Barrel Aged You Are
Deciduous Brewing Company

 

Somewhat muted aroma on ink-black darkness that bubbles up slowly with a moderately aggressive pour. Chocolate-covered cherry cordials, but in a reversal from the typical flavor profile, the chocolate and liqueurs lead over the cherry which stays more in the background. I would suggest letting it warm up, as more complexity emerges as it starts to approach room temp. In particular, that's when I start to get more barrel character competing against the sweet elements, as opposed to simple boozy heat.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque black in the glass with a thin chocolate brown head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, sweet cherry, vanilla and light chocolate. Flavor is dark toasted malt, bourbon, sweet cherry, light lactose and milk chocolate; lingering estery cherry in the finish. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess, nice mouth feel. A big, bold barreled milk stout with authentic tasting sweet cherry juice. I didn't know about the cherry when I got this, and usually avoid potentially tart fruit flavors in my stouts, but this is quite to my taste. It is a bit sweet and quite cherry forward, but the base milk stout is robust and has good chocolate notes that support the cherry flavor well. The finish is spot-on bourbon soaked chocolate cherry. The sweetness skirts the edge of cloying, but stayed within dessert stout boundaries. Despite the near still pour this had fine carbonation and a very creamy, silky mouth feel. I liked it quite a bit, but it is a slow sipper.