Coffee Fashioned
Wooden Cask Brewing Company

Pours black with two fingers of caramel-colored foam. A little bit of caramel clings to the glass after a heavy swirl. Aroma is coffee, orange peel, and potent whiskey. Orange peel, whiskey, and barrel character shine thru the mix, in fact enough that the latter two disrupts the dynamics of the nose. Roasty and toasty malts sit underneath, adding some firmness, and light bitterness, to each whiff. Flavor profile is heavy orange peel with medium-strength coffee behind. In actuality, the coffee is still strong and firm, but is out shined by both the initial orange peel and the late whiskey and barrel character. Together, this dynamic does create a flavor profile more akin to sipping an 'old fashioned' than a heavy stout, though, even at that, it's still heavy on the orange peel note. Roasty and toasty malts add something resembling beer underneath the flavor additives and barrel usage. There is enough malt forwardness from the beer that the bourbon really starts to morph in scotch note territory. Mouth feel is medium-thick with a smooth consistency that has a silt texture akin to the final few ounces of a French press pour of coffee with medium-fine ground coffee. Overall, this is a very interesting stout, because it doesn't really show off its stout base, or beer notes for that matter, instead pimping heavy orange zest and mild coffee. It does drink closer to an old fashioned cocktail in terms of aroma, taste, and feel than an imperial stout. That said, it's not 'off-putting' and still flows together, and considering the label titles it as such, is not a huge issue. Still a fun sipper, especially for those that enjoy orange peel (with a second thought to coffee drinkers.)

Served in a 15.5oz Spiegelau tulip from a 12oz can.

Single can from Party Town
Bold rich coffee flavor with a nice bourbon character. Love it!

 

12 ounce can, no dating on it that I noticed. Big thanks to Brutaltruth for this! Served in a Teku, the beer pours dark brown/black with not quite an inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both good. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like coffee, orange peel, vanilla, bourbon, cocoa and roasted malt. For the most part the taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some dark bread, earthy, oak and burnt/charred malt flavors. I think the coffee and orange peel stands out, but doesn't overpower the other flavors. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's slick and smooth with a moderate amount of carbonation. I liked this one a lot, might be my favorite of the Wooden Cask beers I've tried so far!

From the 12 oz can in a snifter. This solid little brew pours a rich obsidian
with a moderate head of tan foam that settles to a thick ring, thin dusty
layer, and shows light lacing. Nose of orange peel, dark cocoa, and faint
bourbon with orange being the main component. Flavors pack in the
punch with dark cocoa, orange peel, dark coffee, light bourbon, light
vanilla, subtle cream, char, tobacco, and subtle oak. Nice mouth feel;
full body, smooth, rich, coating, light effervescent carbonation, and a
bitter malt and orange laden finish.

Overall, an imperial I can stand behind that is a hybrid.

Solid, sturdy, and truly drinkable without being a sweet
head banging desert stout.

Excellent!

Cheers