Rye Barrel Aged 800lbs Gorilla
Ascension Brewing Company

750 ml bottle into snifter; batch #1, bottled in 9/2016. Bottle #52. Pours nearly opaque dark brown/black color with a thin light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a ring of lace that lingers. Slight spotty lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, fudge, toffee, rye whiskey, toasted oak, and brown bread; with lighter notes of nuttiness, smoke, char, raisin, plum, fig, date, and roast/toast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt, rye whiskey barrel, and light fruity yeast notes; with great strength. A bit of booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Taste of huge milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, fudge, toffee, rye whiskey, toasted oak, and brown bread; with lighter notes of nuttiness, smoke, char, raisin, plum, fig, date, and roast/toast/oak earthiness. light roast/char bitterness and rye whiskey/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, fudge, toffee, rye whiskey, toasted oak, brown bread, light dark fruit, and roast/toast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, rye whiskey barrel, and light fruity yeast flavors; with a great roasted bitter/sweet and rye whiskey/oak spiciness balance; with zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light dryness from roast bitterness and rye/oak spiciness, lightly increasing through the glass. Low carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/rich, and lightly slick/chalky/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is well hidden, mildly warming with minimal barrel booziness for 10.8%. Overall this is a fantastic rye barrel aged imperial stout. All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, rye whiskey barrel, and light fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and easy to sip on for the big ABV, and despite the very low carbonation. I think I got a leaking cap under the wax due to the discoloration I saw when removing it, but it did not limit drink-ability; and likely made the mouthfeel more silky and rich feeling. Fantastic rye barrel complexity and balance; without being overly boozy, tannic, or drying. A highly enjoyable offering.