Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Stickee Monkee

**Aroma:** “Cocoa, grape skins, chocolate bar, and banana bread with no sign of hops. Dominant vanilla and bourbon notes with a chocolate and coffee note lingering to support. Lots of alcohol in the nose, with a nice subtle malt sweetness.” **Flavor:** “Roasted dry malt character. Very slight wild Brett character but nothing obvious or offensive. Complex wood makes an otherwise simple base very intriguing. Incredibly rich, full bodied. Cherry, fig, tobacco, alcohol, black patent. Finishes oaky, dry, and well balanced for such as huge beer.” **Overall:** “Yum. Vanilla oak is in perfect balance with the conservative base stout. It’s barrel-forward, but the base beer supports enough to make this a very well balanced beer. This unique barrel-aged stout showcases some of the more nuanced flavors of barrel-aging, such as almond and coconut.”

“Great nose: _Brett_-like goaty funk, earthy, leathery with hints of cinnamon. Dry, well-crafted with funky complexity and nice depth.”

**Aroma:** “Cinnamon, cloves, rum-like molasses, and tequila-like peppery spices. Vanilla and coconut. Some alcohol on the nose. Rich dark caramel notes with a nice hint of oak.” **Flavor:** “Robust molasses, brown sugar, and vanilla accompany a nicely balanced bitterness. It’s almost like a barleywine spiced rum, but even spiced rum isn’t this good. Nice raisin/cherry highlights and a pleasant semisweet chocolate and cocoa flavor, followed by a hint of coconut. Pleasant alcohol warmth, spicy and soothing.” **Overall:** “The rum-like character to this beer is intriguing. One gets the impression of sweetness without the physical sensation on the tongue. A well-executed barrel-aged sipper: The blend of rich candied character with the barrel and aging work well together. Nice sweet, warm finish that makes it very enjoyable for sipping.”