Big Adventure
Cycle Brewing

 

 

 

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled in 7/2017. Pours dense pitch black color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky tan head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, cinnamon, chili peppers, fudge, brownie batter, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, molasses, licorice, raisin, fig, date, smoke, char, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Slight booze in the aromas as it warms. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/black/bready malts, chili pepper, cocoa nib, vanilla, bourbon/cinnamon whisky barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, cinnamon, chili peppers, fudge, brownie batter, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, molasses, licorice, raisin, fig, date, smoke, char, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Mild herbal, grassy, roast, charred bitterness; and bourbon, pepper, cinnamon, oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, cinnamon, chili peppers, fudge, brownie batter, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, dark/brown bread/crust, coconut, molasses, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, char, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/black/bready malts, chili pepper, cocoa nib, vanilla, bourbon/cinnamon whisky barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a fantastic roast/hop bitter/sweet, and bourbon/cinnamon/pepper spiciness balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and very full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, and lightly slick/sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mild increasing warmth of 10%, and pepper/cinnamon heat after the finish. Overall this is an incredible barrel aged spiced imperial pastry stout. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/black/bready malts, chili pepper, cocoa nib, vanilla, bourbon/cinnamon whisky barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the mildly bitter/spicy/tannic/drying finish; amazingly soft feel for the ABV and added spices. Amazing balance of super rich malts, chili pepper, vanilla, cocoa nibs, and bourbon/cinnamon whiskey barrel presence/integration. Mild fruity yeast/earthy hops. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing experimental style example. Aged wonderfully as expected. Not overwhelming on any aspect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Got this one from desp a while back. Cheers!

From a bomber into a snifter
Collaboration with Casita Brewing
Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels, then aged in cinnamon whisky barrels and aged on chili peppers and cocoa nibs.

APPEARANCE: Clear black pour yields a 2+ finger, medium looking, creamy, slightly foamy tan head with good retention. Black body with no carbonation evident. Head crackles down to a full wisp and leaves some good touches of lacing on the glass. Slight wisp and ring remain until the end leaving touches of lacing down the glass as it empties.

SMELL: Bigger nose of cinnamon, whisky for sure, some chili peppers, wood, vanilla and cream aromas, and some milk chocolate as well. Bold and somewhat boozy as well. Lots of barrel character.

TASTE: Some smoky chilies up front with cinnamon and whisky flavors as well. A bit boozy at the swallow with some sweet vanilla and milk chocolate as well, moving into a bolder and lingering finish of whisky, cinnamon, smoky chilies, some sweet cream and vanilla with light milk chocolate as well. Some alcohol plays a role too, as well as a slight touch of chili heat.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Creamy and enough weight here, goes down fine with a bit of a chili bite and finishes a touch on the sticky side. Some heat, both alcohol and peppery heat, lingers.

OVERALL: Good stuff for sure. This is well put together and plenty enjoyable the whole way through. The chilies are definitely milder on this one, which I certainly don’t mind myself, but if you’re looking for a chili-forward stout, this won’t do the trick. I enjoy the cinnamon emphasis here and the barrels work well along with it. Worth checking out if you get the chance. Thanks again, desp! Recommended.

 

 

 

 

 

Tan head. Fades away. Black color.

Peppers are light. Cinnamon spice shows. Bourbon, oak, chocolate, and vanilla. Peppers show more in the finish and as it warms, but I still want more. Medium bodied. Wish it was thicker as always with cycle. Still great.