Bastard's Midnight Brunch
Arrogant Consortia

Cellared bottle from Beer:30. Merry Christmas to me! Big dark Amber body some mahogany tones very small skin of fine head. Aroma is woody and malty, some of the booze coming through, a little bit of the maple syrup. Taste is more of the same, comes on quite strong, a little bit boozy, sweet and makty but a really nice blend. A year and a half worth of cellaring seems to have done this beer pretty well. Worth the wait.

 

A 500ml corked and caged bottle, 2016 vintage. Poured into a snifter glass.

Appearance: Poured a cold haze rusty orange brown colour but eventually settled to a clear copper colour with a thin orangey beige head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving some spotty lacing.

Aroma: Coffee roast, oak, caramel, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, light booze, with hints of maple syrup.

Taste: Sweet malts, caramel, toffee, maple, bourbon, vanilla, oak, with bitter coffee notes on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with soft carbonation.

Overall: It doesn’t seem like coffee was added, but the appearance of it in the aroma and flavours was great as it balanced the sweetness quite a bit. At times it felt overly sweet from the maple, but the complexity was there and it was still a good sipper.

 

2016 vintage
550ml cork & cage bottle poured into a snifter

A- pours a deep clear amber color with a one-finger foamy off-white head that has short retention and leaves nothing behind

S- burnt caramel and toasted almonds up front, followed by a mix of maple, fig & raisin. Undertones of chocolate, coffee, tobacco, leather, bourbon barrel & vanilla

T- sweet maple, caramel and toffee up front, followed by charred notes and vanilla cream. Mid-palate brings out some faded hop notes of citrus and pine, along with chocolate and cracked pepper. The finish gives more maple, along with toast crust, medicinal hops, bourbon barrel and pepper. More maple on the linger

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a creamy mouthfeel that continues into a silky, slightly warming finish

O- complexity runs throughout with the maple sweetness mixing well with the base beer. Hops have faded at this point, leaving a sweet, warming sipper

 

 

Really enjoyed this - 2016 dated beer tasted in October 2018. Smooth, bourbon flavor clearly evident but not overpowering. Smooth and quite well balanced - very enjoyable on a stormy evening.

2016 bottling
this has been a beacon in my cellar... calling my name...
so tonight, I christen the SS Bastard Bomber ready for sea (and drinking)

eyes...
one finger of off white craggy sort of head, deep caramel (with a nod to ruby) tone (clear throughout), a beer spout of bubbles dancing around the bottom of the glass providing new soldiers to send to the bubble front, good lacing and retention, pretty nice

nose...
boozy, bourbon (vanilla booze) and the maple rounds out the bourbon bite, the hops are fighting to stay in the mix and butt in when you let this air out for a minute or two, I also sense some prune (dark fruit)

taste etc...
you definitely first get that base of double bastard... and then you are whisked away, big coffee notes especially in the bitterness, the alcohol warms immediately in the belly, super smooth - the carbonation is subtle here (gladly), the bourbon notes are very present but the maple really smooths things out, the ABV is so sneaky it just lulls you into it's den and then pounces on your head (in a good way my friends)

verdict?
dare I say that this was smoother than some Stone offerings ? But yet, their big ole imprint was there (and the craft to back this big boy up). Delicious, fantastic, a really big beer that does not disappoint or make the mouth grow tired, every aspect really comes through, damn well crafted

so now I am tasked to go through my cellar and make sure I have another for some time later as this was stellar.

Cork plopped out without any vigor like a geezer in need of erectile medication and had me worried about carbonation and if I aged this incorrectly too long. Thank goodness it poured with nice carbonation and small lasting vanilla latte head. Appearance is like straight sewage water. Aroma is straight up pine forest followed by vanilla and maple. Taste is first bitter piney hops still, followed by some smokey charred vanilla and light maple on the tongue at end. Almost like kissing a stripper who has cherry lipstick on and smells of Victoria Secret perfume, but has been taking drags all night long in the club. Great experience in my book! Mouth feel is spot on, again like a gentleman's dancer who knows how to use the perfect amount of tongue. Overall it was an experience to be remembered, like ones first visit to Spearment Rhino in Vegas.

 

A - Pours a murky amber with a thin off white head. The head leaves a nice soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is maple syrup, caramel, vanilla, coffee and oak.

T - The taste is toffee, brown sugar, borubon, oak, maple syrup and coffee.

M - Medium body with low carbonation. Soft mouthfeel with a crisp dry finish.

O - A solid Strong Ale. The maple syrup and coffee add w nice depth to the base beer. Nice warming alcohol make this a slow sipper.