Nevermore
Brasserie La Débauche

33 cl can, bought at the brewery in Angouleme, France.
Pours with a thin foam cap on deep brown brew.
Nose is dark chocolate, coffee, stone fruit, dark smoky roast malt.
Taste follows. The bourbon is not present, but the barrel comes through nicely. There is a fine bitterness that increases as the brew warms. Alcohol gives a little nip. Short finish, not too sweet.
Mouth is not so thick, making it really drinkable.
Overall, a very good and unfussy Imperial Stout made with quality ingredients.

 

Very nice

L- Inky black, even held up right to a halogen not a photon gets through it. Hesitant to pour with a head, poured from a greater height towards the end, but then got 2-3mm fine tan foam that isn't going to linger for too long.

S- Roasty-toasty + smokey + coffee. Smells pretty pungent.

T- Woah, all the smell notes^ with coffee prominent then WHAM! the liquorish edge from the cognac barrel ageing comes in, and I mean WHAM!! [*note below].

F- Seriously pungent, in the top-5% of beers I've had for pungency; maybe even top 2%. Don't plan on tasting any milder beers after this one, at least until your palate has re-entered earth's atmosphere (unlikely within a session).

O- It is a beast, a cognac barrell aged Baltic Porter, + with serious attitude. Ideally this would be a winter-time slow-sippin' after dinner dessert beer. Absolutely zero 'wrong' here to note, it's a beast and a fine one at that.

[*Note: I don't mind coffee or liquer notes in beer, and found the liquor surprisingly prominent here, a real dose of it. My wife isn't much at all into coffee notes in beer and to her the coffee was notably more prominent than liquor, 'It's like an iced ristretto with a thimble of brandy in it'.]
ps. !Wealth-warning! - This is a $$$ beer. This one cost £7 for a 330ml bottle (from a liquor/beer shop to go). It's so different and so full-on I'd probably rank this as a special-occasion beer that once in a while merits the cost.
Bought from: Bacchanalia, Mill Road, Cambridge/UK.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at the Beers, Lyon.

L - pitch black with a two finger beigehead

S - Roasty, chocolate, coffee

T - Roasty dark chocolate, , cocoa. Complex but clear taste

F - Not too thick, and very gentle carbonation

O - An amazing beer from La Débauche. Really great stuff.

Bottle from Cave a La Bulles in Paris. "Nevermore." 9.5% ABV. Bourbon barrel aged imperial stout. Cool label art.

Standard healthy appearance. Opaque black body. Khaki-tan head. Retention is excellent - ~8-10 minutes.

Aroma has unexpected subtle smokiness. Dark malts. Not getting any bourbon character at all. Seems simple for a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout. Aromatic intensity is below average.

Taste brings rounded chocolate malt and dark malt character, but no bourbon barrel notes at all. Cream, faint wood when I really look for it, schwarz malts. Decent balance. Not really dialed in. Likable stuff for what it is, but admittedly simple for a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout.

Texture is as you'd expect, though it doesn't accentuate specific notes from the flavour profile and fails to elevate the beer as a whole. Overcarbonated, heavy, smooth, wet, filling, moderately thick. Not syrupy, sticky, boozy, astringent, harsh, rough, astringent, gushed, or scratchy. Suits the taste decently, but there's no true harmony of texture and taste here.

Overall, it's a likable imperial stout even if it does lack the advertised bourbon barrel character. Drinkable, and of well above average quality. But this won't dazzle the discerning drinker, and in terms of this style it'll have serious trouble competing with good expressions in the global arena. It's nice to see imperial stouts coming out of France, but this kind of simplicity and relative shallowness just won't cut it for those who have had the creme de la creme from the U.S.A, Denmark, Sweden, the U.K., et al. Glad as I am that I got to try it, I wouldn't buy it again (at least not at its current price point).

High C+ (3.25) / ABOVE AVERAGE

 

Pours an opaque dark brown almost black color with khaki colored head. Bourbon, roasted malt, and some cocoa on the nose; follows onto the palate. Very viscous. Finishes with a nice dark chocolate and whiskey note.