El Rio
Aslin Beer Company

 

On tap at The Sheffield in Rochester, NY.

This one pours a very dark black color, with a small head, and not much lacing.

This smells richly and boldly of peanut butter, with sweet chocolate, caramel, and coffee.

There’s a bit more barrel character on the tongue than the nose, but I do wish there was more here. The peanut butter, caramel, and vanilla are decidedly decadent and pretty tasty, but there’s just no balance, and it all tastes fairly syrupy.

This is quite thick and rich – a 5 oz pour was pretty much more than enough.

I’ve liked a lot of Aslin stouts, but I’d like this better with a more pronounced barrel character, and the adjuncts dialed back a bit, as well.

2020 (batch 2) release; consumed on 9/2/2022

Pours an inky, jet-black body capped with just over a finger of creamy, pale khaki-hued foam; decent head retention leaves a vague, paper-thin layer of cap, a moderate, frothy collar, and minimal-no lacing holding to the walls of the glass.

Aromas of creamy milk chocolate ease to roasty peanut butter as a massive caramel begins to dominate the bouquet, leaving bourbon vanillins, subtle oak, and wispy bits of residual, toasted malts lingering beneath.

Taste finds milk chocolate and creamy caramel upfront, with roasty peanut butter over the mid-palate cut with shreds of charry malt interspersed through a burly, bourbon exhale presenting over time.

Mouthfeel sees a medium body with subtle, moderate-low carbonation ease to fluffy textures and a creamy mid-palate, dispersing a quiet, prickly warmth through silky roast on the back end.

Intense caramel overtones are laden with an adept, peanut butter flow as a disparate barrel presence struggles to becomes fully realized; warmth cuts sweetness, though the vaguely unraveled nature of oak and adjunct indicate this stout's best days were likely behind it.

On draft at ChurchKey in DC. All peanut butter and caramel on the nose, quite rich and pure. More nuance on the palate, but also more confusion and flavors that compete for attention. Peanut and caramel, but also some vinous notes, honeycomb candy, milk chocolate, pear, bourbon heat, and a touch of tang and barrel oak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The beer pours no head and the texture of the beer itself is fantastic looking and very inviting. The beer itself is a dark chocolate brown color that borders on a deep black. The really noticeable thing is the texture of it. It has a combination of heavy body seen in whiskey with a thick heavy look. The mix gives a slight syrupy look as a result.

The smell is delicious. The overall result is a sugary cake like batter smell of a dominant but soft peanut butter with very little trace of whiskey and soft chocolate that comes out in the finish.

The taste is absolutely divine. The predominant taste is once again the peanut butter but less dominant than in the smell. The chocolate comes out a little more and mixes with the peanut butter but the note that really comes it is the bourbon that enhances the sweetness of the peanut butter and is the only note in the finish, which is what ends with.

The feel is good. It has a nice soft and silky feel to with some very light carbonation to give it a nice texture. It has a very heavy body with a bit of syrupness that reminds me of whiskey.

Overall, this is a fantastic beer and worth its weight in trades and money. Go for it, if you can find one.

World class.
So enjoyable