Nuts For You - Bourbon Barrel Aged
Zaftig Brewing Co.

 

 

12 ounce bottle into snifter; 2019 vintage bottling, batch 283. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger fairly dense and rocky khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, peanut butter, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, fudge, brownie batter, toasted oak, biscuit, and dark/brown bread; with light notes of coconut, coffee, licorice, raisin, fig, date, smoke, herbal, grass, leather, tobacco, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Minimal booze in the aromas as it warms. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, peanuts, cocoa, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, peanut butter, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, fudge, brownie batter, toasted oak, biscuit, and dark/brown bread; with light notes of coconut, coffee, licorice, raisin, fig, date, smoke, herbal, grass, leather, tobacco, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Very minimal herbal, grassy, roasted bitterness; and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, peanut butter, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, fudge, brownie batter, toasted oak, biscuit, dark/brown bread, coconut, coffee, licorice, raisin, fig, date, smoke, herbal, grass, leather, tobacco, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, peanuts, cocoa, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with a solid roast/hop bitter/sweet, and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying sweetness after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety, and slightly slick/sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mild increasing warmth of 9%, with zero lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged flavored imperial stout. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, peanuts, cocoa, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the mildly bitter/drying finish. Fantastic soft/silky feel. Amazing balance of super rich malts, peanuts, cocoa, and bourbon barrel presence/integration; with mild earthy hops and fruity yeast. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding style example. Not overwhelming on any aspect.