Overstory Peated Reserve Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
Single Hill Brewing

On the sweeter side up front, I get chocolate covered salted caramels and faint booze. The smoke comes on in a wonderfully big way at the finish. Camp fire-ish at first before mellowing into good tobacco at the exhale. Loving this one, thanks @snaotheus !

This is the 2023 Overstory. It's a heck of a beer, maybe the best barrel aged Impy Stout I've had in a while. The write ups by @LiquidAmber and @DefenCorps are excellent descriptors, and I heartily concur. Highly recommended for those who like barrel aged stouts, and those who like peaty malty beers. Lovers of scotch whisky, here's your beer.

2023 vintage, 12.9%, purchased at Mongers

Jet black with a dark brown head that falls off to a ring rapidly. The nose is great. Smoky, peaty, glorious with smoke, medicine, mild plastic, noticeable, punchy yet not overpowering. This pairs well with the vanilla and chocolate notes, as well as the mild coffee bitterness. Pleasant char. The palate opens smoky, inky, bitter and pleasantly peaty with some umami. The medium dark chocolate pairs well, balancing the peat notes, with a light coffee note present, mildly berry like with some chicory bitterness. Roasty, bitter, peaty finish. Oh man. What a beer!

500ml bottle from Tavour. Cellared. Dark brown pour,fizzy beige head a few bubbles remain. Woody aroma, heavy peat notes, sweet, malty, smoky. Taste is malty, sweet, light roast, woody, peat, chocolate, smoky. Pretty intense flavors but really smooth. Light bitterness lingers with a little smoothness.

Overstory 2022 by Single Hill

Appearance: Flat black. Sooty lingering head with tiny brown-grey bubbles.

Aroma: Browned butter, warmed brown sugar, tropical wood heating in the evening sun.

Taste: Balanced with nice malt willingly allowing some smoke through. Ashen barrels and a hint of iodine. Toasted wheat bread moving towards burnt with unsalted butter.


Mouthfeel: Tiny bubbles prickle the tongue. Creamy and smooth it goes down simply. Alcohol is there, but not honestly.

Overall: I am partial to smoke in beer and peated smoke is the highest form of that adoration. I want even more from this one, but it does a solid job. More can be achieved, but it is a sharp edge that can easily be taken over. I wish I had a nice toasted cigar to pair with it.

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque black in the glass with a one finger dark khaki head with great retention and nice lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, cocoa, whiskey, oaky vanilla, and peat. Flavor follows, with dark toasted malt with moderate char, chocolate, whiskey, oak, light vanilla and leather; smoky peat. Scotch whiskey and chocolate finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess; nice mouth feel. A well made imperial stout with fine barrel character. The peat is distinct here, giving a quality of flavor like a well made Scotch whiskey; there was even a touch of peaty iodine in the aroma. Good malt body with a light creaminess that enhances the flavors. I liked the regular version of this a lot; it had mild peat from a portion of the stout barreled in peat whiskey barrels. This one was obviously influenced by a longer stay in peated barrels. Very nicely done and flavorful.