Verboten Brewing Barrel-Aged Others In Darkness: Irish Coffee

**Aroma:** “Thick mocha shake—creamy coffee-chocolate combo with a nice spicy alcohol nose. Moderate roast and plum, touch of cherry. Perhaps a touch of cinnamon.” **Flavor:** “Moderate dark chocolate with a lighter body than expected. High coffee notes with an earthy, peppery note. Light vanilla note toward the end of the sip. High carbonation doesn’t create a bite but perhaps masks a slight alcohol note. Slightly smoky and touch of cinnamon, notes of nutmeg, smooth warming alcohol with a bit of spice. Good oak woodiness without going too tannic. Finishes medium-dry with a touch of heat and carb bite.” **Overall:** “This imperial stout has a big earthy/woodsy barrel character. It’s lighter than expected with a coffee/chocolate-forward note. Alcohol warming but not hot. Nice mocha flavor, big and smooth. A well made coffee beer. Everything comes together nicely.”

“Dark-roast cold-brew with cream in the aroma, carrying through into the flavor. Slightly astringent; roast-coffee note lingers into the finish with unsweetened chocolate. Pleasant warmth accompanies each sip.”

**Aroma:** “Fruity esters of pear or cherry with some dried fruit, creating a lighter, fruitier, surprisingly fresh aroma for a barrel-aged beer. Barrel aromas of bourbon, light vanilla, oak. Spices include cinnamon, holiday spices, clove, orange, juniper, and pine, with a hint of chile. Chocolate is present, along with some tobacco. Kind of hard to identify the base beer underneath.” **Flavor:** “The sweetness from the base beer helps to balance the spice characters of potpourri and cinnamon spice. The cherry and orange esters dominate, with some vanilla to smooth things out. Roasted barley and caramel, with some chocolate and Tootsie Rolls. There’s quite a bit of alcoholic and chile heat that detracts and helps to accentuate the phenolic and floral characters, putting them a bit over the top. The hops bitterness and roasted malt flavors add a drying finish to an otherwise sweet beer.” **Overall:** “For an in-your-face holiday beer, this is pretty good. The blend of spices and esters works but is subdued, and I really wanted more from the imperial and oak. It is subtle and tasty, even if it is light on the spicy notes. Nice chocolate and vanilla add fullness to the beer.”