X-5
River's Edge Brewing Co

16 ounce prowler into signature tulip glass, filled on 6/23/2019. Pours nearly opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger dense, cream, and rocky khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, apricot, red apple, red grape/wine, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, bourbon, toasted oak, roasted nuts, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, molasses, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, smoke, oak char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, wood, peppercorn, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malts, fruity yeast, bourbon barrels, and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of big raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, apricot, red apple, red grape/wine, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, bourbon, toasted oak, roasted nuts, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, molasses, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, smoke, oak char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light herbal, grassy, woody, peppery, roasted bitterness; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruit, apricot, red apple, red grape/wine, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, bourbon, toasted oak, roasted nuts, brown bread/crust, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, smoke, oak char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, fruity yeast, bourbon barrels, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly sticky/chalky/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 9.7%, with no lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is an awesome barrel aged English strong ale. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, fruity yeast, bourbon barrels, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the mildly bitter/tannic/drying finish. Great soft feel, not overly bitter/tannic. Awesome balance of rich English malt complexity, fruity yeast, and bourbon barrel presence/integration; with solid earthy hops. Lightly sweet with lingering dryness. A really enjoyable offering, and spot on style example as expected. Liked it just as much as the X-4.