Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Barrel-Aged Scarface

**Aroma:** “Notes of chocolate up front, with some creamy milk sweetness. The roast malt dominates on the nose, with a tart black-cherry ester and slight clove. It’s roasty, earthy, and oaky, with tobacco and a campfire smokiness.” **Flavor:** “Burned roast hits up front, and the roasty malt character carries through the sip. Some milk and chocolate sweetness sit behind the roast, with notes of licorice, cherries, plum, and other dark fruits. It’s a very earthy beer with fruity esters potentially from the hops, but for sure from the roast. Notes of oak, pine, and the big hops bitterness leads to a dry finish. The body is a bit thin.” **Overall:** “Overall, it’s a ‘punch you in the mouth’ kind of stout that delivers on a roast-forward presence. The more I drank, the more it grew on me. The roast has a finesse with some evident fruit flavors, in both aroma and flavor, but the burned characteristics really shone through. Reminded me of sitting at a campfire on a cold winter night, with ashes flying and coals burning.”

**Aroma:** “Strong bold aroma. Some toffee and caramel. Strong malt sweetness, sweet cocoa powder, and almond with lots of vanilla to fill the gaps. Strong butterscotch or Butterfinger.” **Flavor:** “The flavor starts with a dry chocolate sweetness and carries through with some bitterness that leaves a slight astringent finish. Lots of roast character in the flavor. Rich sweet milk chocolate and almond throughout with vanilla supporting. The butterscotch continues into the flavor, but with an increase in complexity, from intense chocolate and roast. The warmth hits in the finish. And the beer finishes with some chewiness left on the tongue.” **Overall:** “Some nice chocolate and malt sweetness. This beer is pretty heavy through the finish. Not bad, just a little odd. Butterscotch or Butterfinger on the nose and more in the flavor. This beer is like drinking a liquified butterscotch chocolate malt ball.”

**Aroma:** “A forward barrel character that is melded with some nice dark malt characters and light esters. Vanilla, coconut, oak, light roast, caramel, and dark cherry. Sweet chocolate malt carries through the nose. Touch of red wine notes, moderate bourbon. Lots of chocolate.” **Flavor:** “Like an imperial stout, but with less roast barley character. Big bourbon, rich dark chocolate. Apparent bitterness is only there to support the malt. The strong vanilla and roasted coconut work perfectly with the sweet biscuit and rich caramel. The alcohol warmth is nice and not overpowering.” **Overall:** “An incredibly smooth, bourbon-barrel-dominated strong ale that could easily pass for an imperial stout. Coconut and vanilla are excellent expressions of the barrel and complement the rich roast and chocolate backbone delightfully.”