Colchester
Aslin Beer Company

 

L: Pours a rich dark hickory, dark cola. No appreciable head, nor lacing/ retention. Faint spurts of bubbles rise along the edge of the snifter. Held to the light, this beer has an opaque, nutty chocolate hue.

S: Bourbon barrel influence, with some coffee and roasted malt as well. Hints of caramel, molasses, and maple syrup. Whiff of dark fruit.

T: Follows the nose, as the barrel adds a nice heat to each sip. Plenty of dark chocolate, vanilla, coffee roast, and malt. Some faint dark fruit and a sliver of licorice. Not sure about the maple syrup on the label - that notwithstanding, this beer has a balanced flavor profile.

F: Medium- to full-bodied, bias to full. Moderately higher carbonation than you'd expect, with a bubbling sensation percolating on the tongue (akin to Pop Rocks). A smooth, silky, almost creamy mouthfeel, with a solid coating feeling. Lingers for a while, with a nice alcohol burn.

O: This beer embodies what a good AIS should be: boozy, bold, yet balanced. This beer derives its edge from the superior taste, with few equals. The aromas were a tad underwhelming, and there was very little pomp in the presentation. Doesn't matter with a taste and feel that surpass almost all other dessert stouts. Sad to see this has been discontinued for now, hopefully it re-enters Aslin's rotation again soon.

 

 

 

Poured from 500ml bottle into pint glass in June 2022, that I purchased at their brewery in Herndon. I did not see any brewed or bottled on date, and I drank this about 1 month after I purchased it.

Appearance: Very dark black with a small 1 finger head. The head was dark brown with red tint, and thins out after a minute. It left only a little lacing on the glass, and no head remained after a minute.

Smell: Strong mix of aromas and the bourbon aroma filled the room as soon as the bottle was opened. In addition to the bourbon, some roasted coffee and chocolate aromas too. Not much hop aroma.

Taste: There is a sweet taste of chocolate, vanilla, and licorice. Also, some coffee and roasted malt flavors. They are more balanced than I expected from the aroma, which was dominated by the bourbon aromas. Flavors are very bold. There is a strong alcohol presence that matches 14.0% on the label. A sweet chocolate, and vanilla aftertaste, that is really enjoyable.

Mouth-feel: Very thick, but with an extremely smooth and creamy body.

This is a good barrel-aged Imperial Dessert Stout, and it has a variety of flavors that adds a nice complexity to the beer. The balance of flavors is outstanding. The bourbon flavors from the barrel-aging are noticeable, but do not dominate. The additional flavors of coffee and roasted malt nicely balance the sweet dessert flavors and the bourbon. It is very smooth and enjoyable to drink. Since it is a sweet stout, it is not one I would often drink, but for special times it is excellent. I would buy this again, and hope they have bottles available the next time I visit.

 

Gary brought this for a bottle share.

 

 

 

 

 

500 mL bottle from mid February 2019. Poured into Aslin teku glass.

L: Dark black, very little tan head, very spotting lacing and a partial very thin ring.

S: Bourbon barrel, bourbon, and roasted malts. Quite oaky.

T: Oaky and roasty, with the bourbon kicking in quickly and making it a bit boozy. Maple suddenly appears halfway through and really asserts itself for a long finish, which also is a bit hot from the alcohol (even after two years).

F: Full-bodied, not much carbonation. A bit of a docking for the ABV heat, which Aslin usually hides better than this, but otherwise this is a fantastic sippin' beer in Bourbon County class.

O: A very solid maple bourbon stout. Aslin doesn't want you to age their beers, but since I snagged quite a few bottles I am sorely tempted to try one here as it really runs hot. If I do, I will add to this in 2-3 years.