Kingsnake
Wren House Brewing Co.

 

 

a really epic barrel aged big stout with vanilla, a fair few variants exist and i believe there is some barrel variability by vintage, fairly sure i dipped the 2024 vintage, truly special beer, which may have been aged in a few different barrels according to the guy serving it to me, the vanilla is resplendent, but the whole thing is just epic, the base beer is rich and full and nuanced, the vanilla is sexy and bold but it doesnt dominate this, and the barrel treatment is lovely, woody and whiskey forward, super big but also real elegant, warms up well, lightly spicy, super long, definitely the best beer ive ever had from these guys and now im super keen to find some of the other versions! high shine, nearly black, and rather viscous without a lot of visible carbonation, very short and short lived mocha ring of bubbles. the nose and taste run the same course, and its elite, real vanilla bean in its purest form all through it, like the part that its actually from a flower is apparent, so soft and feminine for being this bold, way cool, and it does bring and also ride some sweetness, layers of molasses and chocolate fudge in the grain base here, lots of roast too though, nice balance, espresso beans fresh ground, little notes of baking chocolate bitterness, hazelnut fatty and earthy qualities, and maple syrup. the whiskey is awesome in here, rich without being diabetic, warm without burning, and woody and smoothing and soothing, i get a complimentary vanilla thing from it, some barrel char adding depth, and light spiciness which is a subtle but cool counterpoint. tons and tons of body, cocoa, vanilla, and grain complexity, raisin fruitiness as it warms, just enough bitterness, long vanilla finish, relaxed on the carbonation but not still, just right, super slow pace which makes sense, this warms up insanely well. loads and loads of flavor here, of the finest quality, id love to know a little more about the beer and the processes involved, this seems elevated by quite a ways over what so many others are doing in this genre. borderline unforgettable!