West Coast Brewing - Seasons of Darkness BA Imperial Stout 750ml

"When we took our first steps down this road of this barrel aged process, it felt like an eternity before we might reach the point of release. Since each beer can take years, it’s important to fill barrels consistently over that time so that a continuous stream of barrels can be produced without having to wait those initial years over again. Now that our first barrels are out the door, it seems that all the other barrels we added to this stream also started coming due. It was very difficult to decide on barrels for this blend as so many were excellent and ready for packaging. Essentially all of the barrels had a strong presence of whiskey (sometimes too much!), so we had to look past that to find the more nuanced flavors we were interested in.

Of the four barrels we chose, two had an extremely strong presence of whiskey, while the other two were more subdued. These more subdued barrels, is where the notes of milk chocolate, coffee derive. After a number of blending combinations we landed on these four as a good balance of whiskey and other dessert-full flavors.

The adjuncts for this beer were decided quickly. With a focus on creating something dessert- like, we felt the fat and oil from coconuts and pistachios was an excellent way to counteract any excessive heat. The most challenging factor with these two adjuncts is achieving enough flavor from them. That’s why we chose to roast each of them (and the coconuts twice). Without the toasting the oils from these nuts often can’t bind to the beer. It added a fair amount of work, but the results speak to the effectiveness of this additional step.

• Inoculation Microorganisms: US-05
• Wort: Combination of malts, oats, sugars and hops
• Fermentation Vessel(s): ex-Bourbon ex-Whisky casks from Shizuoka Distillery
• Time: 24 months in barrel
• Adjuncts: Toasted coconut flakes and pistachio

Pistachio and Coconuts are rich in natural oils that had no way of escaping this concoction due to the extravagant proportions allotted to this exceptional beer. Just like oil, this beer pours like a barrel of crude, sitting black and viscous in the glass. Don’t expect a delicate layer of foam to crown this beauty. However, expectations of coconut and pistachio are amply filled. The nose is packed with roasted coconuts and pistachios, leaving room for little else. The flavor, on the other hand, is bursting with complexity. Of course, roasted pistachios and coconuts are present, but notes of milk chocolate, coffee, burnt caramel and orange can be found with a conspicuous flavor of whiskey tying the bow on this gift to lovers of decadence." -West Coast Brewing

*Contains nuts.

Style / Variety: Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
Region: Shizuoka, Japan
ABV: 12.5%
Vol: 750ml