Stone Brewing Company Farking Wheaton W00tstout (2015) American Double / Imperial Stout at 13% ABV | 45 IBU (C$19.34 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, packaged on 20-Jun-2015, acquired 28-Jul-2015, reviewed 14-Jun-2018)
Appearance: solid, unrelieved black with no hint of relief, one finger of dense light brown head diminishing fairly rapidly to a persistent thick cap, minimal lacing. (4/5) Aroma: complex, roasty malts, pecans, bourbon, vanilla. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter, warm alcohol. (8/10) Palate: full slick body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter warming finish. (4/5)
This is the third and final one of this vintage that I bought, and as promised it remained in my cellar for more than a year after the last. Never did find more vintages for a vertical, which is probably just as well – verticalling three of these might leave me on the floor. I drank the first one fresh, didn’t see big changes in the intervening year and a half to the second, and this one, after another year and a half, seems… well… pretty much the same. I previously opined this could pretty much sit forever and just keep getting better, so I’ll amend that slightly: it could probably sit forever, not changing much. Gun to my head, I might suggest the alcohol has mellowed a little. It was never solventy, but it was hot, and now it’s merely quite warm. Good stuff. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
