Barrel Aged Genius Wizard
Ratio Beerworks

 

This beer and brewery have created some buzz around town (CO) so I figured I'd purchase a pretty pricey $~12 bottle to check it out for myself. Cool name and label.

L: pours an inky jet black with very little carbonation whatsoever, tiny bit of tan lace which dissipates.

S: boozy nose with some sugary/malty notes

T: quite roasty up front, a bit sweet, pretty well balanced. Not the most complex stout I've had recently. Mostly bourbon and roast.

F: A bit thin on the mouthfeel. really looking for a big chewy stout for an 11% RIS

O: Overall a decent or above average Bourbon RIS but wouldn't buy again based on the availability of better stouts out there.

2017 Bourbon Barrel-Aged, 12.7 oz bottle. Pours dark brown black with a small creamy tan head that quickly goes to a thin film that leaves some lacing.

The aroma is sweet fudgy roast chocolate malt with lots of boozy dark fruit and a little black licorice.

The flavor is sweet dark fruit and heavily roasted chocolate malt with a big boozy heavy roast chalky finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with smooth carbonation.

Overall, a decent big imperial stout. Not very well balanced with big sweetness, fruit and heavy roast.

 

From a 375 ml bottle to a tulip.

A-The beer looks thin and watery as I pour it. A thin brown head fades quickly to a collar of foam leaving behind a sheen on the top of the beer. The liquid is nearly black and opaque. Ho-hum.

S-The aroma is pretty intense with unique oak-forward whiskey and dark chocolate notes hitting me first. There is a bit of heat in here too. Flavors include caramel, vanilla, fudge, molasses, and a sweetness that reminds me of pancake syrup.

T-The taste tracks the smell mostly. There is an intense oaked flavor that gives a little vanilla and cinnamon, and does a good job of balancing the sweetness. I also pick up chocolate syrup and caramel.

M-The beer is somewhat letdown by the thin mouthfeel and sticky finish. I could use a little more substance on the palate to go with the intense flavors.

O-I like this beer better than the normal, non-barrel-aged Genius Wizard. The intense flavors are pretty unique and I suspect that the warming alcohol and oak might mellow a bit with a little cellar time. That could make this beer interesting in a year. Unfortunately, the feel is holding it back.

 

 

 

12.7oz bottle. Whiskey BA. Dark brown hue with a low brown bubble layer. Deep, dark imperial stout, chocolate and rye whiskey nose and flavor. Some char, earthy, brown sugar, peat and raisin notes rounded out the taste, followed by a wooden whiskey barrel finish. Full bodied with low carbonation.