It Was All A Dream
J. Wakefield Brewing
Beer Geek Stats:
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- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
Ranked #18 - ABV:
- 17%
- Score:
- 100
Ranked #77 - Avg:
- 4.73 | pDev: 5.29%
- Reviews:
- 23
- Ratings:
- From:
- J. Wakefield Brewing
- Florida, United States
- Avail:
- Rotating
- Wants
- 117
- Gots
- 6
SCORE
100
World-Class
100
World-Class
Notes:
Barrel Aged Big Poppa. Imperial stout aged in bourbon maple syrup barrels with coffee, coconut and vanilla. Collaboration with Abnormal Beer Co., JPizo & Mostra Coffee.
Reviews: 23
| Ratings: 149
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4.27/5 rDev -9.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
2020 release. Bottled a couple weeks ago.
A: Pours black with a razor thin ring of head. Looks kinda flat. No lacing.
S: Toasted coconut, vanilla bean, maple and brown sugar sweetness, cocoa, butterscotch, and a bit of coffee, bourbon, and roast, and dust.
T: A blast of coconut, which dominates the palate. Supported by moderate coffee, light roast, vanilla, maple, butterscotch, and brown sugar. Moderate sweetness.
M: Thick, mouthcoating, sticky full body. Very light carbonation, bordering on flat, which makes it sort of syrupy. Alcohol very well hidden.
O: Solid, tasty BA adjunct stout. Barrel treatment is light. Needs more carb.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
2020 release. Bottled a couple weeks ago.
A: Pours black with a razor thin ring of head. Looks kinda flat. No lacing.
S: Toasted coconut, vanilla bean, maple and brown sugar sweetness, cocoa, butterscotch, and a bit of coffee, bourbon, and roast, and dust.
T: A blast of coconut, which dominates the palate. Supported by moderate coffee, light roast, vanilla, maple, butterscotch, and brown sugar. Moderate sweetness.
M: Thick, mouthcoating, sticky full body. Very light carbonation, bordering on flat, which makes it sort of syrupy. Alcohol very well hidden.
O: Solid, tasty BA adjunct stout. Barrel treatment is light. Needs more carb.
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4.85/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Shoo bee doo bee doo, life is bit a dream sweetheart! Have to admit...I’m a homer fanboi for so many of John Wakefield’s stouts, but this is one of the OG pastry stouts, and it is simply phenomenal.
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look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Shoo bee doo bee doo, life is bit a dream sweetheart! Have to admit...I’m a homer fanboi for so many of John Wakefield’s stouts, but this is one of the OG pastry stouts, and it is simply phenomenal.
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4.68/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Really good stout.they actually fill barrels with maple syrup and clean them out to brew this beer. It’s really good and off the cellar menu at the brewery.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Really good stout.they actually fill barrels with maple syrup and clean them out to brew this beer. It’s really good and off the cellar menu at the brewery.
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4.66/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
A smooth soft maple backbone with a splash of coconut, with coffee and vanilla to follow. Very drinkable, my only complaint is the maple over powers the bourbon barrel.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
A smooth soft maple backbone with a splash of coconut, with coffee and vanilla to follow. Very drinkable, my only complaint is the maple over powers the bourbon barrel.
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4.49/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a snifter. A motor oil viscous opaque dark brown color with a small tan head that stuck around for a while. The taste and aroma were as billed with a big coffee presence, maple, chocolate, and faint bourbon. I didn't get much coconut as it seemed to blend with the maple. Thick but not cloying and not boozy. A real treat.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a snifter. A motor oil viscous opaque dark brown color with a small tan head that stuck around for a while. The taste and aroma were as billed with a big coffee presence, maple, chocolate, and faint bourbon. I didn't get much coconut as it seemed to blend with the maple. Thick but not cloying and not boozy. A real treat.
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4.23/5 rDev -10.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Oily black with a surprisingly persistent creamy but thin mocha blanket.
