Barrel Aged Breakfast Krampus
Old Irving Brewing Co.

Had on tap. Brownish black body, brown cap that settles into a collar. Smells strongly of coffee and chocolate, with a secondary layer of vanilla, maple, bourbon, molasses, and dark oak. Taste actually starts with the barrel that is mostly bourbon focused from which the vanilla, chocolate, coffee and maple spring forth, those final two linger on the palate forever in a sweet/bitter combo that is pleasing. Overall this feels much sweeter than expected, still thick and decently heavy but more warmth and barrel would be appreciated in the lush sweet body. Breakfast: it's what's for dinner!

 

Knockin’ one more 16 oz. can of Krampus off the list, & why not? This stuff is delicious & I hope it’s not my last. 2023 release.

Dead black. OK, 99% dead. The nose encompasses most of the words on the label: bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, with a base of sweetness. Veery nice.

Barrel-Aged Krampus – Breakfast brings joy on this unreasonably snowy late March evening. The balance of the barrels is exquisite – the malts & the bourbon do a slow, luxuriant twirl inside of me. Beyond is sweetness, distinct vanilla & a suggestion of maple (I could pour more in there, but why?). No coffee detected but it’s doing the job in restraining the sweetness to mere slightly tooth-rotting levels. A bit dry, full, with an amazing lack of booze for the advertised ABV. I’m wishing I had another. Or two.

The best Krampus yet & that’s saying something. An elite beer. I need more. Wow.

2023 release. only a few months old at most. 16oz can 15%ABV
Look - Black and thick with a nice tan head and sticky lacing and rimming
Smell - maple chocolate vanilla coffee barrel, got it all blended equally into the smell
Taste - great blend just like the smell and the order goes just as noted above. Pretty sweet as expected with a heavily adjuncted milk imperial stout. Boozy but doesn't taste 15%ABV
Feel - full body but still less than expected at 15%. light slightly crisp carb
OVerall - Pretty nice heavily adjuncted BA imperial milk stout, nice blend without over doing it

22 ounce bottle into a snifter. 2019 release, had 2/28/20.

Pours near black and opaque, thick looking, with a short head and some soapy cling. Aromas of maple, coffee, vanilla, some chocolate, malt, light bourbon. Similar flavors- maple, chocolate, coffee, vanilla, malt, some bourbon- a little more as it warms. It’s a little sweet. Smooth, a solid full body, well carbonated.

The barrels are subtle, with far less presence than in the 2019 base BA. But, the add- ins all show so well, you hardly notice, kinda. Really well developed aromas and flavors. Very enjoyable.

 

 

2019 vintage; drank 12/27/19 @ Elastic Arts.

The base was nice & some chocolate notes emerged over time, but the maple was over-the-top, and marred this one a bit.