Forward Into Yesterday
Jackie O's Taproom & Brewery

8 ball black but with a thin, clear red hue at the bottom, topped by a short but creamy tan head.

A solid bourbon char leads sassafras and cacao before vanilla blooms into gooey marshmallow with a touch of salted caramel backing.

Viscous, thick even, yet despite this, as well as its decadent sounding profile, it still finishes stingingly semi-dry, or barely sticky, exhaling a soothing warmth.

Picked up a 2023 version of a 375ml bottle from the Appalachian Vintner in Asheville 3-8-23 for $18.99. Reviewed 3-30-24. Cold stored for the most part since purchase.

Beer poured black with an okay tan head initially.

Nose is very nice as i am getting wet barrels and fresh vanilla.

Taste is very good as well as a large malt base absorbs a nice impartation of bourbon barrels which lends a nice warmth and a touch of leather. The vanilla lends a touch of sweetness and plays very well with the barrel. Finishes nicely balanced.

Mouthfeel is medium to large bodied and very smooth.

Overall this is one fine brew!

Look - black and thick with nice rimming
Smell - chocolate barrel and lots of vanilla
Taste - boozy vanilla chocolate and barrel
Feel - full body light carb
Overall - good but really boozy and lots of vanilla

Poured at fridge temp. Pours a very thick black with minimal head. The nose is full of vanilla, roasted malts, dark chocolate, bourbon, brown sugar, and a bit of coffee.

The taste is amazing. Tons of vanilla, big roasted malts, charred wood, bourbon, slight maple, black licorice, and a bit of toffee. There is definitely some bozziness there, but the high ABV is magically hidden. This has a super thick body. Lovely stout. Jackie O's kills it again.

A - Dark brown pour with very little lacing and no carbonation.

S - Brown sugar, molasses, leather, and Bourbon. Overall nose is boozy.

T - Bourbon, brown sugar, leather, Bourbon, char, with lingering brown sugar bitterness on the backside.

M - Big silky body with warming in the back of the throat.

O - Lots of char, Bourbon, and leather.

 

12.7 ounce bottle, think this is the 2023 release since apparently there's a different origin of the vanilla beans used in this version compared to past releases. Served in a Jackie O's Dark Apparition chalice, the beer pours dark brown/black with not quite an inch tan head that stuck around a little bit. Small amount of lacing. I like the aroma, the brew smells like vanilla, dark fruit, roasted malt and bourbon. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some burnt/charred malt, dark chocolate, oak, caramel and earthy flavors. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's slick and syrupy with a low/moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was pretty good, definitely worth trying especially if you like vanilla imperial stouts!

From the 12.7 fl oz bottle in a snifter. This beast pours a rich coal
black with a modest sizzling head of foam that fades to a thin ring
and has some nice legs with a swirl. Nose of dark bakers cocoa, vanilla,
earthy malts, bourbon, vanilla, oak, and dark berries. Flavors hit the mark
with signature O's profiles of dark bakers cocoa, dark coffee, soy notes,
dark fruits of black and raspberry, bourbon, brandy, oak, and rich vanilla
amongst earthy malts. Tobacco and dark cherry show up with warmth.
Mouthfeel is full, smooth, rich, coating, slick, warming, light carbonation,
and finishing with a nice bitter malt note.

Overall----WOW!

Cheers

04/21/23 bottle @ home

 

Had a 4oz sampler at the brewpub
Boozy and sweet. Maybe a bit too much vanilla but still very enjoyable.

2021 vintage (released on 11/12/21); consumed on 1/21/22

Pours an oily, ink-black body topped with just over a finger of lush, creamy, off-khaki foam; decent head retention leaves an isolated few slivers of paper-thin cap, a massive, frothy collar, and no lacing holding to the walls of the glass with any longevity.

Aroma highlights dark chocolate laced with burnt confectionary sugar to start, followed by barrel into a hefty hit of charry vanilla trending toward cake batter undertones; fresh vanilla icing engages caramel overtones on the back end, while nutty milk chocolate pronounces through the closing impression.

Taste brings melted bakers chocolate into an underlying vanilla cake batter embrace, intensifying to a mocha char as splintery bourbon barrel offers distinct woodiness peaking with tones of baking spice, caramel, and rounded, bready roast toward the finish.

Mouthfeel shows a medium body leaning on the lighter side and sporting minimal carbonation; textures are rounded, reducing to a silky, mild char in the backdrop as creamy contrasts present on a thinner back end, enabling a sharper pang of boozy warmth to emerge through the finish.

Vanilla presents in varied fashions, synchronized with a firm bourbon char layering cocoa semi-sweetness counterbalancing an adequate warmth; the body does waver, though the balanced and consistent profile carries richness with ease.