Rare DOS
Cycle Brewing

Pours jet black. Aroma is very complex - balanced combo of caramel, chocolate, roasted malts and bourbon barrel. Taste equally comple but not as intense as the aroma. Nice combo of the chocolate, roastiness and bourbon. Full bodied and rich - strongest aspect of this stout. An outstanding stout.

 

 

NewCycle Rare Dos aged over 2 years in Makers Barrels.
Part of a trade. I've have the one year version but this is a new one for me
Pours black and leaves a light brown 1/4 inch of head or so that dissipates to 1/8 and remains

Nose is all bourbon sweetness, roasted malts, and german chocolate ganache

Taste follows the nose which is always nice but also has vanilla and dark fruit flavor on top of the rest. Also has a fairamount of peat, not off-putting , it's what should be expected in a two year barrel beer.( i think)
At 11% this is easy to drink but has more depth than most beers in that abv range. It's usually the Barrel Aged beers that clock in over 14% that have this much character
thanks for this one @micada

 

Cycle knows whats up. Reminded me of a bourbon county stout. Pick one up if you're ever in St. Pete FL. Massive terps

Considering the barrel aging and ABV, head production and retention, while both minimal, are acceptable. Otherwise a very attractive beer.

Very, very potent aroma, even from far away. Quite nutty, along with toast, brown sugar, bourbon, caramel, red grape, toffee, light char. It smells incredible, and more than a little intimidating.

Similar to the nose, there's a ton of flavor delivered on the palate, including a pretty hefty boozy bite - not surprising given over 2 years of barrel aging. Whiskey, nuts, oak, caramel, prune, brown sugar, raisin, toffee, toast - basically the same as the nose, with a bit more sour mash. It's not overly sweet, in line with the Bourbon County approach - albeit at a lower ABV, and aged longer.

Long wet finish after the initial boozy effervescence fades. A touch harsh, but by no means unmanageable - again reminiscent of Bourbon County in that fashion.

 

 

 

 

Midnight black pour complete with a brown cap. Huge wood and whiskey booze with accenting black strap molasses, bitter sweet chocolate and char. Tastes slaps the palate with whiskey foremost, then waves of oak, baker's chocolate, char and black strap molasses, with a final light burst of cola, earth and burnt caramel. Complex but stay relatively separated as the large barrel dominates. Feel is hot with big oak and malt, chewy, viscous and yet smooth besides warmth

 

 

 

Pours black as night with a dense tan head that dissipates quickly. On the nose, roasted malt, dark chocolate, caramel, dried fruit and charred barrel - very complex! On the palate, raisins, dark roast coffee, followed by notes of bourbon, oak and roasted malt. Full bodied, oily and rich with very light carbonation. Slight alcohol warmth on the back end. Overall an outstanding imperial stout!

 

 

 

Ink black body topped with a dense, creamy, light khaki hued head. Rich aroma blending roasted grain notes with bits of cocoa and toffee; a sense of coffee; muted esters; oak barrel char. Huge flavors of milk and bittersweet chocolate; roasted grains; raisins; light whiskey; raw oak. Heavy body; silky and smooth; moderate bit alcohol warmth and bite; dense residual sugars coat the palate.

A dense yet approachable barrel-aged stout. The flavor palate is rich and complex. The heavy body brushes your palate with heavy, sticky goodness that enhances the overall appeal of the beer. It presents a nice balance between beer's sweet taste and body with a warming, smile inducing high octane underpinning that should bring joy to lovers of big stouts.

A long time want that my brother was able to get for me, and it more than lived up to my expectations. First pour was very fuzzy to the point I was worried of potential infection. Dark brown, ruby edging, not much head retention. Smell is whiskey barrel, dark malt, brown sugar, molasses. Taste is exquisite-the malt and barrel are extremely well balanced, and it has sweet dark fruit qualities as well. My first pour was room temperature, then I chilled it for a while for the second. It’s bolder and more well rounded warm, and while chilling it slightly thins it, it does not diminish the flavor. At either temp, it’s a big bodied thick bad boy, and although there is a slight oiliness at room temperature, it never has an off putting soy sauce presence. All around, this is an amazing beer, one of the best that I have never tried before this year. Here’s to a brother who asks if I want something from Cycle!

 

Poured at 57 degrees, black with ruby edges and a fizzy quick dark tan head; a small island survives poor retention; solid thin ring; medium plus legs and lots of small dots of lace upon swirl. Cocoa nibs, sweet dark fruits and a touch of whiskey in the nose. Bittersweet dark chocolate and roasted coffee bean bitterness; sweet brown sugar, molasses, whiskey, burnt brown bread/toast; fruity black cherries and prunes middle; layers of black licorice, toffee, chocolate and char in the finish. Dusty dry cocoa powder feel; light carbonation; medium body; smooth but not lux; dry oak/barrel tongue coating; very little booze or warmth from 10% abv. Overall, nice rounded, soft alcohol notes with chocolate and dark fruits; thinner than expected, but so easy to drink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled in 2017. Pours dense pitch black color with a small dense dark brown head with solid 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 dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, molasses, toffee, brown sugar, whiskey, toasted oak, roasted nuts, fudge, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, coffee, licorice, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, smoke, oak char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Minimal booze in the aromas as it warms. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malts, whiskey barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of huge dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, molasses, toffee, brown sugar, whiskey, toasted oak, roasted nuts, fudge, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, coffee, licorice, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, smoke, oak char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Very minimal herbal, grassy, roast, char bitterness; and whiskey/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, molasses, toffee, brown sugar, whiskey, toasted oak, roasted nuts, fudge, dark bread/crust, coconut, coffee, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, whiskey barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a solid roasted bitter/sweet and whiskey/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying sweetness after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and whisky/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and super full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, fairly slick/syrupy, and slightly sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mild increasing warmth of 10%, with no lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged imperial stout. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, whiskey barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the minimally bitter/tannic/drying finish. Fantastic silky/smooth/soft feel for the big ABV. Fantastic balanced super rich malts and whiskey barrel presence/integration. Mild earthy hops. A bit fruitier than expected, but not overwhelming. Not overly sweet/heavy with lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding top tier quality style example as expected. Preferred some variants more than others, but this is right on par with expectations.

 

 

Whew! A big boozy imperial stout that was upfront and powerful. Pours a thick, dark black opaque color with just a little tan cap head and very scant spotty lingering lacing. Smells great, nice deep rich chocolate mocha, medium roast coffee, oak, strong whiskey, caramel, toasted nuttiness and vanilla. Taste follows the nose, and again that whiskey and oak is very in-your-face and strong. Definitely a sipper of a beer. Smooth, slightly sticky, rich mouthfeel that coats the palate, just the right amount of carbonation. Probably would have rated it higher - like others here - into the 4.5 range if it were a little more mellow and balanced and the high ABV didn't smack you in the face so much.