Perennial Artisan Ales Barrel-Aged 17
What the brewers say
“BA 17 is the barrel-aged version of our imperial mint chocolate stout. It’s a blend of select barrels of our imperial stout, which have been aging in Rittenhouse Rye Barrels for more than a year before being infused with cocoa nibs, dried peppermint, and Madagascar vanilla beans.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Mint chocolate chip ice cream, an Andes mint, with just a hint of rum-like sweetness and a touch of blackstrap molasses. Whiskey and light wood, too.”
Flavor: “Minty as all get out. It adds a refreshing character to the rich chocolate and malt, making it like dark chocolate Peppermint Patties, without the peppermint burn. Sweet spirits, almost like sugar rum in the finish.”
Overall: “If you like mint and chocolate, this is the beer for you. All with a nice barrel character that isn’t too overpowering. It’s rich, and the mental association of mint with sweetness makes it seem sweeter than it actually is, but you should be sharing a bottle like this with friends anyway.”