The Brew Gentlemen The End
What the brewers say
“A Russian imperial stout with vanilla, aged in whiskey barrels.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, and coffee notes, supported by a crystal malt sweetness, reminiscent of caramel, with a hint of freshly cut oak chips at the end.”
Flavor: “Rich dark chocolate. The vanilla is fairly subtle and brings out the chocolate character rather than sticking out as vanilla. A bit of oak and toasty marshmallow reinforce the campfire feel. Mild roast gives way to some sugar sweetness.”
Overall: “Great example of the style that’s absolutely delicious if just a bit too safe to be truly one-of-a-kind. Great balance between malt, barrel, adjuncts, and mouthfeel with a depth of quality in the defining vanilla character that sets it apart. There are some top-tier barrel-aged stouts with vanilla that I enjoy more than this, but you could count the number of them on your fingers alone.”
