Year of New Beer: Three categories to enter: - Best Overall - Beauty and the Beast (human and dog co

Written By: Dion on 09/14/2017

One of the most over-the-top, decadent stouts in the world gets aged in oak, on vanilla beans, no less. The result is difficult to assess in words. The nose is rich, boozy, and sweet. Vanilla dominant with tons of caramel and cream layered over chocolate, coffee, and dark fruits. All of these aspects transition to the tongue, with the nearly charred malts and sugars coating the mouth, augmented by hints of oak and a light soy. The creaminess of the vanilla works well with the berry-like fruits. Warming alcohol throughout, as expected with a beer that clocks in at 16.5%. This is very, very good...but I still prefer the original.