Whispers of the Past
Barrique Brewing & Blending

Look - dark brown black with no real rimming but nice lacing
Smell and taste - Lots of barrel, caramel, chocolate
Feel- fairly rich with a full body light carb
Overall - really outstanding

From the brewery on release day 3 days ago, into a snifter.

Pours jet black, no foam. Aroma is unsweet cherries and a ton of oak, really un-approachable. I figured with all the wheat and barrel presence this one would be softer and sweeter, but it doesn't seem like that. Flavor is incredibly complex, going from bitter espresso to cherry wood to milk chocolate to campfire burnt. It goes from bitter and aggressive to very smooth and easy to drink in a sip, and the unknowable ABV is nonexistent. This is an exceptionally complex and strange stout that bridges the gap between old school RIS and modern dessert stout. Feel is great, completely slick and oily. There's some sugar residuals but it's mostly burnt sugar and bitterness.

Overall, a monster of a release from Barrique. It's incredibly complex and flavorful but also much more difficult to drink compared to literally any other stout in town. These other stouts, however, are incredibly adjuncted or otherwise softened, and this one is pure violence in a bottle.


EDIT: I acquired a second bottle and drank it over a few days. No noticeable signs of oxidation or off flavors even though I had it corked for a few days, and I felt the flavors were even more mature and robust in this bottle. I remembered it being a lot more burnt and bitter compared to my most recent experience, which was really mellow and soft if not exceptionally boozy in the best way. The wheat shined through incredibly and the barrel character was strong, but there wasn't a lot of sugary malt character or alcohol presence. I say boozy in that it reminded me a lot of a cognac or the best parts of a hot barrel proof bourbon but without any astringency. Very very smooth, incredibly complex but really easy drinking. I could tell this one was heavy from the burn and heavy syrupy mouthfeel but it was nothing but lovely richness and whiskey. Much much better than I remembered and not too sweet, but incredibly mellow and flavorful. I'd rate this one as a unique example, different from pretty much every stout I've had. If you like wheated bourbon, go try and find a bottle. I will be getting my third if I can.