Maple brulee and mocha roast are accented by sweet dark fruit and a little waxy oak via a crackly medium-light body that finishes semi-sticky with a mild heat.
I wasn't floored by this one, especially considering the hype behind it, but I had a few other beers this night that kind of trounced IWAAD. The complexity was lacking, and so too was the pastry decadence--I figured there'd at least be an explosion of one or the other. I guess on one hand you can say, then, "it's balanced," but it wasn't quite there either. Pretty sweet with some heat, and a mostly mild maple character, I was surprised there was so little coconut--I got a couple of pours to be sure.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Oily black with a surprisingly persistent creamy but thin mocha blanket.
Maple brulee and mocha roast are accented by sweet dark fruit and a little waxy oak via a crackly medium-light body that finishes semi-sticky with a mild heat.
I wasn't floored by this one, especially considering the hype behind it, but I had a few other beers this night that kind of trounced IWAAD. The complexity was lacking, and so too was the pastry decadence--I figured there'd at least be an explosion of one or the other. I guess on one hand you can say, then, "it's balanced," but it wasn't quite there either. Pretty sweet with some heat, and a mostly mild maple character, I was surprised there was so little coconut--I got a couple of pours to be sure.
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4.74/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Almost to good, the flavors were all there and none of those were really overpowering the other. But the presence of all those wonderful flavors pushed the stout into the back just a little to much. I am just nagging though, I felt really privileged for being able to enjoy this beer.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Almost to good, the flavors were all there and none of those were really overpowering the other. But the presence of all those wonderful flavors pushed the stout into the back just a little to much. I am just nagging though, I felt really privileged for being able to enjoy this beer.
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4.45/5 rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Incredibly sweet, a straight up dessert beer for sure. It had delicious, intense coconut dominating the overall flavor profile. Mouthfeel was excellent, no complains at all. Only good in small quantities though, due to the cloying sweetness.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Incredibly sweet, a straight up dessert beer for sure. It had delicious, intense coconut dominating the overall flavor profile. Mouthfeel was excellent, no complains at all. Only good in small quantities though, due to the cloying sweetness.
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4.84/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
07/2017 - This is bananas - I love all the elements of this ale, such as the nose and palate being chock full of maple, coconut, and coffee without being overwhelming. Supremely excellent mouthfeel that goes on and on. But my favorite part is you can't detect the 17%. Superb!
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look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
07/2017 - This is bananas - I love all the elements of this ale, such as the nose and palate being chock full of maple, coconut, and coffee without being overwhelming. Supremely excellent mouthfeel that goes on and on. But my favorite part is you can't detect the 17%. Superb!
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4.57/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Have had b1 and b2 and consensus for both: absolutely amazing aroma and adjunct presence ...but extremely sweet, a bit insubstantial both in mouthfeel and barrel presence. A whale worth tasting but with room for improvement.
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look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Have had b1 and b2 and consensus for both: absolutely amazing aroma and adjunct presence ...but extremely sweet, a bit insubstantial both in mouthfeel and barrel presence. A whale worth tasting but with room for improvement.
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4.74/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Batch 2
Pours pitch black, glugs out of the bottle. Thin fizzy head that dissipates quickly. Coconut fat floaters. The nose is just insane, coffee roast, sweet marshmallow, coconut, smoky oak, bourbon, sweet maple. Taste is a layered dessert. Chocolate cake, smoke, roasted coffee beans, vanilla icing, sweet toasted coconut, spicy bourbon, maple comes across subtlety in the background. Mouthfeel is full bodied, sticky, coats your mouth. Overall, what more can be said, the adjuncts just play so well off of each other here, and some how come together perfectly. This beer is well worth the cost of admission. Phenomenal!
