FiftyFifty Imperial Eclipse Stout - Elijah Craig 20 Year Barrel

Formerly brewed at FiftyFifty Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial Stout
Truckee, California USA

Serve in Snifter

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2011 bottle, # 2307. Pours thick oily jet black with 1-finger tan head that retains well. More head than the 12 EC here. Nose is very similar to the 18 year; a lot of oaky earthy malt, figgy, port, blackberry, and raisin fruits, oaky spirity. Tastes very rich, smooth to the level of nitrogenation, complex, with loads of oaky spirits, earthy cacaoey and blackberry malt, port, figs, and more heat as it warms, and none of that scotch barrel aftertaste. This one is world-class.

Wow. Wow... oh wow. Aroma is perfect sweet malts, chocolate, honey, berries, and a finish of oak and a bourbon burn. Taste is just the same... love it when that happens. A perfect balance of toasty malts, chocolates, berry sweetness, and a WONDERFUL, but not overpowering bourbon note on the finish. Texture is thick and almost oily... the color is pitch goddamn black with a thick, frothy mocha head. Another 5.0, for sure. This beer is magical.

The aroma is amazing, pours with a very light head. Maybe a little low on the carbonation. One of the best barrel aged beers I’ve tried to date. The bourbon flavor intensifies as it warms. Pricey but worth it.

Beautiful aromatic and tasty beer, lots of caramel, chocolate, figs, & bourbon...very black with minimal head, medium sweetness. Very top beer for pure enjoyment.

Bottle shared at Bavarian Lodge with my new best friend in the whole world whatsisname. Even with soapy hands from the washroom, I can smell the tiny glass at arm’s length. HEAVY alcohol nose, with sides of licorice and brandy. Solid black color, what else. If there was ever a head in this beer pour, it tucked itself between its legs to kiss its butt goodbye. Taste is thick and fully malted out, like biting into a frozen Charleston Chew. Michael Rosenow says he finds prunes in it. I say prunes, raisins, maybe even some figs. Surprisingly, I did not consider the whiskey notes, perhaps I did not know this was a barrel-aged Eclipse. But I’m happy to find Todd has amped up his recipe since I last had it years ago at Flossmoor Station.

650ml white-waxed bottle. Bottle # 4224. It pours a thick, viscous dark blackish brown with a tall foamy but frothy tan head that dissipates with a few skids of lacing. A thick tan froth sits atop the beer. The smell is amazing. It is hot but in a pleasant bourbony way. The bourbon explodes in the smell, nice hints of wood, caramel, and vanilla dominate. There is a noticeable pronounced fruitiness that is rich and intoxicating. The base stout comes through as well with some cocoa richness and bready but dark, roasty malts. The flavor is dominated by bourbon in a good way, but the stout isn’t lost. The initial flavor is bourbon and wood, rich, complex layers of wood and vanilla project over a nicely bitter stout base. The heat isn’t overwhelming, but it is a key component in the flavor profile. There is a fruitiness again here that is devilishly good. Mid to late palate brings the chocolate and roastiness and it is fantastic, the finish is sweet. I have never had a barrel aged beer that had this pronounced and fresh of a bourbon flavor. Normally I hate beers because the bourbon-forward, but this one has changed my mind or something, maybe it just speaks to the expertise of this particular brewery with barrel aging.

Jet black, not much foam, swirling the glass shows some nice legs however. Phenomenal aroma: molasses, raisins, fig, chocolate, cinnamon, and bourbon of course. Taste brings in more of the bourbon along with some cigar tobacco qualities, a mild bitterness from cocoa/coffee. Flavor lingers long after, slowly fading to a mildly sweet and boozy finish. A top ten beer.

Bottle courtesy of Anthony. Hands down, beer of the night. Pours a deep black body with thick brown head and nice lacing. Aroma is sweet vanilla, light milk chocolate, soft oak, light molasses and syrup. Mouthfeel is creamy and divine with notes of sweet vanilla, oak, butter, bourbon, marshmallows, chocolate, and a touch of maple syrup. This was one of the creamiest, most indulgent stouts I can remember having in a very long time.

Pours black with dark brown edges - looks a bit thin, small mocha head which settles quickly. Smells almost identical to Bourbon County which is a good thing and amazing for a ~10% beer - dark chocolate, bourbon, brown sugar, vanilla, hint of coconut. Taste is great as well - a perfect balance of dark chocolate and bourbon, oak, booze noticeable but provides pleasant warmth - I must say this is the most flavor I’ve experienced in an under 12% beer. Hate to compare it to bourbon county again but this is very similar and almost more drinkable without all the booze and thick body. Great stuff

Thanks to largadeer for sharing a pour from his bottle. Very dark brown in color, but letting a tiny bit of light through. Not black. A small tan head sits on top and fades to a bubbly ring. The aroma is a nostril assault of awesomeness. Big rich dark and milk chocolate, mild roast, premium quality bourbon, oak, vanilla, and black cherry. The flavor has an insane complexity to it, and then on the finish it just gets better. All the amazing flavors that almost any past Eclipse has had - sweet chocolate, roast, toffee, dark fruit, vanilla, oak, and bourbon - incredibly balanced and tasty. Intensifies as it sits in your mouth. Medium-full bodied and incredibly smooth on the palate with soft carbonation. Unbe-mother-effing-lievable beer. Dude.