Double Barrel Barley Wine
Arkane Aleworks

Appearance is a little muddled at first, from copper darkening to chestnut brown, building a short tan head that quietly fizzles out to a thin chain. However, it clears up as it sits, seemingly with no sediment, to a beautiful tiger eye dark brownish-red.

Taste up front seems imposingly boozy, yet quickly turns to an expressively smooth maple toffee and butterscotch wafer. This is accented by hints of black pepper as the mature, slightly splintery barrel gives off a light, delectably charred semi-bitterness that balances the sweetness of the waffle cone barleywine.

Arkane's DBBW just continues to develop over time, especially in aroma, giving off notes of caramel apple and nougatty candy bar. The smooth medium body has a crackly but light carbonation that, as it warms, delivers a deeply gooey vanilla character before verging into the semi-dry (not sticky!) finish that brings with it a bruleed exhale.

I wasn't quite sure where Arkane would end up with a style like this, but damn did they outdo themselves and blow this way out of the water.