Witch Meadow (2020)
Fox Farm Brewery

500 mL bottle. Black body. Smells of intense spicy rye, bourbon, and bitter chocolate. Tastes super intense. Spicy rye. Whiskey. Bitter chocolate. Spicy oak. Tingly alcohol. Nothing tempers this. I might be making up the rye, but that's what I get out of it. Heavy and very strong in every way. It's really good, but really intense.

Appearance: Pours pitch black with a mocha film; very leggy with speckles of lace

Smell: Dark chocolate, roasted malt, caramel and Bourbon barrel

Taste: Charred oak and dark chocolate, up front, with a hint of caramel developing; the Bourbon emerges, in the middle., with a rich burnt caramel sweetness, a spicy element and a hint of vanilla; the finish features some char

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and creamy with low carbonation; warmth in the gullet

Overall: Rich and decadent with just a little more char than I would prefer but otherwise exceptional

Thanks, jrc1093, for the opportunity

Witch Meadow 2020 from Fox Farm. Received from @Roy_Hobbs in BIF #14. 500 mL bottle. Stored at home at 40 degrees. Reviewed 17/10/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stamped in end of label “2020 Bottle NO. 329/1716”. Served at 53.6 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 58.6 degrees.
Appearance – 4.25
First pour – Ruby Brown (SRM 24), hazy.
Body – Deep Brown (SRM 30), opaque. When rear-lite, some light penetration at the extreme edges, ruby.
Head – Tiny (Maximum 0.5 cm, aggressive center pour), chocolate, high density, fizzy, diminishing to a 0.3 mm brown sugar crown constantly being renewed by effervescence, and no cap. Second pour produces a high-density 0.4 cm crown and no cap.
Lacing – None. As expected at 13.6% ABV.
Aroma – 4.5 - Moderate bourbon with weak brown sugar and molasses, no malt, no hops, no yeast. Quite enticing!
Flavor – 4.5 – Markedly sweet, almost cloying, flavor somewhat follows nose – very pleasing bourbon and some brown sugar dominate, no molasses, no yeast, no malt, no hops. No ethanol (13.6 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. Marked gastric warming with each swallow, slowly fades. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 4.5 – Medium, almost creamy, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4.5 I couldn’t wait for the temperature to reach 57 degrees – the aroma was too inviting! Quite sweet, bordering on cloying. The bourbon flavor is near-perfect, with the mix of vanillin and tannic acid balancing the ethanol to allow repeated swallows without stripping the epithelial cells from hard and soft palates. The bourbon follows through on the exhale as the alcohol does not. It’s very difficult to believe that the ABV is really 13.6% - this drinks like a porter in the 6% range! Anyway, I’m REALLY glad I was able to try this delicious brew – my fruit fly drinking buddy is circling so I better leave his drop behind – it isn’t easy to share!

Pours a slick black with little no no head. Appears thick and viscous. Hugs the glass when swirled.

The aroma is primarily roasted malt, sweet bourbon and mild stewed fruit. Nothing jumps out in front but all emerge together as part of a whole. Enticing.

A very slight and pleasant sweetness hits the tongue first. A gentle bourbon note follows with some toasted grain and a hint of date or prune on the finish. Everything is very well integrated. Very nice.

The body is full but not thick. Not oily or syrupy. Quite perfect to my tastes.

I really like this. Right smack dab in my BA stout wheelhouse.

 

 

 

 

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

This smells like oak char, heavily roasted malt, dark fruit, vanilla, espresso shots, dark chocolate, and leathery bourbon.

This is big and burly, and it absolutely delights on the palate. If you like barrel heavy and non-pastry stouts, this will be up your alley. There's oak char, light smoke, oak spice, and caramelly/leathery bourbon, with a touch of vanilla from the barrel as well. There's also a deep fudgy malt character, with a solid amount of roast to it.

This is medium bodied, creamy, with a long smooth finish, with very little booziness to it.

This is always an excellent release, and this might be the best year for the base yet.

Bottle 675/1716 served in a Spiegelau tulip. Pours an inky black with a loose, 1/8th inch, mocha-colored head that quickly disperses towards the edges. The nose on this beer is amazing - rich chocolate, boozy, ethanol, a hint of char, burnt sugar, vanilla, toffee. Taste consistent with nose - wow, this beer is decadent - rich and delicious. The bourbon barrel really shines through on this. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with an even carbonation and a slight oiliness to the texture. Overall, this beer is top notch. A true expression without being weighed down by adjunct. Nice work!