Brew Gentlemen The End

LOC: Braddock, Pennsylvania ABV: 10.2% | IBUS: N/A | SRM: N/A

What the brewer says “A Russian imperial stout with vanilla, aged in whiskey barrels.”

What our panel thought

Aroma: “Cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, and coffee notes, supported by a crystal malt sweetness, reminiscent of caramel, with a hint of freshly cut oak chips at the end.” Flavor: “Rich dark chocolate. The vanilla is fairly subtle and brings out the chocolate character rather than sticking out as vanilla. A bit of oak and toasty marshmallow reinforce the campfire feel. Mild roast gives way to some sugar sweetness.” Overall: “Great example of the style that’s absolutely delicious if just a bit too safe to be truly one-of-a-kind. Great balance between malt, barrel, adjuncts, and mouthfeel with a depth of quality in the defining vanilla character that sets it apart. There are some top-tier barrel-aged stouts with vanilla that I enjoy more than this, but you could count the number of them on your fingers alone.” 98 AROMA: 12 APPEARANCE: 3 FLAVOR: 19 MOUTHFEEL: 4 OVERALL: 10