Treats
Pint Size Brewing

 

Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque in the glass with a two finger dark khaki head that dissipates to a thin film with light lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, vanilla, cocoa, bourbon and a little dark dried fruit. Flavor is dark toasted malt with slight char, bourbon, chocolate and hints of dried plums; a bit boozy. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess, good mouth feel. I was pleased to find this can at the back of my fridge, because this brewery closed down late last year and I never had a chance to try but a handful of their brews, which were all quite nice; they got good reviews here too. I bought a barleywine and two stouts and all were well done. This one is a little hot, I'm glad I held it for a half year, but the flavors are excellent for a barreled stout, with good chocolate and fruit as well as a deft handling of the vanilla. Enjoyable.

No canning date (Batch 2); consumed on 9/14/2022

Pours a silky, jet-black body topped with just shy of a finger of dark khaki foam; decent head retention yields a temporary, paper-thin layer of cap, a large, creamy collar, and minimal strands of lacing holding to the walls of the glass with any longevity.

Aromas of nutty oak open to fire-roasted macadamia and toasted almonds, leaving a tinge of fresh vanilla as lighter, chocolatey roast builds to a lush underscore of brownie batter.

Taste finds roast and chocolate upfront as a building bourbon presence expands on charry vanilla while sweetness transitions focus to a mild dark fruit inflection over time; nutty barrel and cocoa ease through the finish.

Mouthfeel offers a medium-full body with minimal carbonation; delicately viscous textures carry an inherent warmth, leaving a boozy tingle over the mid-palate calming to a rounded silkiness and creamy finish.

A delicate barrel inflection meets a boozy, roasty base in an appeal to brownie batter and nutty vanillin residuals; a deft and highly attenuated barrel-aged stout committed to equal parts subtlety and balance.