8 Years Anniversary Barrel Aged Imperial Stout X Barleywine Blend
Ārpus Brewing Co.

Another great find at London's House of Cans, particularly since Arpus does not currently distribute outside of the Baltic nations (so says their website.) My first, I went on their website and found the meaning of their name: basically it means "outside of the box" in English. And Arpus is. Offering a variety of hop-forwards and sours, they also take seriously their BA program and it shows in their 8 years BA Blend. For all this and more including being a leader in the Baltics of the craft beer movement, I give Arpus very good Overall Hugs for accomplishing so much at a young age.

8 Years Looks appealing for desert, a nice big mocha foam (but it could last longer.) Smells are a rich stout and barleywine with the aromatic complexities of a barrel to boot. Tastes are well-balanced and ABV is well-concealed. Full-mouthed and smooth and viscous in a style that already has lots of those virtues. So 8 competes well.

Of the 55 global collaborations Arpus has made, I've only had brews from 7 from their collaborators. So maybe I need to cozy up to House of Cans.