Imperial Eclipse Compared to Other Barrel Aged Stouts

They are quite expensive for sure, but some of them are very worth it. There are many variants of it, do you know which ones are there? They are delineated by the wax color. Some variants are much better than others. I've had the Java Coffee and the Evan Williams versions, and both were quite good. I have heard good things about the various Elijah Craig versions as well. If you have a friend into craft beer, split the bottle with him/her, it'll lessen the impact on your wallet for sure.

 

I've had the 2011 (I believe) Four Roses version and the most recent release Java variant. I found the Four Roses to be extremely underwhelming, but the Java was off the hook.

 

I agree! I've had a couple Four Roses barreled beers and they haven't been impressive. My fave Eclipse so far has been the Rittenhouse Rye

 

They're only 5 or so months old. The coffee will be fine.

 

If you love coffee stouts you should try the Sante Fe Imperial Java Stout. Comes in 6-pack cans and is really coffee forward. It's the best morning beer ever

 

The EC 20 is the second highest I have ever rated a beer. It was a 2011 vintage with about 2 years on it. Absolutely fantastic. The only other one Ive had was a 2012 vintage of EC 12 year. It was also excellent, but not nearly as good, and compared to the beers you listed probably only better than Uncle Jacobs (although those other 3 beers you listed are some of my all time favorites).

Anyways, are they worth the price? Its all a matter of perspective I guess. If you have $30 to spend on a single beer, than sure. But if you are ballin' on a budget then probably not.

 

Oddly nobody has yet made any direct comparisons between Eclipse and the others you mentioned, OP. When I saw it on the shelf I was definitely put off by the higher price, so I can't speak on it either... But curious to see what anyone might say in those comparisons. I would personally also like to add F-W Parabola to that comparison as I've had that since it was only $14.99...

 

Uncle Jacobs is insane. Proabably my favorite barrel aged stout

 

The Eclipses are hit or miss depending on the barrel. Plus they are so much better with age. I wouldn't drink them fresh. They need time to mellow out and develop. If I had to pick I would take a Parabola over an Eclipse though. Especially the 2014 batch

 

OP honestly I think I get your tastes. my guess: eclipse will come in 2nd for you, around where FW parabola would rate but a bit higher b/c you love the oak. bcbs still beats it, but 50/50 knows barrel aging better than most.

 

Eclipses are fantastic. I think they are great to share with friends. But I have to say I'd rather drink a nice sour or new glarus fruit beer if I had the choice. It's all picking hairs though because they are all fantastic beers. Depends on your mood. It's like listening to music. I always listen to whatever suits my mood

 

I've been wondering the same thing OP. I have 4 different bottles that I've been sitting on & I'm looking to add to the collection but I haven't tried a single bottle yet. The reason for the high price tag is due to several things; the barrels, the aging, the wax, bottling, overhead cost & so much more. Every time I saw these I thought, why would I pay $30-35 for a bottle of beer when I can just get a bottle of bourbon? Well, because it isn't just bourbon. It's the art & craft to make such a beer & blend it to the breweries ideal perfection. Sure, we can all drink bourbon & get 50 shades of fucked up, or...we can buy an amazing bottle of beer & share it, discuss it & enjoy it the way it's meant to be.

Adding, some people pay over $300 for a bottle of DL variant due to the hype. So why not throw down $30 on an under rated beer without as much hype? It's available & most people won't pull the trigger to buy it. So I say, why not? You don't have to stand in line or wait for hours or even buy a ticket to get the beer. Pick your favorite bourbon or whiskey & try that variant.

Cheers!

 

There isnt an art and craft to making bourbon?

Also, I'm not buying justification of the high price tag. They charge $30 a bottle because they can, not because it costs them $28 a bottle to make. Why can other similar sized (or even smaller) breweries make imperial stouts in the same/similar/or even better barrels and charge half the price? They must really be getting fucked over by their wax supplier.

Not hating, they have the right to charge whatever they want, but there's no doubt in my mind theres a price mark up.

 

I was saying there's an art/craft in making a BA beer. I'm not downplaying the bourbon itself, but to take 2 crafts & blend them well can't be easy. I don't homebrew so I can't speak as an expert. But I can imagine it's pretty difficult.

 

I agree with this. How can I buy Elijah Craig 12 year for $18.99 per 750ml, but 650ml of beer aged for 6 months cost almost 2x as much. The whisky is 47% ABV and aged for at least 24x longer. I understand we're not talking Bud Light here but being in manufacturing I know profit margins and what things cost. I'd be surprised if 50/50 had $4-$5 bucks in total cost per bottle, aging included.

 

Definitely not worth the price. They're good, and seem to have gotten better over the years, but the price is absurd. Then again, people pay $50 for vanilla infused disappointment in a bottle...

 

Not to hijack the thread, but you are getting your EC 12 year for a steal of a deal! I am jealous.

 

I thought EC 12 and 18 (or 20) were great. I wish I can still remember how they exactly tasted in my mouth but memories fade. At the time, I thought they were great, on par with some of the best BA stouts I had.