Whiskey Barrel Nemesis - Ancho Chiles, Cocoa Nibs, Cinnamon
Elk Valley Brewing Co.

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled in 12/2016. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a small fairly dense tan head with poor retention, that reduces to nothing pretty quickly. Zero lacing on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, cinnamon, chile pepper, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, whiskey, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, coconut, raisin, prune, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Minimal booze in the aromas as it warms. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malts, chiles, cinnamon, cocoa nibs, whiskey barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, cinnamon, chile pepper, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, whiskey, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, coconut, raisin, prune, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Light herbal, grassy, roast, charred bitterness; and chile, cinnamon, bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, cinnamon, chile pepper, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, whiskey, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, dark bread/crust, molasses, licorice, coconut, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, chiles, cinnamon, cocoa nibs, whiskey barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with a great roast/hop bitter/sweet, and spiciness balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Light carbonation and very full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, and lightly slick/sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 9.6%, barrel booze, and spice heat after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged Mole spiced imperial stout. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, chiles, cinnamon, cocoa nibs, whiskey barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on with the mellowly bitter/spicy/drying finish; great soft/silky feel. Fantastic balance of super rich malts, spices, and whiskey barrel presence/integration. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. Not overwhelming on any aspect. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding style example for the ABV.