented all of the other notes and lent itself to a hop bitterness on a different scale. Just a bit of baker's chocolate remained on the back end along with a copious amount of alcohol and a lingering head from the chili and cinnamon, that could only be quenched by another sip.

This was strong but with a profile like this, how could it not be? It was something to adjust to but in the end, this was so nicely crafted and bold at the same time that I ended up with a immense respect for the final product. This beer would not be for everyone but for those who enjoy a Stout with some pizzazz, this would be as good a choice as any. Yet another winner from Other Half!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one is special. Not a fan of their IPA's, but their dark beer is exceptional.
Pours very dark with a nice dark head, quite syrupy. HUGE aromas of bourbon, chocolate, cinnamon, faint chili. Big bourbon barrel flavor at first, I taste some anise, rich chocolate, cinnamon, the swallow has a nice tingle on the back of your throats from the ancho chilis. Thick and syrupy mouthfeel, coats the tongue nicely. Excellent carbonation. Overall this is a fantastic bba imperial stout. Flavors meld together perfectly. For 13%, it is not overly sweet or boozy. Amazing!!!

1/17/18
16.9 oz bottle from brewery (thanks Adam)
4.75 rating

This was the best of the 3 in my opinion. Very smooth and enjoyable brew with a faint hint of the ancho on the tail end.