Bourbon Barrel Aged Pastry Stout
Old Nation Brewing Co.

16 ounce crowler into snifter, filled on 7/24/2019. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy khaki head with solid retention, that reduces to a ring of lace eventually. Nice spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, dark roasted coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Light booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malts, coffee, vanilla, bourbon barrel, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, dark roasted coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Light herbal, grassy, roast, charred bitterness; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, dark roasted coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, dark bread/crust, molasses, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, coffee, vanilla, bourbon barrel, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a fantastic hop/roast/char bitter/sweet, and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with zero cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness, and bourbon/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, and lightly slick/sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mild increasing warmth of 9.6%, and lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic flavored BBA imperial stout. All around fantastic omplexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, coffee, vanilla, bourbon barrel, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV, with the mellowly bitter/tannic/drying finish. Fantastic soft feel for the style/ABV. Amazingly balanced super rich malts, coffee, vanilla, and BBA presence/integration; mild earthy hops and restrained fruity yeast. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing style example as expected. Not overwhelming on any aspect.