Dicksmasher In The Rye
Batch Brewing Company

Not retired; this is the 2019 can.

My wife described the nose better than I can -- it's savory. The rye spice shines and blends with cocoa for a smooth sipper. The barrel might have thinned it out a bit, but I can get past that.

 

 

500 ml bottle into snifter, no bottle dating. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, vanilla, toffee, coconut, molasses, toasted oak, spicy rye whiskey, and dark bread; with light notes if licorice, anise, smoke, char, pepper, raisin, fig, date, and oak/roasted earthiness. Touch of booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, rye whiskey barrel, and light fruity yeast/anise notes; with big strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, vanilla, toffee, coconut, molasses, toasted oak, spicy rye whiskey, and dark bread; with light notes if licorice, anise, smoke, char, pepper, raisin, fig, date, and oak/roasted earthiness. Light roast/char bitterness and rye whiskey/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, vanilla, toffee, coconut, molasses, toasted oak, spicy rye whiskey, dark bread, light smoke/char, anise, dark fruit, pepper, oak/roasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, rye whiskey barrel, and light fruity yeast/anise flavors; with an awesome roasted bitter/sweet and rye whiskey/oak spiciness balance; with zero cloying/acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from roast bitterness and whiskey/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and very full body; with a very smooth, creamy, silky, velvety, and rich mouthfeel that is fantastic. Slightly slick, sticky, chalky, and tannic. Alcohol is extremely well hidden; and mildly increasing warrmth of 12%, with minimal barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged imperial stout! All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, rye whiskey barrel, and light fruity yeast/anise flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV. Super rich with amazing imperial stout malt complexity, and perfect Rye Whiskey barrel balance. Never overly roasty, charred, tannic, boozy, or drying. Well restrained on the star anise spice. A highly enjoyable offering.