Baklava
Deschutes Brewery

I had high hopes for this one but they ultimately too high. Body is creamy and smooth but a little light for the style and flavor profile. I drank this over about 90 minutes and it was interesting to see how it opened up along the way. Initially sweet and spicy, it gradually revealed boozy layers and yet still failed to bring across much nuance from the barrel treatment. Sweetness backed off but spices did not and from a dyed in the wool cardamom fan, this had too much cardamom. So a nice enough beer, of course professionally executed by Deschutes, but an oddity that would have been better shared and wouldn’t be a repeat purchase for me. I don’t think they got very close to the baklava vibe either - I was hoping for more of a perceptible honey and nuts (pistachio or walnut) flavor.

L: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a medium brown color and a thick, opaque consistency. There was a quarter inch of foamy, tan-colored head that quickly dissipated. Sparse lacing.

S: A very good aroma of chocolate, spices, malt, booze, nuts, and honey.

T: Tasted of a decent amount of bourbon (and its accompanying barrel), some chocolate (a more subtle presence), a little honey thrown in, a light tinge of almonds (just enough), some malt (present throughout), and lots of spices (cinnamon and cloves, in particular). Heavier on the spices than the usual stout, but it still works. Weirdly tasty and likable.

F: An average amount of carbonation with a smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: An interesting and likable stout. Drinkable.

 

2020-06-06
500ml bottle served in a Georgetown sampler. Dated...I dunno. Don't see a date. Bought it from Total Wine.

Pours a dark murky brown with a small head and not much carbonation. Smell is nutmeg, maybe cinnamon....mostly spices.

Taste is nutmeg, cloves, and anise. Maybe a little tiny hint of maple syrup.

Mouthfeel is thick, heavy, and sticky. Overall, not a fan.

Poured moderately hard from a bottle into a snifter glass, forming a bit of tan head that soon faded to light lacing. Deep opaque brown color. Smell is bourbon and honey, a bit sweet. Taste is a background of bourbon with honey forward and spices, primarily cardamom, at the end. Definitely reminiscent of baklava if you're familiar with it, and similarly sweet. Medium bodied with gentle carbonation. Very nice bourbon aged dessert stout.

 

 

 

It’s been a while since I’ve had a new Deschutes barrel-aged beer. So here we are. 500ML bottle.

It’s black since it’s a pasty stout. In the nose, honey & cardamom & port come out on top.

I had a grade-school friend whose mom made genuine Greek baklava & I was too young & parochial to try it (ewwww, what is that, gross). Idiot. Too much cardamom. Like cinnamon, it’s a delicate balance, & the recovering chocoholic is on the teeter totter. The barrels bring only light fruit & alcohol, touch of nuttiness, with a finishing lick of bourbon.

Missed opportunity with all these barrels, & yet somebody tipped a barrel of cardamom in here. Still. Good beer.

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque black in the glass with a thin brown head that dissipates to large patches with light lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, cinnamon, cardamom, honey, coffee; cardomom forward. Flavor is dark toasted malt, bourbon, light cocoa and coffee, cinnamon, cardamom, honey and clove. Lingering mildly spicy finish. Medium bodied with light carbonation. The dominant component in the aroma is the spices, especially cardamom, which made me somewhat nervous about this one. However, the spicing is done with a distinct, but light touch and well supported by the malt. A good bourbon barreled, dark malt stout body and spicy as promised. This reminded more of a cardamom cookie than baklava, although there is a nice honey character here too. A little bit busy, some of the barrel notes are lost as is the almond and clove. Still a well spiced, very winter seasonal barreled stout that I liked quite a bit. ABV well covered.