Rye Barrel Oil of Aphrodite
Jackie O's Taproom & Brewery

Pours dark brown, approaching black, with a finger-and-a-half of dark khaki head that quickly dissipates into wisp and crown. No real lacing.

Brownie batter, a little vanilla, whiskey and nut in the nose.

More whiskey sweetness up front in the taste — cola, cherry, vanilla — not sure I’d peg it as rye blind, but there definitely is a little lingering rye spiciness to it. Less brownie batter and more baker’s chocolate here, again with some walnut and shoe leather that round off the edges. A little warming alcohol, too.

Medium bodied and faintly slick feeling with tight, soft carbonation.

The Oil of Aphrodite series aren’t my favorite from these guys, but it’s still a very well made, tasty beverage.

Rye Barrel Oil of Aphrodite from Jackie O’s. 12.7 oz bottle purchased from brewery (31/1/22), Athens, OH. $ 15.82 (Including tax and shipping)/12.7 oz bottle ($1.246/oz). Stored at 40 degrees after purchase. Reviewed 5/2/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Bottle stamped on rear of label “2021”. Served at 53.5 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 56.8 degrees.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Ruby Brown (SRM 24), opaque.
Body – Deep Brown (SRM 30), muddy and opaque. When rear-lite, same.
Head – Tiny (Maximum 0.8 cm, aggressive center pour), mahogany, fizzy and no retention, disappearing in seconds leaving neither crown nor cap.
Lacing – None, but at 14.3% ABV one wasn’t expected.
Aroma – 4.5 – Chocolate and ethanol predominate, weak walnuts, some rye spiciness, no hops, no malt, no yeast.
Flavor – 4.5 – Chocolate is much weaker than the nose suggests, No hops, no malt, no yeast. Walnuts are weaker on the taste buds than on the olfactory sense. Rye spiciness is weakly present. Weak ethanol (14.3 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. Mild gastric warming occurs. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 4.25 – Full-bodies, creamy, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4.5. Looks like most other high alcohol Impy stouts. Nose and palate are well-balanced, and the ethanol is remarkedly subdued – I’ve had 7% ABV beers that caused my oral epithelial cells to curl up and fall off. This is an excellent example of a highly drinkable impy stout – flavorful and well-balanced.

 

Tar black with a short mocha foam that rapidly yet stealthily recedes to a silky surface surrounded by the thinnest chain.

It's actually really delicious and complex right away, even with a chill on it--and if you know me, you know that's a high bar to clear, especially for Jackie O's.

The rye spice is mild but present, interplaying well with darker, smooth malts and a moderate barrel char. It translates very mature, as there aren't really any of the typical pastry or spirit associations I might often detect, all without being boozy.

The body has a moderate heft and heat, as the minimal carbonation finely runs through the round body into a numbing semi-dry finish that actually cuts delicately bitter, like walnut, before exhaling a hint of caramelized brown sugar.