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Batch 2
Pours pitch black, glugs out of the bottle. Thin fizzy head that dissipates quickly. Coconut fat floaters. The nose is just insane, coffee roast, sweet marshmallow, coconut, smoky oak, bourbon, sweet maple. Taste is a layered dessert. Chocolate cake, smoke, roasted coffee beans, vanilla icing, sweet toasted coconut, spicy bourbon, maple comes across subtlety in the background. Mouthfeel is full bodied, sticky, coats your mouth. Overall, what more can be said, the adjuncts just play so well off of each other here, and some how come together perfectly. This beer is well worth the cost of admission. Phenomenal!
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4.99/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
L: Rich and thick mahogany mocha hues with a khaki head and nice lacing
S: Dark roast coffee, fudge, and loads of maple and some barrel on the nose
T: Decadent and thick Grade B maple syrup, fudge, candied brown sugar/panela, slight trace of coconut, and subtle vanilla bean
F: Thick and syrupy motor oil - sticks to your mouth
O: World class stout from one of the best in the game. J. Wakefield really orchestrates a boatload of flavors into a harmonious cohesion nearly better than anyone else. Awesome stout - glad I was finally able to try it.
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look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
L: Rich and thick mahogany mocha hues with a khaki head and nice lacing
S: Dark roast coffee, fudge, and loads of maple and some barrel on the nose
T: Decadent and thick Grade B maple syrup, fudge, candied brown sugar/panela, slight trace of coconut, and subtle vanilla bean
F: Thick and syrupy motor oil - sticks to your mouth
O: World class stout from one of the best in the game. J. Wakefield really orchestrates a boatload of flavors into a harmonious cohesion nearly better than anyone else. Awesome stout - glad I was finally able to try it.
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5/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Pours pitch black, almost no head.
Aroma has roasted coconut, maple syrup, nuts, bitter chocolate, fudge, caramel.
Taste is the same, thick mouthfeel, liquid bounty bar.
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look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Pours pitch black, almost no head.
Aroma has roasted coconut, maple syrup, nuts, bitter chocolate, fudge, caramel.
Taste is the same, thick mouthfeel, liquid bounty bar.
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4.88/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Look: oil black, thick khaki head with gorgeous lacing
Smell: chocolate, bourbon, with hints of maple, coconut and coffee
Taste: huge chocolate and vanilla flavors with late hints of coffee, coconut and maple.... finishes maple soaked bourbon.
Feel: full, lingering mouth feel
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look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Look: oil black, thick khaki head with gorgeous lacing
Smell: chocolate, bourbon, with hints of maple, coconut and coffee
Taste: huge chocolate and vanilla flavors with late hints of coffee, coconut and maple.... finishes maple soaked bourbon.
Feel: full, lingering mouth feel
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4.94/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Look: oil black, thick khaki head with gorgeous lacing
Smell: chocolate, bourbon, with hints of maple, coconut and coffee
Taste: huge chocolate and vanilla flavors with late hints of coffee, coconut and maple.... finishes maple soaked bourbon.
Feel: full, lingering mouth feel
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look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Look: oil black, thick khaki head with gorgeous lacing
Smell: chocolate, bourbon, with hints of maple, coconut and coffee
Taste: huge chocolate and vanilla flavors with late hints of coffee, coconut and maple.... finishes maple soaked bourbon.
Feel: full, lingering mouth feel
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4.88/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Batch one in a tulip at 55 degrees
Look: oil black, thick khaki head with gorgeous lacing
Smell: chocolate, bourbon, with hints of maple, coconut and coffee
Taste: huge chocolate and vanilla flavors with late hints of coffee, coconut and maple.... finishes maple soaked bourbon.
Feel: full, lingering mouth feel, honestly perfect.
Best beer ever
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look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Batch one in a tulip at 55 degrees
Look: oil black, thick khaki head with gorgeous lacing
Smell: chocolate, bourbon, with hints of maple, coconut and coffee
Taste: huge chocolate and vanilla flavors with late hints of coffee, coconut and maple.... finishes maple soaked bourbon.
Feel: full, lingering mouth feel, honestly perfect.
