4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 16/20
(22oz bottle, 2008 vintage) Pours an opaque black body with a small tan head. Aroma of chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, toffee, and vanilla. Flavor of chocolate, roasted malt, bourbon, light fennel, caramel, toasted coconut, light dark fruit, and toffee.
4.6 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
Vintage 2008 bottle #125. Trade from Sean9689, thanks buddy. Shared with dedollewaitor. Black body with a small brown head. Aroma is bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, roasted malt, tobacco, soft. Flavour is bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, syrup, roasted malt. Very smooth, very well aged. Well balanced. This is beer porn.
4.4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
2008 Vintage, Purple Wax. Bottle # 125. Thanks to Hallinghansen. Pours black with a small beige head. Nose is vinous and complex. Sweet bourbon, wood, coffee and liquorice. Subdued and well aged - promising. Flavor is liquorice, smooth bourbon, wood, coffee and liquorice. Pleasant warmth. Silky smooth and soft. Incredible.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
650 ml bottle generously shared by cpferris. Big thanks to Chad. Pours a dark brown with a small tan head that settles to a ring and leaves some light lacing on the glass. The aroma is roasty with coffee, a bit of alcohol, some vanilla, light coconut, and light chocolate. The taste has some sweetness with vanilla, bourbon, coconut, and a decent roastiness. The finish has some oak and a light bitterness. Light body. Low carbonation. This was a good, but not great beer. I’m sure it was once great, but it seems like a lot of the barrel characteristics have faded. I would prefer most of the newer eclipse variations fresh to this.
4.4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle number #75/2008, pink wax, 22oz bottle; shared this at Woodshop over the summer, the bottle itself kindly provided by the brewer. Greatly appreciated, Todd. Pours a dark chocolate color; light-brown head; some viscosity to this. Layers of bitter chocolate, lightly warming alcohol, brown sugar, and even some middle caramel notes; complex; lightest hint of oxidation; still in great condition. Full mouthfeel: hugely rounded; delicious; lightly warming alcohol, layers of caramel, brown sugar, and chocolate, with just seamless layers of lightly oaked and bourboned delicious; killer beer that’s still in good shape. Lasting bitter chocolate and toasted marshmallow in the finish.
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle shared by nerd. Thanks Michael!
Served in my Darkness tulip. The beer is near black, with a thin, tan head that hangs out briefly before leaving a few random spots of lacing behind. The aroma is very inviting, with bourbon and roast at the forefront. The beer tastes wonderful, is well balanced, and full of flavor. The feel is exceptional, and is silky smooth on the palate, though not as big or full bodied as I might have expected. Terrific feel nonetheless. The PVW barrels shine through brilliantly. This is so easy to drink. Overall, a terrific barrel-aged stout, and one I would really enjoy having again...and again.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 05-06-2011
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
22 fl oz bottle. Pours dark brown to black with a small tan head. Aroma is roasted malty and dark chocolate. Light vanilla. Dark roasted malty and caramelish. Light wooden.
4.1 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle at Wood Shop 7 thanks to Ken. Brownish black, nice orange around the edge, nice legs. Big caramel, vanilla, nuts and honey nose. Very sweet, rich and tasty. Very good.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
651mL pink sparkle wax thanks to kmweaver. A mega whale thanks to Ken. Pours clear brune with little to no head. Nose is fumey alcohol, hot vapor, savory spices decanting to truffle, mushroom, steak fat. Taste is rich chocolate mousse, malted milk balls, hazelnut dark chocolate. Similar to Ferrero Rocher hazelnut ball. Sweet lemon iced tea in the finish. Again like Chocolate Rain and Black Tuesday, these Fifty Fifty Eclipses really should be in the American Strong Ale category since they have much more in common with Firestone Walker10-15 than they do with Bells Expedition.
3.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 13/20
Batch # 2 unwaxed from 2008. Pours a thick dark, dark brown. Smell is lots of bourbon, coffee, and roasted malt. Taste is much more subtle and subdued with bourbon. Sweet, mildly roasty and low carbonation. Finishes smooth and chocolaty.
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