Atrium Brewing Denny-Lou Blend 1

**Aroma:** “Very nice sweet malt character. Inviting oak aroma up front comes through as vanilla and a hint of almond or toffee. The vanilla is very nice and the chocolate notes (coming through as semisweet and dark chocolate) come through great. Nice roasty and some nutty quality, with some coffee flavors in the back. Bourbon, dark cherry, dark roast, alcohol.. Earthy hops low but noticeable. Light fruity yeast character.” **Flavor:** Lots of chocolate and vanilla carry through from start to finish and are complex and full. Dark fruity notes/cherry esters. Roast and malt character add a good back to the malt sweetness with some good toasty/roast quality. The oak (almost like almond or toffee) adds complexity and shines well; it mellows out the edges. The bourbon and oak blend well, but don’t dominate. Nice warmth in the finish. Vanilla and caramel are in full force but not cloying or annoying. Hops bitterness is appropriately low to make room for the major wood. Alcohol is noticeable but smooth and dangerous.” **Overall:** “The beer is a surprisingly balanced and complex stout that showcases sweet malt, vanilla, and chocolate really well with some nice dark fruit characters. The barrel character was showcased well, and the beer backed up the barrel. Nice and smooth and came together great. Tons of chocolate and vanilla with a restrained roasty character that helps to balance. Definitely seek this one out and share with friends.”

**Aroma:** “Assertive bourbon and alcohol, with a light smokiness and moderate vanilla. Moderate chocolate, as well as caramel and dark candi syrup are also present, along with some burnt malt. Notes of raisin, cherry, plum, and prune.” **Flavor:** “Bold chocolate, with some roastiness from that malt that forms the scaffold. Mild bourbon flavors, with a nice blend of cherry, prune, plum, and raisin. Vanilla and umami add some complexity, along with the oak and bourbon. Some chewy qualities to the body. The finish is pleasant and not too hot, but it still has some lingering warmth.” **Overall:** “This beer came together nicely. It’s a nice blend between all the flavors throughout and is balanced without rough edges. The chocolate was the backbone and played well with the sweetness from the fruits. The pronounced alcohol burning lingers for a while with the umami notes, which makes it difficult to say whether or not to drink it at a warmer temperature.”

Aroma: “Rich dark chocolate malt up front with a chai coffee aroma. There’s a fair amount of booze up front as well with spicy cardamom. After the initial burst of aroma, there’s a touch of oak and dark fruit, including currants.” Flavor: “Dark fruits, coffee, and chai dominate. Moderately strong sweetness leads into moderately strong bitterness that slowly fades. A fair amount of alcohol warmth helps to balance. Barrel character comes through nicely in the aftertaste. Complexity from the brandy, some light wood character with vanilla.” Overall: “Distinctive as an imperial barrel-aged stout—the Arabic coffee character is well-done; the spice is balanced nicely.”