Pike Entire Wood Aged Stout

Brewed by Pike Pub & Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Seattle, Washington USA

Bottle as shown. Pours a very dark brown almost black with a large tan head that lasts awhile leaving good sticky lacing along the glass. The aroma is a strong roast, oak and alcohol and dark fruit. Thin mouthfeel with a smokey wood flavor with a very smokey dry finish. Alcohol present but not too overpowering. A very good stout from Pike.

22 oz. bottle served in shaker- mispoured and ended up with one finger of a solid black liquid and a solid 4 inch foamy tanish brown head that refused to leave, hearty lacing. Medium carbonation, aroma of oak, vanilla, dark roasted malt, and majickal beer goodness. Hits the mouth with a hearty and heavy body, malt was masterfully roasted- damn near perfect, smoke, oak, and dark chocolate in the middle, finish has hearty lingering with vanilla, cream, and the warmth that comes from the color black. Very creamy throughout, and I can’t notice the alcohol level at all. Now get that finger up, wave it around... HOME RUN!!!

2008 bomber, aged about a year. Pours nearly black, dark cola-mahogany in hue. A small, frothy head of chocolate milk colored foam leaves sticky ribbons of lacing behind. The aroma shows a malt base of dark chocolate and burnt caramel, with notes of smoky molasses and hints of toffee. Vanilla comes through from the barrel, as does a sweet bourbony warmth. Flavors follow suit, quite sweet for a stout, loaded with molasses and caramel. The dry cocoa lends some earthiness, but the sweet oak and vanilla prove overly saccharine. Medium-full, sweet, and sticky, the light carbonation is nice, but it’s just too boozy and sugary. Good, but far from great.

Bomber from Liquid Solutions. Pours black with a 5-finger creamy/foamy/clingy dark tan head. Aromas of chocolate and wood. Medium plus body with foamy carbonation. Flavor is oak, chocolate, burnt malt, and arguably vanilla. Or something. Really mouthsmacking. No heat. It just seems to get more chocolaty with time. Quite tasty. Seems to be alive. Seems to oscillate between oak and chocolate. Just can’t get "bourbon" though.

Let me get two annoyances out of the way: First, the wax coating over the bottle cap was very difficult to remove. Second, I’ve never seen a more explosive head--it overflowed my 24 oz glass and the bottle at the same time. Needless to say, there was a huge, beige head that settled slowly. Some chunky lace. Smells of dark chocolate and brandy. The taste is rich, but the body is not. Strong alcohol warmth to the swallow. Again, dark chocolate with a cognac-like touch of raspberries and strawberries. The aftertaste is like unsweetened cocoa. There’s also a bit hop spiciness in the background. I like the complexity but it good use a fuller body to get to great status.

Deep, thick black pour with dark tan head. Aroma of roasted malt, oak and coffee. Very bitter chocolate flavor with notes of wood and coffee.

22 oz bottle. Pours a flat black body with a small fizzy brown head that left some thick lacing. Very woody nose with a little bourbon, burnt malt, light alcohol, and a touch of smoke maybe. Very woody and tannic flavor. Almost too woody. Burnt coffee, heavily roasted malt, and some moderate alcohol stick out first. The bourbon is really in the background, and doesn’t pop out at all. Very dry with a good bit of astringency on the finish. Not as good as what I was expecting. Somehow they managed to make an overly woody tasting beer with only half of it aged in barrels. That’s a new one for me!

Blind tasting. Roasty, maple syrup, pancakes, floral hops. woody, lighter bodied, complex but little cohesion