Destroyer - Madeira
Lua Brewing

In comparison to the single barrel, a slightly lighter coloration to the pour. Similarly, however, very low agitate carbonation, and the beer settles quickly into a nearly-flat-looking liquid.

The nose exudes complexity immediately. Once given time to really bloom, we get notes of caramelized peaches, chocolate cherries, raisin, and toasted walnuts. With a strong underlying backbone of stewed dark fruits, there's a subtle brightness to the aromatics. That said, notes of dark chocolate and torched oak help to balance everything out.

The palate leads with a rich sweetness, followed swiftly with a noticeable touch of tartness. The flavors lead with overbaked peach cobbler and burnt sugar. On the mid-palate there's touches of red vermouth softened by undertones of chocolate-coated raisins. On the finish, a slight nutty nutty lends some dryness to the profile, simultaneously emphasizing the oaky barrel character.

The mouthfeel, like others in this set, is very well-balanced. Viscous but not syrupy, with a noticeable yet not overbearing carbonation. The finish has some warmth, but drinks alarmingly smooth for 15%. Some of these lesser-utilized barrels really take some time to unpack, and the experience is a blast.