John Harvards Whiskey Barrel Imperial Stout

Sample at Extreme beer fest. 2002 version. Great nose, whiskey/coffee/prune/raisin. Clean black color, no light gets through. Bitter flavors, Same as nose. Thicker body, Oilt mouthfeel, Bitter roasted finish. This one lived up to the hype, a great brew.

1/5/05. Poured out of 12 oz. bottle, shared with TAR and cb on The Deluxe Tour 1/5/05. Deep brown in color with a silky appearance as it pours from the bottle. Definitely not black as it pours, but when it sits in the glass it’s an opaque and oily black-brown with red glazes. Deep, dark golden brown head, almost crimson along the edges. Decent sized head with thin outline and solid, shimmering beady lacing-- a bit blotchy but sometimes cascading down the sides of the glass in a nice, slow crawl. Aroma has a deep and complex woody character and subtle, lovely dark maltiness that I really love, along with a touch of soy sauce that I really don’t and a faint trace of sweet smoke. Flavor has big chocolate malt and dry roast, shades of vanilla bean with very little sweetness. Continues with excellent woody character and a surprisingly delicate (?!) whiskey undertone. Mostly the wood of whiskey barrel, not so much the forceful alcohol. Touches of dark mushroom, earthy black truffle, dark chocolate. Haunting oyster sauce traces in the aroma. A very delicious whiskey barrel stout, and an exceptionally rare treat from my generous friends. Thanks Emily and Jeff!

The beer as it emerges from the bottle a Jet Black color, the head is planetary in size, semi-creamy in texture, the color a toothsome light chocolate color as it evanesces the lace forms a satiny skirt to hide the glasses charms. “Ah That Smell”, vanilla, sweet hints of bourbon, roasted grains, malt, molasses, a real compendium of the best “Smells” in “Beerdom”. Start is ambrosial, thick malt with the top chocolate fudge rich and thick, finish has a moderate acidity, and the hops are dynamic but pleasant, very dry and bittersweet aftertaste that lingers on the tongue. Nice belly warming sensation and a quite quaffable stout.

Thick edging of deep tan foam crowned the dark confection of slight bourbon goodness. I thought the hard liquor flavor was perfectly balanced with the malts. Not a palate-encasing, throat-drowning, explosion however. Noticed some caramel toasted almost to the burning point, along with some prune. Extremely smooth texture.

Dark plum with chestnut highlights. Creamy, mocha hued, tiny-bubbled foam. Luxurious aroma of fudge, cocoa, plum, black currant, dark rum, coconut, and butter. Rich caramel and lightly woody undertones. It's also estery and whiskey cask-ish, which collaborate to lend a vinous effect. Whiskey notes are subdued, thankfully, and enable its imperial stout components to shine. Velvety texture. Firm and toffeeish palate. Huge milk chocolate flavors followed by clean, minty alcohol and a late acidic burst. Whiskey notes remain in the background, but are clearly present. Touches of fruitcake and licorice, here and there. Finishes intensely fudge-like, with a coarse note of charcoal and afterthoughts whiskey casks, honeyed chocolate, and silky cappuccino. With a fuller body and aroma, this would precisely be what I seek in the style. Many thanks, Mitt!