Life is But a Dream
Thin Man Brewery

On tap at Pizza Plant in Williamsville, NY.

This one pours a dark golden brown color, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.

This smells like maple candy, chocolate, roated malt, oak, vanilla, and dark fruit.

This is a really intriguing blend that works quite well. The maple and apple brandy sort of meld together into a caramelly/fruity sort of barrel thing that works quite well for me. There's a touch of spice and smoke, maybe from the rye, with dark chocolate, bready malt, vanilla, oak, and toffee.

This is medium bodied, with no booziness to it - it was blended really well. It's quite drinkable.

This really reminds me of the excellent Firestone Walker anniversary beers. It's a fantastic whole, and it really makes me want to try some of the (as of yet) unreleased parts of the beer.

 

 

 

"Life is But a Dream is a blend of five beers in collaboration with Buffalo Barrel Project:

40% Awesome Jenkins Imperial Stout, aged in Willett rye barrels
20% Awesome Jenkins Imperial Stout, aged in maple syrup barrels
20% Awesome Jenkins Imperial Stout, aged in apple brandy barrels
10% Spelunkenheimer Adambier, aged in Willett bourbon barrels
10% Bones In Traction Barleywine"
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Really nice blend! Dark as a blended stout should be. Inviting whiffs of sweet malts, syrup, bakery confections and some wafting spirits. Taste is a razzle-dazzle of the dark fruits, bready malts, baking spices, dark chocolate, coffee; hoppy bitterness asserts itself in the swallow, alcohol is in the mix but not predominantly. Feel is sticky on the lips & a mild effervescence on the tongue, lingering coffee, sticky syrup & dark chocolate pronounced in the aftertaste.

Having recently had F-W's XXIV Anniv, i'd likely struggle to differentiate between these two if doing a blind vertical. Try one if ya happen to bump into one!

Happened on this waxed 500 ml bottle treat. Poured slightly chilled to a tulip glass. Color is dark translucent mahogany brown. Brings a thin light tan head that burns to a perimeter ring. Loads of sticky lacing. Nose is a slightly charred wood, bourbon aroma. First sips follow the nose, with prominence, plus a bit of semi-sweet chocolate hiding in the background. Mouthfeel is crisp, yet full, with a touch of syrupy finish. Alcohol has a spirits flavor presence, but no harsh bite or warming. This is a very refined, complex drink, much like a GI BCBS or heavy English barleywine. It might be too sweet for some, but I like that pit fruit vibe. This might be Thin Man’s best brew to date. I bought to age, which I anticipate will do nice things to this.

Jan 2024 update: I was able to get another 4 unwaxed bottles at the recent dock sale. Poured cool to a Blackberry Farm Brewery glass, it looks to be a chestnut brown hull color, little 1/2” head that crisps to a thin ring. Not much for aroma, needing to put the nose almost on it to pull any scent of beer. First sips are less sweet than notes and memory recall, with the rye barrel taking a more prominent stand. I hazard a guess that the adambier flavor comes in right after, bringing a very slight tart funk before breaking off into a mellow sweetness from the maple and barleywine. No alcohol bite or warming, dangerous as it’s still 13% ABV. Still have 5 on the shelf. Still a good drink. P.S. After 30 minutes the alcohol that hid so well comes to blur you into a happy zone. These BA beers were Thin Man’s finest hour.