Mistress of Evil
Ever Grain Brewing Co.

Im sampling a cellar temp 12 oz can that I picked up at the brewery about two years ago. Pouring into my snifter this evening.
No date stamp on the can or label.
The beer pours a dark cola brown and rests even darker in my glass with no light passing through. A dense spongey beige head of 2 cm foams up but it rapidly fades to almost nothing and is only the thinnest of edgings about 3 minutes into the sampling.
Aroma on this one is complex and malt driven. I get toffee and brown sugar mixing with some bourbon and hints of dark fruit (raisins and prunes). I do get a little fusol alcohol note and no hop character. I believe I get a little cherry cordial note in the aroma too.
First sip reveals a light to medium body with fairly smooth texture. This one drinks easier than I thought it would, carbonation is fine and gentle and there isnt any real coating or stickiness on the beer.
Flavor is a little sweeter than expected up front with toffee and caramel and again some cherry cordial note. Boozy raisins come in the middle followed by bourbon and some fusol peppery heat. I am not sure you could convince me that ANY hops were used in this beer. I dont get any hop character.
Finish also reveals some warming in my belly, the 14% isnt hidden here.
This is a great boozy barleywine that drinks dangerously easy. WOOOOO!

Poured from a one year old, properly cellared can, into a Fremont small snifter. Pours dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque in the glass with a fizzy, one finger khaki head that dissipates quickly to a string of bubbles around the edge of the glass. Aroma of dry caramel malt, bourbon, dried plums, dates, raisins and toffee, a bit boozy. Flavor follows, with dry caramel malt, dates, bourbon, dried and fresh plums, raisins and toffee; caramel bourbon finish. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess and nice mouth feel. Although listed here as an American style, this is solidly in English barleywine territory, with lots of dark dried fruit to go with the assertive, but still well balanced bourbon influence. Carbonation is fine despite the near still look after pouring. This is an excellent, rich dark fruit barley wine with fine barrel character. Nicely done.

 

A brewery here in the PNW (Skookum) used to have a brewer named Hollis. Hollis moved away and now works at this brewery. My friend found these cans at Elizabeth Station here in Bellingham. Hollis Made great beers when he was here in Fourth Corner, and he's done so again.

2/9/2024, on tap at the brewery.

From the top, complete opaque blackness, no head, but glistens in the glass.

Aroma of many dark, dried fruits, brown sugar, and BOURBON.

SO sweet, tobacco, brown sugar and alcohol comes through immediately along with honey, fig, cherry, vanilla, and caramel. This is so complex! So thick it hangs and streams on the glass. This is a winter warmer if we've ever had one! Most excellent dessert finish to lunch on this warm sunny February day in Camp Hill, PA

Well damn, this is great. Tons of raisin and figs dominate this one. Lots of brown sugar and smooth as hell bourbon too. Hints of leather and vanilla round things out. I'm surprised by how much I'm loving this local offering.