Best beer ever
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4.94/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
batch 2 drank in a snifter on 3/15/2018...bottle split two ways, so a massive pour and wow what a way to drink this beer
look - pitch black, surprising 1/2 finger light tan head, tons of lacing, absolutely coating the sides of the glass and just stopping on the sides of the glass barely sliding down
smell - tons of coconut and maple in the nose, barrel and chocolate and vanilla and way behind in the race, bold and lovely
taste - barrel pops through a ton but maple and coconut holding strong. bitter dark chocolate coming through more and more with the vanilla still trailing a lot. Not a ton of vanilla. This is really incredible. Uniquely balanced. Bold and exquisite
feel - elite. massive thickness. no booze whatsoever. drinks like its 10%. just mindblowing
overall - worthy of the hype. Would love to try this again. Really an incredible beer and I will seek out more from JWB
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look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
batch 2 drank in a snifter on 3/15/2018...bottle split two ways, so a massive pour and wow what a way to drink this beer
look - pitch black, surprising 1/2 finger light tan head, tons of lacing, absolutely coating the sides of the glass and just stopping on the sides of the glass barely sliding down
smell - tons of coconut and maple in the nose, barrel and chocolate and vanilla and way behind in the race, bold and lovely
taste - barrel pops through a ton but maple and coconut holding strong. bitter dark chocolate coming through more and more with the vanilla still trailing a lot. Not a ton of vanilla. This is really incredible. Uniquely balanced. Bold and exquisite
feel - elite. massive thickness. no booze whatsoever. drinks like its 10%. just mindblowing
overall - worthy of the hype. Would love to try this again. Really an incredible beer and I will seek out more from JWB
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5/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Super amazing barrel-aged stout with a number of great adjuncts all in one. Each of the adjunct flavors shine through in the low carb semi-thick beer. Definitely try to get your hands on one!
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look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Super amazing barrel-aged stout with a number of great adjuncts all in one. Each of the adjunct flavors shine through in the low carb semi-thick beer. Definitely try to get your hands on one!
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4.74/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours pitch black, almost no head.
Aroma has roasted coconut, maple syrup, nuts, bitter chocolate, fudge, caramel.
Taste is the same, thick mouthfeel, liquid bounty bar.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours pitch black, almost no head.
Aroma has roasted coconut, maple syrup, nuts, bitter chocolate, fudge, caramel.
Taste is the same, thick mouthfeel, liquid bounty bar.
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4.75/5 rDev +0.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
another one thank's to jwb and maddogg...love ya mike.
we just had bake and this one is way better in my opinion. everything is just a bit lighter and more in the right place. a bit less overwhelming in the feel/flavor. all the flavors are there.
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look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
another one thank's to jwb and maddogg...love ya mike.
we just had bake and this one is way better in my opinion. everything is just a bit lighter and more in the right place. a bit less overwhelming in the feel/flavor. all the flavors are there.
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5/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Very rarely do I give a 5 for every category, but there just really isn't any other choice here.
The first thing you notice is the coconut floaties. Now I'm not talking about the occasional sprinkle you get with Cycle or other decent BA coconut Stouts. The chunks of coconut just come flowing out. Unreal. This beer is so thick, too. Coats the glass
Smell is amazing. No one adjunct stands out above the rest. Same with the taste. Absolutely incredible.
Mouthfeel is where this truly shines. I have never had a beer where people were smacking their lips minutes after taking each sip. We all were amazed at how much this beer stuck to your mouth like syrup.
Truly one of the top 3 beers I've had, and if I'm being honest (which is hard for an Indiana local to admit) it might be better than Handjee for the top spot. Seek out as many as you can. You won't be disappointed.
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look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Very rarely do I give a 5 for every category, but there just really isn't any other choice here.
