Tonight's beer: Heavy Seas 20 Year Storm
Opens with vanilla and caramel speared on toasty darkish bread. Grassy-earthy-peaty bitterness slides into place right behind. Dark fruit lurks on the edges—mostly figs and dates—with a thin smattering of baking spice. Dries out readily and smoothly into the finish.
Surprisingly light-bodied for a 10% ABV barrel-aged beer, nicely carbonated. Soft traces of syrupy stickiness, gradually drying and eventually something like refreshing. Just a kiss of boozy heat.
Huh. I was kinda thinking that "Imperial ESB aged in bourbon barrels" meant "barleywine." Turns out, not; this is a delicious big bourbon-barrel-aged beer that's not at all a barleywine. Intense as hell, suitably complex; nicely balanced and integrated. Supple and subtle and graceful, impressively drinkable. An excellent way for these folks to celebrate their 20th anniversary. It should age pretty well, for at least a year: this is a beer with a light body but a lot of substance.
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| Heavy Seas 20 Year Storm |
Opens with vanilla and caramel speared on toasty darkish bread. Grassy-earthy-peaty bitterness slides into place right behind. Dark fruit lurks on the edges—mostly figs and dates—with a thin smattering of baking spice. Dries out readily and smoothly into the finish.
Surprisingly light-bodied for a 10% ABV barrel-aged beer, nicely carbonated. Soft traces of syrupy stickiness, gradually drying and eventually something like refreshing. Just a kiss of boozy heat.
Huh. I was kinda thinking that "Imperial ESB aged in bourbon barrels" meant "barleywine." Turns out, not; this is a delicious big bourbon-barrel-aged beer that's not at all a barleywine. Intense as hell, suitably complex; nicely balanced and integrated. Supple and subtle and graceful, impressively drinkable. An excellent way for these folks to celebrate their 20th anniversary. It should age pretty well, for at least a year: this is a beer with a light body but a lot of substance.
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