Madhouse Brewing Barrel Aged Carpe Diem 2019
What the brewers say
Bourbon barrel-aged imperial breakfast stout made with oats, chocolate, Kona coffee, and bourbon barrel–aged Iowa maple syrup.
What our panel thought
Coffee, chocolate, and bourbon flood the front end of each sip with quiet waves of maple and vanilla round-ing out the finish. This thing is thick and overtly sweet. The bourbon stays up front, and no other barrel charac-ter makes an appearance.
What our editors thought
Bright coffee drives the nose with glimpses of rich maple. The sip doesn’t quite live up to the nose, with a slightly thinner body and a basic coffee acidity.