Silva Stout
Thank you so much for this, Chris. My previous (and only) attempt at getting this beer ended with FedEx losing the box, and I'd resigned myself to the fate of not trying this until you generously sent it to me. Pouring jet black with a dense, dark brown head with excellent retention and lacing, this beer looks excellent. The lacing is particularly fine, hanging around in dense sheets. And the new, distinctive bottles don't hurt either. The nose is pretty excellent. The barrel character is moderate - coconut, chocolate, sugar and an almost cookie dough-like character, I also get raisins and oatmeal. All of this makes me think - chocolate chip raisin cookie. The roast character is light, this is on the creamier, milk chocolate end of the RIS spectrum. Bourbon is expressed as a little vanilla and a firm but gentle heat. The palate is outstanding. Coffee and some milk chocolate are immediately noticeable, there's a moderate caramel malt backbone to go with vanilla and bourbon that the barrel has lent. The coffee character isn't as strong as in a beer like KBS, but it's still very noticeable. It is also a little more acrid and less fresh than in KBS. Bourbon reappears on the mid-palate, with a mild booziness that lightens the body some. A moderate chocolate undercurrent is present as well. Mildly sweet on the finish with bourbon, vanilla and caramel all present, along with a touch of alcohol. Medium-full in body with moderate carbonation, this improves hugely once it's had time to settle down a bit. The mellow booziness on the finish is enjoyable too, especially on this rainy, fall night. Excellent stuff, I would drink this again if I could.