Baba Yaga
Ethereal Brewing

 

 

2023 OG poured from a 375 ml bottle

Look: Pours near total blackness with a whisp of a dark espresso head

Aroma: Chocolate bourbon balls sprinkled with brown sugar and barrel char

Flavor: Starts dark chocolate with tons of depth and a bittered prickle that flows into milk chocolate territory as vanilla and brown sugar join in. The complexity only grows as it warms, and while the alcohol is present, it is nicely tapered by the layered flavors and toothsome finish

Feel: Quite fluffy but not too decadent; thick enough for the flavors to have their turn on the tongue but not overstay or oversweet

Overall: This is chocolate and barrel bomb with a ton of supporting cast making for a fulfilling and flavorful experience

 

2017 bottling

Appearance: Pours inky black with an ecru head that rises up to one finger and then fades quickly to a ringlet and archipelago; a few spots of lacing

Smell: The Four Roses whiff dominates with strong barrel tones, tobacco and fusel alcohol; dark chocolate and dark fruit also make an appearance

Taste: Roast and dark chocolate make a brief appearance with the Four Roses barrel quickly taking over bringing the Bourbon, tobacco and oak tones to the fore; some dark fruit struggles to make an appearance but the finish is dominated by the Four Roses

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation; considerable warmth in the gullet

Overall: For BB stouts I prefer the Bourbon to complement rather than to dominate though I know others prefer big barrel tones like we have here; I am surprised that after 3+ years in my cellar this beer has not mellowed to a greater extent

Thanks, SPLITGRIN, for the opportunity

2020 version

 

 

 

 

 

Pours like black gold. Nose is like dark chocolate with a hint of bourbon. Taste is the chocolate I expected, but then the flavor develops into salted caramel. This is a great stout!

 

L: pours thick brown with a finger of brown head
S: sweet dark fruit(prunes, raisins) and chocolate with a slight but smooth barrel
T: just like nose. This is a dark fruit forward Ba stout with some chocolate to balance it out. Not my favorite flavors I like in Ba stouts, but it's got some chocolate to help. The barrel is smooth but on the weaker side.
F: medium to thick feel, but a bit of heat the whole way down, and it has a lot of carbonation.

Wow, tasty!

Love the four roses on the nose and pallet.

Also hints of chocolate and spices. Very boozy. Dangerous.

I have tried both the Coffee version and Four Roses and you can't go wrong with either.

Finally got around to popping my bottle. This beer has a nose that includes Coco and dark chocolate with a hint of soft spice. Says jet black like old-fashioned ink in a jar. Taste is super fudgy upfront. It really has layers of spicy dark chocolate, Coco and even a hint of coffee even though this is not the coffee version. This one reminds me a lot of this year's KBS. Ethereal really out did thereselfs here. I really wish I would've gotten a couple more bottles. Because this one with age really well.

 

L: Solid black color with a two-finger, brown head with some nice lacing. A very nice appearance.

S: Loads of chocolate and bourbon tones. A true sensory explosion.

T: A heavy bourbon explosion with some sweetness (chocolate and dark fruit?) and a great finish. A very solid BA RIS with I could drink all day (well, maybe like half a day before I pass out).

F: Very smooth for the style, similar to the coffee version.

O: My fourth beer from Ethereal (first three being Old Gregg BA, Wanderland, and Coffee Baba Yaga) and by far up there with the coffee version, albeit slightly behind. out.

Creamy, boozy, thick. Literally the closest beer I have found that has the same characteristics of Bourbon County. I really love this beer and think it is the best beer Kentucky has produced. It has a heavy bourbon flavor that will die down the more you age it, but for me, it is absolutely delicious. It has a great chocolate and subtle cream aspect that add to the bourbon vanilla. I hope Ethereal continues to bottle this and keep it on draft. It is a fantastic beer and one that I would say is top 10 in my beer rankings! Hope you all get a change to try it. Great job Ethereal!