Silver Series: Epiphania Cognac BA
Pühaste Brewery

 

Pours a pitch-black coloration with a large, frothy, quickly receding head. Smells of caramel malt, distinct milk chocolate and vanilla, as well as hints of dark/red fruit/berries and oak. Taste follows the nose, with an excellent balance of caramel malt, distinct milk chocolate and vanilla, as well as some dark fruit and red berries, with subtle notes of fig, plum and cranberry, with hints of licorice, nutmeg and oak as well. Finishes with a light sweetness and some milk chocolate, vanilla and licorice lingering in the aftertaste. Full mouthfeel with a rich body and light/medium carbonation.

While I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as their Tumeaine Cognac BA Imperial Stout, which was absolutely outstanding, it's still an exceptional example of the style that is perhaps just a little too sweet and boozy and not quite as well balanced, but still never feels quite too cloyingly sweet despite a certain lack of roasted malt for my personal taste. It's those distinct milk chocolate, vanilla and Cognac barrel notes, especially in the nose with a truly intoxicating aroma, that stand out here, making for a truly enjoyable drinking experience that is refined by more subtle dark fruit and spice. Overall, this makes for quite a complex and well-balanced Imperial Stout with a distinct barrel character that makes for quite a refined sipper.