Style: Stout (Barrel-aged)

ABV: 11.0

99/100

Aroma:	12
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	19
Mouthfeel:	5

Pinthouse Brewing The First 6 Black Sabbath Records

What the brewers say

"Imperial Stout aged in Balcones Cask Strength Rye Whisky Barrel. We're getting notes of cocoa puffs and sweet chocolate milk with a mild rye spiciness from the rye whiskey barrel."

What our panel thought

“Comes out swinging with intense, complex aromatics of chocolate, candied cherries, vanilla, bourbon, caramel, marshmallow, and roasted malt—decadent and bold. Flavor profile keeps it kicking with strong caramel, espresso, marzipan, and cinnamon, completed with a slight red-fruit presence. A complexity consistent with master cellarmanship. Keeps you coming back for more. Full body and pleasantly warm finish both accentuate the decadent flavors. Great beer.”

What our editors thought

“Evocative nose of leather, chocolate, caramel, coconut, and vanilla. The sip delivers on that suggestion with semisweet chocolate and coconut. On the lighter side of the body spectrum, but so beautifully balanced that it no longer matters.”

Review printed in: The Route to Stout (October-November 2021) (View All Issues)

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“Rich, deep roast-forward aroma complements assertive oak and whiskey aromas. Deep chocolate, espresso with notes of fig, light raisin. Light espresso. Finish is boozy, but extremely smooth. Very rich, chewy, creamy all at once.”

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“Huge nose that rotates among the peppers, the cacao, and the nutty coffee, with vanilla rounding it all out. Wonderful mélange continues into the flavor, with complexity off the chart—Mexican hot chocolate, with just a low and slow heat at the end. Malt flavors and additions are firm and not hard to find. Bitterness supports but doesn’t try to steal the show. The finish is complex and lingering with a hint of sweetness. Vanilla is the right addition; that sweetness ties it all together. Rich, with a medium-full body and no astringency.”

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