Year of New Beer: Vanilla Orange Ruffian, Blue Stallion Brewing Co (Lexington)

Written By: Dion on 01/29/2021

First things first...if you aren't a fan of the orange and chocolate combo, you aren't going to like it, and you know that. But for the rest of us, this is a treat. Aroma has a big kick of orange on the initial pour. Settles in quickly behind the bourbon, chocolate, and roasted malts. On the tongue, orange again comes to the forefront, given a sweet, creamy twist thanks to the vanilla. Reminds me a bit of the old school orange cream tootsie roll. Plenty of chocolate underneath, lending a bit of cocoa powder bitterness across the middle. Bourbon, caramel, and chocolate on a slightly boozy finish. Definitely going to evoke some differing opinions, but I really enjoyed this.