Recollection - Madagascar and Ugandan Vanilla Beans
BKS Artisan Ales

Poured from a can at fridge temp. Pours a nice dark brown with a very thin layer of tan head. The nose is incredible. The vanilla beans are front and center on this one, and they are spectacular. If you like vanilla, this beer is one to seek out! Toffee, milk chocolate, and a hint of brown sugar also make it through. Can't wait to taste this one!

The taste is really good. Very sweet, but not cloying. Huge notes of vanilla, but now the toffee makes a stronger appearance. Also getting maple, a slight woody note, and some nice dark fruit notes. Figs, plums, raisins, and a bit of sherry. This is such a nice integration of flavors. They are all distinct, but the combination is more than the sum of the parts. Every sip makes me want another sip!

Mouthfeel is very viscous for a barleywine. It has the creamy texture of a thick stout. I love it. Overall, an absolutely amazing experience!

Pours a deep, dark burgundy-brown with a murky transparency that keeps light from directly shining through. Head is two fingers of dense light mocha foam. Aroma is awash with vanilla bean, which comes off both sweet, and smooth. Toffee, molasses, plum, and dates add depth and richness behind. Hearty toasty, caramely, and bready malts and light sticky hops finish up the remainder of the nose. It smells big, packing a heavy punch, but refrains from hitting boozy. Flavor profile is expansive, and all starts with sugary, sweet vanilla bean right up front. Plum, figs, dates, caramel, and toffee all flood the senses, adding further sweetness and depth. Finally, it segways into toasty, nutty, earthy malts, which form a wide and firm foundation. Finish lingers on vanilla beans, providing the one steady note throughout the entire flavor profile. Mouth feel is thick with a hearty velvety, neppy consistency. Overall, a big, bold barleywine that's expanded upon further with vanilla bean. While it never shows off its alcoholic contents (14%), it certainly drinks as big as the ABV would suggest.

Served in a 15.5oz Speigalau tulip from a 16oz can.

16oz tallboy can poured into Durobar Charente glass with HF logo.

Canned on date is absent.

Appearance: Black body with tall creamy dense foam. Thick cap remains on the top of the beer for a significant time period, this has really good staying power.

Smell: So much vanilla, its like layers of vanilla on layers of vanilla. Hints of caramel and toffee. They nailed the nose on this EBW!

Taste: This really comes out of the gates swinging with the vanilla; very authentic tasting vanilla, yet its a very soft and balanced vanilla! Marshmallow fluff, floral vanilla, and earthy vanilla. The vanilla notes are incredibly pleasant, complex, and very very well balanced. I have never tasted such a deep and rich vanilla flavor. It's really satisfying. After the vanilla note fades away well past mid palate, then you get those trademark caramel and toffee notes. Next a hint of molasses and light dark fruit notes that are mostly raisins... Which most really great EBW's have going on. The finish is the best part... Its like a vanilla ice cream sundae with the best tasting caramel sauce and just a slight hint of warming booze.

Mouthfeel: Lower medium bodied EBW. This body actually seems a little thin for most EBW's. Especially at 14% this does feel as big as most; this is not a bad thing though. It provides the drinker the ability to easily drink the entire tallboy without any palate fatigue. This isn't a sweet and sticky mess; everything is balanced and really really enjoyable. It's also not boozy at all (that's your warning if you are solo doming this tallboy like I am tonight). Nice warming booze presence.

Overall: BKS absolutely nailed this English Barleywine with vanilla beans! I am seriously impressed by this brewery. With every sip, you can tell that the brewery really had strong intentions to bring such a immaculate vanilla flavor into this beer with the perfect amount of balance. You have all your classic English Barleywine flavors are present and the vanilla additions are so flawlessly integrated. Very smooth drink and you won't get tired of sipping on this 14% beast! Get ready for a really enjoyable session with this outstanding vanilla infused English Barleywine. I would honestly love to experience more barleywines from this brewery. Thanks to Revolution, I get to drink a lot of really incredible english barleywines. I have had the opportunity to sample a lot of the other big names/labels in this style class as well and this beer is very, very memorable. Its a classy standout for sure.