ASW Barrel Aged Vanilla Ice Cream Stout by Wild Leap Brew Co. is being evaluated as a Specialty Wood-Aged Beer (2015 BJCP Guidelines Category 33B) with considerations of being an Imperial Stout aged in a spirit barrel with vanilla and lactose.

The aroma is bursting with complexity.  Every time the nose approaches the rim of the glass there is something new to be discovered. Freshly scraped vanilla bean, charred American oak, baker's cocoa and toasted marshmallow are all showcased – vanilla comes through more as the beer approaches room temperature. The appearance is jet black with a thin khaki head that struggles to build and falls quickly. The flavor is rich with high levels of sweetness that highlight the vanilla characteristics within the beer. There is no perceptible hop flavor and the bitterness is low, which accentuates any malt-derived sweetness. Oak/bourbon lingers on the palate after each sip, and the light tannic presence from the oak lends the beer the perception of a dryness in the finish. The mouthfeel features a viscous body, low carbonation and moderate alcohol warmth. Overall the balance is a bit sweet, but that is what the masses are craving these days.

This beer was a very limited release of only 84 bottles because the entire packaging run of this came from a single barrel that was hand-selected by the production team. With the depth of flavor present it is easy to understand why they thought this particular barrel was a winner. A beautiful beer that will never be perfectly replicated, which makes this even more special.