Transient Artisan Ales Kentuckley
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What the brewers say
“The 2015 Buckley Imperial Breakfast Stout aged in bourbon barrels.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Rich blend of sweet coffee, roast, cherry, and dark chocolate. A deep whiff will remind you of fresh coffee grounds. A little boozy, with notes of raisin, plum, date, vanilla, oak, and mild campfire smoke. A hint of oxidation.”
Flavor: “Big upfront sweetness is strongly cherry-like, with the coffee and chocolate immediately taking over. It unfolds with layers of complexity as you move through the cherry, coffee, and chocolate for a few cycles. It’s hot, with a big ethanol presence. The sweetness hangs on until the finish, but isn’t cloying, leaving a sugary coating that balances the residual heat.”
Overall: “This is a coffee bean inside a tart cherry inside a thick chocolate shell. A wonderful light vanilla character rounds things out and prevents it from becoming too boozy. It’s a nice, rich, complex mix of dark chocolate and coffee that balances well with the oak. The fermentation character and barrel together are great, but with a bit more age, it will only get better.”
