Cerebral Here Be Monsters (Batch 2)

__Aroma:__ “Bold, rich vanilla up front, with a hint of sweet tobacco, followed closely by bourbon, notes of caramel and toffee, and a crystal and chocolate malt sweetness.” Flavor: “Very creamy, sweet, and barrel forward. Medium toasty bitterness with smooth warming after each sip. Cookie batter–like flavor with heavy vanilla and sweetness. Like bourbon-infused, espresso fudge brownies, with chocolate ganache. Unreal finish, with vanilla and bourbon lingering nicely. As it warms, the barrel comes out, revealing rich fruit character.” __Overall:__ “This beer epitomizes all of the best characteristics of the style, with an amazing representation of the base beer, vanilla, and barrel character. Incredible!”

Aroma: “Chocolate with a faint java note at first. It’s very restrained overall, then a nice nutty peanut-butter character as it warms and evolves into coffee with vanilla cream.” Flavor: “Rich chocolate and caramel sweetness. The coffee character is pretty subtle: it adds a bit to the roast character on the finish. Pretty sweet on balance, nice and creamy mouthfeel but a little heavy overall. Pleasant alcoholic warming on the swallow. Very nice fruity flavors.” Overall: “A bit on the sweet side with heavy chocolate. A touch more coffee could help balance it out. Moderate coffee spiciness throughout the sip with alcohol that balances and combines at the end to create a light bite.”

Aroma: “Christmas spices—nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon—up front. Then, dark fruit, hints of red wine. Faint roast with a noticeable dark malt tartness.” Flavor: “Chocolate, figs, vanilla. Rich and complex dark malt character. Finish is fairly dry, allowing the vinous fruit and roast to linger nicely. Pretty acidic on the finish, though. The tartness brings out the fruit.” Overall: “Dark red-wine character throughout. Dried cherries, chocolate, hints of vanilla. Not overly sweet. The bitterness comes primarily from the roast. Very distinctive and interesting.”