Terrapin Richland Reserve (2017)

**Aroma:** “Big dark chocolate and coffee aroma. Big plum, dates, moderate cherry, light acidity, moderate caramel, light umami, light earthy hops, some brown sugar notes. A backbone of bready malt. I’m sitting by the fire with a snifter of...not barleywine, but this beer. Rich malt complexity with sherry, dried figs, and raisins, and warming alcohol. More caramel than roast, but the coffee and chocolate are there.” **Flavor:** “Lovely complex malt sweetness—like chocolate-covered Fig Newtons, or maple syrup, with a touch of earthy hops to help balance. Like a shot of strong expresso, no cream. Complex and deep, but a bit intense so sessionable is not part of this section. Big cherry, light plum, big chocolate, moderate coffee, light hops bitterness, touch of alcohol, moderate caramel. Aftertaste: big chocolate, touch of coffee, light bitterness. Starts out like a thinner-bodied barleywine, but the hops and roast bitterness crack that illusion. The promise from the nose is here, but it doesn't quite mesh as well in the flavor because the lingering hops and slight astringency add some harshness. Hops flavor is as big as the roast. Sherry, malt, dried fruit and esters are still nice, though.” **Overall:** “Very tasty, but could use a bit more carbonation to help the flavors pop. Love the fruitiness. Fun dark-fruit dominated imperial stout. The chocolate, caramel, and roast notes are present throughout with just enough hops to balance. It is fairly well carbonated, but that works to bring out the brighter fruit notes. The nose had me, but the flavor not so much.”

Aroma: “Earthy woody character adds to the aroma. Slight tartness. Spicy grape character with a soft tartness and a slight musty/wood note, vague hints of other fruits in a generic way.” Flavor: “This beer blends well with an acidic lemon tartness up front that carries through the taste, but not too much. Fruit notes of grapes and cherries add some sweetness, but come in a bit dry as well. The earthiness and wood character adds complexity in the taste. Carbonation is a bit low.” Overall: “A very sour funky beer for those who like acid bombs. The sourness is a little over the top in the end and dominates the beer from start to finish. Otherwise the underlying beer has some nice complexity, and there’s a fruity sweetness that would show more complexity if not for the intense sourness.”

**Aroma:** “Very strong maple aroma. Chocolate sticky buns made with crazy amounts of coconut and coconut oil and a thick layer of icing. Oh yeah, and don’t forget the candied pecans. This smells like a dessert-lovers mad dream.” **Flavor:** “Wow! Flavor is everything that the nose suggested, with just a slight balance shift. Imagine a rich, pecan-laden coffee cake coated in maple syrup and chocolate frosting, washed down with a very sweet coffee. The coffee finish grounds it.” **Overall:** “A great dessert beer to share! Nice smooth chocolate flavor. Perhaps a bit heavy, almost cloyingly sweet, but some people will love it.”