Barrel Aged Washed in Black - Vanilla
Servaes Brewing Co.

Pours black with a finger of beige khaki foam. Aroma is fronted by vanilla bean, with toffee, roasty and toasty malts for support. A soft swell of bourbon on the back firms up the nose for a pleasant resolution to the initial sweetness. Flavor profile is vanilla bean on the front 2/3s, followed by bourbon on the back 1/3. Underlying notes of roasty, toasty, and caramely malts, and strong cherry on the back end occupy the remainder of the space. That twangy cherry note upsets the balance. Mouth feel is velvety with some light crunchy grit. It's thick, dense, and sticky. Overall, vanilla bean adds some great dynamic to this beer, starting the beer in the 'sweet' category, with the hot bourbon shifting it to balanced at the finish.

Draft. Reviewed from notes.