Barrel Aged Double Astral
Third Eye Brewing Company

Fobab 2025.

this is epic, gabf gold medal winner in chocolate beer this year and i can see why, this is as good as it gets in this often samey style space, imperial oatmeal stout with chocolate aged in heaven hill bourbon barrels, an extremely impressive specimen, i need to track down some more of this, shockingly good, even above my lofty expectations. leggy and thick in the glass but not terrifying or anything, short but lasting little layer of mocha bubbles, sort of an eggshell luster, not as stick and glossy as some, and i like the alcohol not being off the charts, this is super refined but also kind of traditional, like in the sense it doesnt seem like they boiled it all day or anything. the nose is killer and the chocolate is obvious, nibs im sure but with some sweetness too, a toasted warmth about it with the light alcohol presence, some hersheys type richness with the middle malt layers, and the starchy oats apparent too. lots of whiskey, a little vanilla and honey to it, makes the chocolate pop. not so much roasted grain that its bitter at all in the flavor, this is smooth and drawn out from the oats, moves slow but not because its over flavored or anything, some protein to it, slick and long. the chocolate is all through it, pure and natural and pretty bold without it becoming too sweet, even at temperature, a pretty late flavor climax but the chocolate is constant. nice subtle caramel in the middle of this and as it sits i get more and more grain complexity, some good espresso, raisin, and milk chocolate in the mix from it. more oak than i could smell and less of the whiskey, but its the perfect amount, super cohesive and everything in excellent proportion. the mouthfeel is expert as well, this is dreamy and creamy and huge without being permanent on my palate, no burn but i can tell its big, luxurious chocolate makes this special, but the overall quality of the base beer is on point too. they nailed this. third eye impressed me over a couple of beers, id love to get my lips on some more of this one! really special and worthy of the medal!