The first thing you notice is the coconut floaties. Now I'm not talking about the occasional sprinkle you get with Cycle or other decent BA coconut Stouts. The chunks of coconut just come flowing out. Unreal. This beer is so thick, too. Coats the glass
Smell is amazing. No one adjunct stands out above the rest. Same with the taste. Absolutely incredible.
Mouthfeel is where this truly shines. I have never had a beer where people were smacking their lips minutes after taking each sip. We all were amazed at how much this beer stuck to your mouth like syrup.
Truly one of the top 3 beers I've had, and if I'm being honest (which is hard for an Indiana local to admit) it might be better than Handjee for the top spot. Seek out as many as you can. You won't be disappointed.
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4.86/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
I was drinking a crooked stave sour out of a JWB glass at a new bottleshop in St. Pete with a couple friends who knew the owners. they sat down with us and started to chat and have some drinks. We began talking about the glass and they mentioned that they recently had a very succesful J. Wakefield event. I mentioned how I would have loved to have tried "It was all a dream". One of the owners said "I have a bottle in the fridge if you'd like to try it". i was blown away by the hospitality. The beer poured with creamy specs of coconut. The scent was off the hook with loads of maple and coconut shining through. It tasted like heaven in a bottle with even more coconut in the back end. Light mouthfeel for how heavy the beer was with a very light carbonation and very little head. Overall one of the best beers I've ever had.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
I was drinking a crooked stave sour out of a JWB glass at a new bottleshop in St. Pete with a couple friends who knew the owners. they sat down with us and started to chat and have some drinks. We began talking about the glass and they mentioned that they recently had a very succesful J. Wakefield event. I mentioned how I would have loved to have tried "It was all a dream". One of the owners said "I have a bottle in the fridge if you'd like to try it". i was blown away by the hospitality. The beer poured with creamy specs of coconut. The scent was off the hook with loads of maple and coconut shining through. It tasted like heaven in a bottle with even more coconut in the back end. Light mouthfeel for how heavy the beer was with a very light carbonation and very little head. Overall one of the best beers I've ever had.
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5/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Holy Mother of God!!! 2017 bomber poured into my treehouse tulip glass.... this is the bomb! I love coconut stouts, and literally bought every prop '13 i could find for a year---must've drank 15-20 of them, and until now, was my gold standard (although Snowed In was damned good). But this beer leaves all other coconut stouts in the dust--not only because it has incredible coconut flavors--it has floaties!--but also because of the intense berry flavor (raspberry mostly) that compliments the coconut so well, and then some coffee and a hint of chili peppers kicks in on the finish...WOW.
Incredible silky smooth thick body, sweet enough to be considered a dessert beer, but not cloying or overly sweet (though I couldn't kill a whole bottle in one sitting)---which I'm not a fan of, and certainly a different beer than Assassin, KBBS, Summation, etc. as its a flavored variant.
I'm already a huge fan of their sours, and If this is an indication of J Wakefield stouts, I cant wait to try my Notorius and BK... Impressive!
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look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Holy Mother of God!!! 2017 bomber poured into my treehouse tulip glass.... this is the bomb! I love coconut stouts, and literally bought every prop '13 i could find for a year---must've drank 15-20 of them, and until now, was my gold standard (although Snowed In was damned good). But this beer leaves all other coconut stouts in the dust--not only because it has incredible coconut flavors--it has floaties!--but also because of the intense berry flavor (raspberry mostly) that compliments the coconut so well, and then some coffee and a hint of chili peppers kicks in on the finish...WOW.
Incredible silky smooth thick body, sweet enough to be considered a dessert beer, but not cloying or overly sweet (though I couldn't kill a whole bottle in one sitting)---which I'm not a fan of, and certainly a different beer than Assassin, KBBS, Summation, etc. as its a flavored variant.
I'm already a huge fan of their sours, and If this is an indication of J Wakefield stouts, I cant wait to try my Notorius and BK... Impressive!
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It Was All A Dream from J. Wakefield Brewing
Beer rating:
100 out of
100 with
149 ratings
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