Wild Dog Barrel-Aged Gonzo Imperial Porter
Vintage - 2009? Cork was bone dry and quite brittle. Appearance -- Pours a rich dark brown with a slim, creamy beige head. Smell -- This smells lovely: Vanilla, chocolate, gentle bourbon, caramel, maple sugar, and hints of dark fruit and figs. Taste -- Not quite as good as the nose, sadly. Bakers chocolate, golden toast, caramel, dark fruit, berry-like tartness and yeast. The barrel character is quite nice: vanilla-like oak sugars, smooth sour mash bourbon, and oak wood tannins. There seems to be a slight touch of soy sauce and cork. Lingering flavors of oak, bourbon, cocoa, and caramel. Mouthfeel -- Medium-light in body with gentler carbonation. Could gain from some additional body, and the carbonation was so gentle that halfway through the glass it became still. Drinkability -- Overall it was okay. I fear my bottle was slightly corked as there were some noticeable off flavors. The smell is truly exceptional, so much so that the taste was a bit of a letdown. I'll be looking for this again in case my bottle was a dud.