8 Wired Brewing Company Batch 2.18 Oak Aged Imperial Stout Imperial Stout at 11% ABV | 75 IBU (C$15.99 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 500 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 1-Jul-2016, reviewed 18-Feb-2018)
Appearance: utterly black with no hint of relief, one fat finger of fluffy beige head diminishing gradually to a thick persistent cap, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dates, brown sugar, oak, chocolate, vanilla, light smoke. (8/10) Taste: high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: full slick body, moderate-low carbonation, lingering and building bitter warming finish. (5/5)
Clearly different from the first sniff – there’s an explicit aroma of dates and brown sugar, as opposed to the less differentiated dark fruit and sweetness one often gets in Imperials. There’s also a mild botanical note I can’t quite place, particularly present (and not entirely welcome) retronasally from the back of the tongue. It grows on you, though, and overall isn’t really a basis for a negative rating. All in all, a big and pleasantly boozy sipper. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
