Bourbon Barrel Stout (Clay Street Series)
A: midnight black with a healthy head. retention is decent with some lacing left as it goes down my gullet. pretty stout looking. S: woody and big time vanilla bean. coffee as well. same thing on the next visit and the next. kind of dessert-like. i would rather be challenged with some other complexity. T: boozy and oaky. the wood is a little raw. definitely a vanilla flavor in there as well. maybe some roast, but definitely a bit muted of a roast flavor. not enough body to balance out the first two flavors. leaves me wanting some oats to smooth this body out. M: starts a bit too lively, but letting it sit allows it to drink like it should. tastes pretty medium-bodied despite the large ABV. D: overall, this is a miss for me. the backbone just doesnt work with the wood and bourbon and like i said above it leaves me wanting something more from this brew. potential, but i think some tweaks need to be made.