Multnomah County Stout
Culmination Brewing

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque black in the glass with a half finger dark khaki head with great retention and nice lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, vanilla, milk chocolate, bourbon and little lactose. Flavor is semi-sweet dark toasted malt, milk chocolate, oaky vanilla, bourbon and some toffee. Good bourbon aftertaste. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess, good mouth feel. I was pleased to see the name of this, a little tweak at That stout; it was somewhat brave to challenge the big guy on the block, but this is a well made and enjoyable barrelled stout. Not as deep as its mentor, but well balanced with fine bourbon barrel character. The body is somewhat more reminiscent of an imperial milk stout, but the malt is fully up to the barrelling. This appears to have about a year on it, the sweet spot to my taste for this style and it is quite enjoyable. Not sure why there is so much variation in ratings here, I'm guessing the earlier version(s) may have not held up to ageing. This is the 2018 version and I'd expect it to mellow for a few more years at least. Well done. Glad I ran across this.

 

This opaque very dark (SRM 38) high ABV stout is so good, I hope Culmination will brew it again. (Can they get more of those used bourbon barrels?) Makes an insanely sturdy persistent head that leaves sticky lace all the way down. Smells like sweet malt, and tastes barley wine molasses malty, with a jet-fuel ethanol aftertaste of fumes heading up into the sinuses. Mouthfeel is very soft, gently carbonated, sweet smooth butterscotch sticky buttery, bourbon-barrel oaky. I got this excellent brew in the mail from an erstwhile neighbor who moved to Eugene, OR recently. Proof that he has no reason to rue the move!