Wild West Angel's Share 2023

“In the nose, dark chocolate, vanilla, and fudge followed by a savory touch of soy sauce. An amaro-like flavor comes across spicy and leathery. Firm bourbon presence is obvious in the aroma and flavor. Straightforward, almost simple, flavor profile.”

**Aroma:** “Chocolate, plums, raisins, coffee, and dark toffee. Somewhat subdued overall. Roasty. Lots of alcohol on the nose as well.” **Flavor:** “Chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and coconut work symbiotically, none over- powering the other. Did they age this in Almond Joy barrels? Great fermentation character: cherry esters, spicy alcohol warmth, and light sherry notes. Not real- ly a “classic” barleywine, because of the chocolate malt, but a beautiful strong beer. Cherry and chocolate blend well with some coffee and tobacco notes.” **Overall:** “I love drinking this beer—zero harshness, just a smooth cascade of bittersweet chocolate, toffee, vanilla, and coffee. The malt complexity is incredible and the bitterness is spot on. Nice chocolate notes pair well with the other malt and barrel notes. Smooth and oh so drinkable.”

**Aroma:** “Some nice roast and toast character. Bittersweet chocolate up front with some oatmeal notes, followed by a subtle coffee-roast note. Just a touch of sweetness, a little nutty, and strong vanilla. No esters or phenolics.” **Flavor:** “Sweet chocolate and almost a milk creaminess. Some mild coffee flavor and dark malt sweetness and some dark cherry and almond notes. Creamy and not overwhelmingly roasty, almost with a soft espresso note. Oak character is subtle and hard to pick out, but lends a touch of vanilla to the flavor. The roastiness lasts on the tongue. Finish is mostly balanced, with a slight sweetness lingering in the end. Tannic character is very subdued. Hops bitterness is supportive.” **Overall:** “A very delicious stout that doesn't quite deliver as a barrel-aged offering. There is not enough barrel or oak character, but it is still tasty. The multi-layered malt profile keeps this beer interesting without becoming novel. The beer had some good sweet and roast qualities but was a little thin in the body. The creaminess reminds me a little of chocolate milk.”