Tootsie Roll chocolate stout.

Like drinking chocolate milk. But better.

I mean, the cocoa is nice, the barrel adds depth, but I wish the chiles and cinnamon weren't there, and at nearly 14% it's not even as good as CW's stout. This was a gift but I assume it was on the order of $10 so I wonder why it exists.

This was really good. A slurry of good hops. Every bit of the nearly 9% but not too sweet. Full flavored, not overwhelming.

Cocoa powder. Less bourbon than I remember from the other bottle, wouldn't mind a little more. It also needs another month, at least, to settle in the bottle. But maybe the best vintage that I can remember.

The 2016 took a few months to get this good. This one is ready to go out of the gate. Chocolate bomb on the nose and tongue. Some coffee at the backend, too. More than I remember in other vintages. This is simply great. Reaffirms that I don't _need_ any other barrel stout.

Other stouts can aspire to be like this.

Has definitely smoothed out after a few months. Quite pleasant, coffee isn't as bitter. Never had a strong barrel flavor, just a little sweetness and depth. Can't promise I would guess it's barrel aged if I didn't already know. That's really the only disappointing thing. I should grade on a curve at 8% but come on, guys!

Very strong coffee flavor. I wonder what the base beer is like because it's not massive. Some nice chocolate stuff as well but the coffee is the featured player. Thankfully the coffee isn't bitter. I can't really detect any whiskey and I'm hard pressed to be more specific regarding any qualities lent by the barrel besides depth. Easy to understand they'd be reticent to leave it in the barrel for an extended period of time given their previous production issues with this beer. Is this just their brewhouse stout barrel aged (or vice versa)? Doesn't seem like a candidate for aging at this ABV, although I'm not sure it's really 8.5%.

Fairly oxidized after 4.5 years. A little surprising, really, but it can happen. Not sweet or bitter, dry and a little chocolatey. It was good but not an accurate representation.

It's good. But even when I drink IPAs from Pipeworks I wish it was a NvU.

Very heavy on the apple from the Teku glass.

Blows me away, every time. The wrong food pairing can wreck this beer, though. First glass was amazing. After a salad with vinegar mustard dressing, all I could taste was the apples and a little cherry tart and cranberry sour.

It's good. Kinda lime peely. Wouldn't buy again but only because there is other stuff out there.

This was really good. A slurry of good hops. Every bit of the nearly 9% but not too sweet. Full flavored, not overwhelming.