Terror
Winterlong Brewing Co.

 

If this is a variation of Erebus then I feel like I will enjoy this quite a lot....lets see what we have here, shall we?!

A- Pours a dark chocolatey brown color, and does not show any sort of transparency, which also leads me to state here that it is much too hard to determine what the carbonation will be like, by looks only. The head is stunning, starting out a good three fingers in thickness, and with rather large bubbles, that once they eventually pop, this dark tan colored foam head settles down to a creamy looking thick film over top the liquid. Lacing is quite sticky and thick, providing a solid coating of protein laced foam all over the inside of my tulip glass when given a gentle swirl. Very nice indeed!

S- Right away, I detect a sweet boozy aroma, reminding me of bourbon/dark rum. Alongside this, there is a reasonably heavy woodsy oak barrel aroma, with mild char and dried dark fruits aplenty. Secondary aromas of vanilla, both milk and dark chocolates, roasted red and chocolate malts, burnt brown sugars and molasses/caramel/toffee. As it warms up, the boozy dark fruits become more intense, but not overpowering (golden raisin/fig/prune). The finish is strong, slightly ashy, and also mildly bitter.

T- I find the flavors follow suit to the aromas reasonably well, with initial whisky barrel, charred oak, Earthy dry grains and booze infused dark fruits. The chocolate notes follow in behind, along with vanilla creme, mocha coffee, bittering chocolate or even possibly black malts, and creamy yeasty character. The finish isnt overly sweet either, being more along the lines of a traditional Stout....smooth hop profile, and a lingering taste on the palate that is of raw cocoa powder and black tea astringency. I like the overall profile here and find everything well balanced.

M/O- The mouthfeel is not as heavy as I would have initially thought, but rather more of a medium-full body. The carbonation is zingy for the style but not overbearing.....perhaps just a tad much for my liking....nothing major! The alcohol is somewhat noticeable but again, does not interfere with the drinkability, which I find to be good.....but one can of this is more than enough before palate fatigue may settle in. I think it is very good, but just a step below Erebus, which is not even a bad thing....just prefer a little less of the Oak aging is all! Would recommend and will enjoy again I'm sure!

2021 version of this brew.

Appearance - Pours a dark jet black with four fingers of creamy mocha tan head.

Smell - earthy, leafy, floral, and herbal hops, oak, bourbon barrel, vanilla, molasses, cocoa, chocolate, roasted malts, dark fruits (raisin, plum, and fig), and earthy yeast.

Taste - earthy, leafy, floral, and herbal hops upfront. Then it quickly goes into the bold oak, bourbon barrel, vanilla, molasses, cocoa, and chocolate. The flavours all blend cohesively with one another. The roasted malts, dark fruits (raisin, plum, and fig) and earthy yeast round out the brew.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full bodied with moderate to full bodied. Finishes velvety smooth with the bourbon barrel and other elements lingering.

Overall - A pleasant upgrade from the original version Erebus. I like how all the elements work in a nice cohesive manner making this a true dangerous sipper. A nice representation of bourbon barrel aged RIS.