5th Anniversary Blend
Matchless Brewing

 

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque black in the glass with a thin brown head that dissipates immediately to sparse patches with slight lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, bourbon, vanilla, dark stone fruit and a touch of smoke. Flavor is dark toasted malt, dry caramel, vanilla, dates, chocolate and bourbon; complex. Dark fruit with some plum develops in the finish. Medium bodied with light creaminess. A rich and fairly complex BA stout blend. Although labelled as a stout, it is a blend of several stouts and a barleywine, putting it more in the strong ale category. The barleywine component is quite noticeable. Lots of different flavors, malt and chocolate from the stouts and dark fruit from the barleyine and great bourbon from the barrels. The major flavors are well balanced. Similar in style to FW Anniversary ales and in the running with them. These blended ales have the added enjoyment of parsing out flavors from the components and this one is no different. Only flaw is that it needs a little more head and visual carbonation activity, although the carbonation in the mouth feel is fine. Well done and a promising entry into what hopefully will continue to be an annual event.

Delicious bourbon aged. Super buttery. Wow. Love this imperial stout. Buttery.