What beer are you drinking now? #2248

This is still tasting fantastic. Aromas and flavors of big juicy/tart blueberries, milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, fudge, vanilla, toasted coconut, bourbon, oak, and dark bread; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, and raisins. Light roasted bitterness and fruit tang/tartness on the finish. Full bodied creamy, silky, velvety, and rich mouthfeel. Light roast malt chalkiness, fruit tang/acidity, and increasing dryness. Never cloyingly sweet, but definitely a dessert beer. Amazingly smooth, minimally warming 10.5%. A near perfect balance of berries, cocoa/vanilla, rich malts, and barrel character. Tons of flavor complexity, and it all comes together extremely well. I've always been a big fan of fruit stouts, so I'm not surprised how much I loved this one. Seems pretty polarizing to most people, but this is one of my favorites from the barrel series. This is the 12th bomber I've had, and I have 1 more in the cellar. Well worth the price. Hope they make it again some day. It has actually gotten less sweet over the last 2 years, a bit more berry tartness right now.


Cheers

 

Amazing NEIPA as always. Aromas and flavors of huge tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, peach, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, berry, lemon zest, orange peel, and light pepper/pine hops; with balanced honey, wheat, toasted bread, light caramel malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light pine, citrus peel, herbal, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; very creamy/bready malt mouthfeel; some sticky hops and slight resins. Slightly increasing lingering bitter dryness, never astringent. Very smooth/soft, 7%. Used to be Boxer, but some legal crap made them change the name. I slightly prefer it over M43. More malty from the Vienna/Munich malts; and also prefer the hop profile more because of Equinox/Mosaic additions. Old Nation is making the best NEIPAs in the state. Always have all of them in the fridge now.


Cheers

 

Amazing. Aromas and flavors of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, peanut butter, dark roasted coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, fudge, marshmallow, toasted biscuit, and dark bread; with light notes of molasses, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, char, wood, leather, herbal, pepper, and yeast earthiness. Light herbal, woody, spicy hop; and roast, char, coffee bitterness on the finish. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body. Very creamy, silky, bready malts; light sticky hops and chalky char/roast in the mouthfeel. Lightly increasing lingering hop/char bitter dryness. No acrid/astringency. Dangerously smooth, minimal warming 11.9%. Amazing balance of rich malts, fruity/nutty coffee, and PB flavors; with solid earthy hops against sweetness. Spot on for a dessert style imperial stout. Not overly sweet or bitter either way. Will definitely get some more of this.


Cheers

 

Amazing as usual this year. Flavors of huge grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, guava, berries, citrus peel/rind, green pepper, and pine hops; with moderate cracker, biscuit, light honeyed malts; and herbal, floral, grassy hop earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation/body; balanced bready/grainy malt and sticky/resinous hops in the mouthfeel. Crisp/drying finish and never astringent on bitterness. Amazing juicy, vibrant, and dank hop profile; refreshingly drinkable for an IPA even at 7.7%. Mosaic and Equinox hops are my favorite of all time. They have been changing around the hops every year; but as long as those two stay, I don't care much. Got 3 packs as I usually do.


Cheers