Barrel-Aged Observing Reason
Trillium Brewing Company
- From:
- Trillium Brewing Company
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 15.7%
- Score:
- 93
- Avg:
- 4.36 | pDev: 5.28%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jun 04, 2024
- Added:
- Nov 26, 2020
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
93
Outstanding
93
Outstanding
Barrel-Aged Observing Reason pours a viscous black color and wastes no time in making its presence known, filling the room with inviting aromas reminiscent of a confectioner's toolkit. A rounded and pronounced creamy vanilla note greets the palate first, paving the way for malt-derived tones of baker's chocolate, freshly-roasted coffee, and dark fruit. As the glass opens up, the complex spirit character makes its appearance, rounding out each sip with a warming complexity to complement the chewy full body and well-integrated sweetness.
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Reviewed by Damian from Massachusetts
4.73/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
4.73/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
Drank from a 25.4 fl oz (750 ml) bottle purchased at Trillium Brewing Company, Boston, MA
11/18/20
Served in a tulip
Completely pitch black appearance. The dense, oily looking body was topped by a fluffy, finger-tall, saddle brown head that quickly dissolved. No lacing whatsoever.
The aroma was intense. I got a nice whiff of bourbon whiskey initially, but the vanilla quickly took over. Really punchy and pure, high quality vanilla bean, to be exact. Soon, the bourbon reappeared and fought for dominance with the vanilla. Roasted and caramel malt notes were also apparent. Good dose of brown sugar too. Moderately sweet overall.
The flavor profile was similar to the nose. Rich and malty up front. Roasted malts came through strongest. Some caramel malts were noticeable too. Moderately sweet. The vanilla kicked in next. It was punchy again, but definitely not to the extent it was in the nose. Bourbon notes were pervasive here and intensified as the beer moved along the palate. Touch of brown sugar sweetness. Bit of dark chocolate as well. All in all, the sweetness was fairly restrained however. More lingering boozy bourbon notes and oaky barrel on the back end and the finish.
The mouthfeel was initially fizzy and surprisingly thin for a beer of this magnitude. As the beer traveled along the palate, it seemed to become fuller bodied. Oily and slick. The liquid contained a lively, prickly effervescence that fluffed up very nicely.
Fundamental Observation was one of my favorite Trillium stouts, and this bourbon barrel-aged version was absolutely fantastic. The vanilla was potent and authentic tasting, and the bourbon-barrel presence was quite prominent as well. Aside from the slightly thin mouthfeel, barrel-aged vanilla stouts rarely get any better than this.
Jan 18, 202111/18/20
Served in a tulip
Completely pitch black appearance. The dense, oily looking body was topped by a fluffy, finger-tall, saddle brown head that quickly dissolved. No lacing whatsoever.
The aroma was intense. I got a nice whiff of bourbon whiskey initially, but the vanilla quickly took over. Really punchy and pure, high quality vanilla bean, to be exact. Soon, the bourbon reappeared and fought for dominance with the vanilla. Roasted and caramel malt notes were also apparent. Good dose of brown sugar too. Moderately sweet overall.
The flavor profile was similar to the nose. Rich and malty up front. Roasted malts came through strongest. Some caramel malts were noticeable too. Moderately sweet. The vanilla kicked in next. It was punchy again, but definitely not to the extent it was in the nose. Bourbon notes were pervasive here and intensified as the beer moved along the palate. Touch of brown sugar sweetness. Bit of dark chocolate as well. All in all, the sweetness was fairly restrained however. More lingering boozy bourbon notes and oaky barrel on the back end and the finish.
The mouthfeel was initially fizzy and surprisingly thin for a beer of this magnitude. As the beer traveled along the palate, it seemed to become fuller bodied. Oily and slick. The liquid contained a lively, prickly effervescence that fluffed up very nicely.
Fundamental Observation was one of my favorite Trillium stouts, and this bourbon barrel-aged version was absolutely fantastic. The vanilla was potent and authentic tasting, and the bourbon-barrel presence was quite prominent as well. Aside from the slightly thin mouthfeel, barrel-aged vanilla stouts rarely get any better than this.
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