Style: Stout (Barrel-aged)

ABV: 10.0 IBU: 48.0

97/100
Aroma: 12
Appearance: 3
Flavor: 19
Mouthfeel: 5

Albright Grove Brewing Company Walker Valley

What the brewers say

"This imperial stout has been aged for 12 months in bourbon barrels made from American White Oak. Rich bourbon and chocolate aroma, with a substantial malt body with notes of toffee, caramel, chocolate and coffee, and complex notes of vanilla and coconut from the oak's tannins, this is a wonderful stout to share or savor all on your own."

What our panel thought

“Powerhouse of caramel, fudge, vanilla, and berry-like fruitiness. The flavor is a tug-of-war between bitter, dark chocolate, and coffee-like roast malt, as oak-derived vanilla and boozy heat look on.”

What our editors thought

“Nose captures the beautiful nuance of coconut, vanilla, and boozy oak from barrels alone. The sip is punchy. As it warms, a leathery timelessness takes hold.”

Review printed in: The Route to Stout (October-November 2021) (View All Issues)


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Aroma explodes with sweet vanilla, marshmallow, and milk chocolate; lighter cocoa and coffee notes. Flavor, however, offers ample roast and enough oak tannins to temper that sweet vanilla flood.

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“Enticing pepper aroma, chocolate notes suggest a molé complexity. The flavors are a balanced blend of cocoa on top of peppers, without much overt heat. Very approachable, with light spiciness lingering in the aftertaste.”

Free Will Brewing Company Decadent Chocolate Ralphius

Chocolate, roasted malt, dark fig, cherry, light vanilla, coconut, and hints of caramel and hot cocoa in the aroma along with a distinct boozy note give the perception of some heft to follow. The aroma doesn’t lie as the alcoholic heat hits quickly and lingers long. Within that boozy warmth is a focus on the breadth and depth of all things chocolate as well as some oak-derived leather and vanilla. A deep warming character starts on the lips and reaches into the soul (or stomach, we are not theologians or doctors). The chocolate notes are pleasant, but the boozy heat detracts some from their decadence. Mouthfeel is a bit on the thin side, given the current trend of thick, luscious examples in this style, which may further accentuate the perception of alcoholic heat.

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