Vanilla caramel and wood-whisky aroma and tastes, plus some maple-walnut notes. Black in color with a strong tan head.

Haymarket’s Clare’s Thirsty Ale: Rich stout with an aggressive taste of oak, caramel and chocolate. Poured dark black with a tan head.

Draft @ FoBAB 2009, Chicago, IL. Pours a black color with a small tan head. Has a roasted malty chocolate and raspberry aroma with hints of bourbon and vanilla. Roasted malty chocolate and raspberry flavor with woody bourbon hints. Has a sweetish roasted malty chocolate and raspberry finish with hints of bourbon.

Sampled at FoBAB 09. Been intrigued by and wanting to try this one for a while, so it was must try at FoBAB. Black pour with tan head. Wasn’t aware this was a stout. But the aroma of is raspberries! Nice, fresh raspberries and chocolate. Flavor is a balanced raspberry and chocolate concoction with some notes of bourbon, vanilla. Great, full mouthfeel. Definitely, a standout from the very strong RockBottom entrants.

09 FoWBAB. Opaque black. Brown head. Good roast and raspberry. Some good vanilla notes. Wow! Some real intense raspberry and bozze notes. Stout is still there. Rich and decadent.

FOBAB 08’. This was tied for my favorite stout of the day. Poured dark black with a tan head. Aroma was caramel, chocolate and raspberries. Taste was chocolate, oak, ash, berry sweetness on the end. I thought this was very well put together and the flavors were integrated very well. Big and rich.

The name of this beer sold me on it immediately, but also set the bar a bit too high. I mean, this beer is like a sicky sweet parfait with layer after layer of the same note. Pours a thick black from the tap at the brewery with a firm reddish brown head. Bourbon, raspberry, vanilla, repeat.

Tap. Barkeep seemed to think the name was Raspberry Cuvee, which I rather like. Appearance is dead-on: deep black with brown head and twirls of abysmal purple in body and head. Tastes better than it smells - the berries come through more. The batch I had was under-berried or over-aged: the whiskey was too apparent and I think more wood was necessary to compliment the berries. Maybe the barrel could be switched at some point in the aging.

Fobab VI. I was very pleasantly surprised by this one, as I expected the raspberries too much. It was as advertised, an imperial stout with raspberries. Huge body, black with off brown head. Nose is strawberries and roast. I was shocked that the beer really does hold the raspberries in check. Nice chocolate notes with some vanilla and roast/acridity. Over all, I’d say this would have to be in small doses, but pretty damn awesome and original for what it is. tasty.

Draft... DLD’08... This beer rocks!... Pitch black ale with a small, creamy, well-tanned head. Smoke ring retention. The nose is a rich mélange of whiskey, berries, vanilla and chocolate. Full-bodied and velvety with lively carbonation. Sweet as all get-out with gentle, burnt bitterness and light berry acidity. Finishes fruity-sweet and chocolaty with moderate charcoal bitterness. Well done!