Panopticon
Twin Elephant Brewing Company

Reviewed 2 weeks after bottle release for Twin Elephant's 9th Anniversary. Poured into a tumbler glass at 61°. It pours nearly ink black with a modest, frothy, dark mocha-colored cap and virtually no lacing. The smell pops with freshly-brewed coffee, cocoa, and banana while the bourbon and rum barrel aroma is also strong. Its taste is considerably sweeter than the nose would indicate: the Thai banana flavor is fresh and strong and complimented by cocoa. The coffee and vanilla bean come through mid-sip and balance the initial sweetness. I also like the spiciness of the cinnamon. The barrel influence is noticeable and although I'm not a rum drinker per se, it works well here. At 2 weeks in the bottle, it is still fairly hot and boozy. This Stout has a creamy, viscous mouth feel. The carbonation level is low but I can feel the 13% ABV. After one tumbler I corked the bottle to enjoy later. Overall, Panopticon is very sweet but it is intended to simulate a Bananas Foster dessert and in that regard Twin Elephant and Troon succeeded. It is adjunct-laden and I question how well it will age but I'm glad to have tried it - even at $30 for the bottle. Update: I capped the bottle drank more a week later and the sweetness had mellowed. If anything, the mouth feel is even thicker.