Style: Brown Ale (Imperial)

ABV: 13.7

94/100
Aroma: 12
Appearance: 3
Flavor: 19
Mouthfeel: 5

Wandering Monsters Brewing BA Labyrinth

What the brewers say

“Imperial brown ale aged in a Heaven Hill rye barrel.”

What our panel thought

“Rye-flecked, cream-filled Ding Dong on the nose with coconut and vanilla. Milk chocolate mixed with the barrel creates a rich German chocolate cake aroma. Boozy but infused with a depth of complex sweetness. Decadent but not cloying.”

What our editors thought

“Tannic oak-driven aroma with bits of coconut and chocolate. Rich caramel midtones in the flavor are amplified by the full body and lower carbonation, with tight and clean execution.”

Review printed in: The Expanding Maltiverse (Spring 2025) (View All Issues)


REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Wandering Monsters Brewing Monsters' Dos: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut

“A wildly rich experience with bourbon taking center stage. Strong but smooth alcohol delivers chocolate richness backed with prune, figs, and a soft vanilla backbone. It’s like those liqueur-filled chocolates, but in bulk.”

Cerebral Here Be Monsters (Batch 2)

Aroma: “Big roasted malt and lots of vanilla oaky barrel goodness. Very dark roast character but not harsh or inky. Very boozy as well.” Flavor: “Massive rich, sweet stout—caramel, chocolate, with lingering sweetness. Strong boozy barrel qualities pair well with the base beer, though the finish still comes across bordering on cloying.” Overall: “Just a very big intense dark roasty, barrel-aged stout. A beer built for sharing for sure. Every sip just smacks you in the face with intensity.”

Core Brewing & Distilling Co Batch 01 - Barrel Aged Barleywine

Decadent, complex, and deep aroma with huge toffee, banana-nut bread, pipe tobacco, figs, raisins, chocolate, vanilla, leather, and dark cherry all vying for attention. All of the aromas beautifully transition into the flavor profile with an added coconut, German chocolate cake, and caramel complexity. Warming, velvety fullness without being filling or cloying in body and flavor, but the mouthfeel is not quite as viscous as some may want. Some alcoholic warmth is present, but it’s not overly harsh.

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