Reaction State
Bottle Logic Brewing

 

 

 

 

375ml bottle poured into a snifter
2019 Vintage

A- pours jet black in color with a one-finger dark brown foamy head that reduces to a thin ring around the edge

S- bold and rich herbal and earthy espresso notes initially, followed by dark chocolate, brownie batter and a blast of cinnamon. Undertones of the maple pop through, adding aromas of caramel and dark fruit. Light oak and creamy vanilla close out the nose, with more espresso and cinnamon sticking around, very inviting

T- bold espresso and dark chocolate brownie batter up front make for a perfect opening. Mid-palate brings out plenty of barrel, adding spicy cinnamon, oak & barrel juice. The sweet maple starts to pop out under the cinnamon whiskey, along with a creamy vanilla note to compliment. The finish gives more cinnamon & dark chocolate with a strong espresso and mocha linger

M- medium body with moderate-low carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that turns slightly creamy into a warming finish

O- every adjunct works in harmony on this one, the bold espresso and chocolate notes, along with the spicy cinnamon and sweet maple, outstanding

 

 

 

 

 

 

#150, yummy!

2022 version poured from a 16.9oz bottle into a plastic cup. My day 12 beer for Bottle Logic 12 days of Christmas. Nice thickness. Excellent blend of vanilla, maple and coffee.

Cinnamon is becoming my kryptonite so I’m hoping it’s been used with an appropriately light touch in this 500ML bottle, ‘cause I like everything else added to this brute.

Hard black with a few stray brown bubbles that quiet swiftly. Oh Oh. Cinnamon bite is strong on the nose. Please, no, brew deities.

Reaction State tiptoes along the abyss of cinnamon gorge. Cinnamon is straddling the beer but doesn’t quite crush it into submission. Underneath the spice are touches of maple, vanilla, & the ghost of cocoas past. Light bourbon winds its way betwixt & between & the finish is mulled apple cider. Should have split this one with my wife.

Hey brewers: quit putting so much fucking cinnamon in your beers. If you can’t get the balance right, throw the crap away. Pretty good beer, which is sad, as I can sense something really good underneath the cinnamon avalanche.

 

Pours a dark brown like motor oil. Just a half of a finger of dark brown head shows up and disappears just as quickly.

Nose is a walloping of bourbon barrel aged stout. Its got that rich, dense, still wet barrel level of intensity. Huge oak profile. I love it. Next is the roasted malt and a strong presence of chocolate. This reminds me a little of one of my favorites of all time; Weyerbacher's Chocolate Pretzel Sunday Morning Stout. Then in the background, there lies the cinnamon.

Taste is much of the same on the nose. Oak, bourbon, roasted malt, chocolate, cinnamon. But now I get the slight bit of maple syrup. Maple syrup presents almost with, I hesitate to say this, but a sour note when its put in stouts sometimes. Like an extremely subtle tartness or tanginess. It doesn't detract, but it is a unique quality. The tannins from the barrel kind of leave that soapy flavor that also sometimes tends to happen in these barrel aged stouts. Its incredibly mild and doesn't linger, but thats why I decided to put it at a 4.5 rather than 4.75, similar to the nose.

Mouthfeel is fullbodied and smooth. Brief flash of carbonation right at the beginning. ABV makes its presence known, but not as severely as that Maumasi I had the other night. There is a little bit of drying but not harsh on the palate or on the way down.

Overall my favorite Bottle Logic brew so far. I was surprised because I though this was just going to be another "breakfast stout", but this one actually blew me away. Well balanced and all the flavors work well with each other and don't feel like novelty additions. Masterclass level stuff.