Stoan Boans
Batch Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

500 ml bottle into snifter; no bottle dating, but is a recent release. Pours slightly hazy deep orange/amber/light copper color with a small dense cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big golden raisin, peach, plum, apricot, pear, apple, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, bourbon, toasted oak, marshmallow, and brown bread; with lighter notes of peat smoke, butterscotch, herbal, pepper, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/earthy yeast, dark/bready malt, bourbon barrel, and light earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of huge golden raisin, peach, plum, apricot, pear, apple, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, bourbon, toasted oak, marshmallow, and brown bread; with lighter notes of peat smoke, butterscotch, herbal, pepper, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light herbal bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of golden raisin, peach, plum, apricot, pear, apple, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, bourbon, toasted oak, marshmallow, brown bread, light peat smoke/butterscotch, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/earthy yeast, dark/bready malt, bourbon barrel, and light earthy hop flavors; with a nice malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Minimal dryness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy, silky, velvety, and slightly tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Alcohol as very well hidden; a mildly increasing warmth, with zero barrel booziness after the finish. Overall this is an amazing BBA scotch ale! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/earthy yeast, dark/bready malt, bourbon barrel, and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the ABV. The barrel integration is flat out perfect; with fantastic complexity and balance between fruity yeast and sweet malts. A highly enjoyable offering.