The beer pours midnight black with a thick, tan, creamy head that seems to last forever. The aroma is an intense, rich and complex blend of vanilla, bourbon, chocolate, dark roast coffee, black cherries, raisins and a light spicy alcohol character that contributes to a multi-layered bouquet. The flavor follows the aroma with prominent chocolate, coffee, vanilla, bourbon and mixed dark and dried fruit characters. The solid spicy alcohol warming and prominent hop bitterness helps to dry out and balance the moderate residual sweetness that develops mid-palate and lingers through the aftertaste. The full body and creamy, velvety mouthfeel rounds out a very complex beer. Overall, this is an impressive, near-perfect Barrel-aged Imperial Stout. Don’t miss out on trying this one now, but grab a few extra to cellar, as this beer should only get better with age.
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Parabola
Description
Parabola is a beer of darkness and immensity, a barrel-aged beast that is routinely ranked as one of the top beers in the world. This Russian imperial oatmeal stout is aged for a full year in a blend of bourbon barrels from Elijah Craig, Four Roses, Pappy Van Winkle, Woodford Reserve and Buffalo Trace, developing flavors of rich, chewy roasted malts, charred oak and bourbony vanilla. Parabola bares its teeth with its impenetrable black hue and soaring alcohol, yet its bite remains refined with a silky, balanced finish.
Judges Review
Aroma:
23 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
39 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20