Seemingly unvaried takeoff of brewers’ Illuminati (bottle conditioned at Jolly Pumpkin) tosses wild yeast bacteria into bourbon-aged stout, creating sour-fruited raw molasses template over leathery cocoa musk. Dry whiskey waft consumes the nose as oaken cherry-vanilla tartness nearly conceals tannic red wine vinegaring and dry bourbon-burgundy whir while curdled soy milking gains lactic mocha edge.
On tap at Shepherd & Knucklehead – Haledon, dark chocolate syruping drapes Christmas-spiced cinnamon toasting and gooey anise tonguing for Italian red wine-barreled stout. Subtle tannic grape esters softly penetrate cinnamon chocolate caking while tertiary black cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant illusions wisp below.
On tap at Ambulance, fantastic velvety smooth oak-aged version of Beer Geek’s oatmeal stout series serenades fudgy cocoa beaning and French press coffee persuasion with sweet bourbon vanilla warmth. Whiskeyed chocolate battering gains ancillary café latte, Baker’s chocolate, espresso and toasted coconut illusions as well as dried cherry nuances. A perfect wintry nightcap.
Rich black-malted dark chocolate and ground coffee overtones gain oaken bourbon vanilla pleasantry as well as mild molasses syruping. Dry rye, sweet hazelnut, sour black grape, ashen walnut and tobacco chaw illusions pad its intense mocha theme.
On tap at Ambulance, celestial rye barrel aged stout lets lingered bourbon sweetness elegantly coat fudgy brown chocolate spicing and creamy vanilla undercurrent. Beneath the mocha bourbon richness, dry rye tones perk up oncoming whiskey warmth.
On tap at Taphouse 15, respected Imperial Stout gets silken brandy aging to coerce rich dark chocolate fudging and bittersweet Blackstrap molasses thickness. Sweet brandy influence receives delicate port, brandy and sherry licks as well as latent anise spicing. Mild wood-burnt tobacco chaw embitters cocoa-dried dark chocolate aspect. Luxurious brandied chocolate dessert.
Smooth Buffalo Trace rye whiskey tones picks up creamy brown chocolate-spiced caramel malting emanating from brewers’ Oats N’ Hoes Oatmeal Stout for relaxing medium-full body. Mild brown-sugared oatmeal sweetness reinforces whiskeyed mocha splendor.
Moderate bourbon-aged Imperial Stout (circa 2018) lets tart black cherry-bruised sherry, port and burgundy wining softly whisk away mild black chocolate/ vanilla combo. Delicate whiskey tones absorb winey provocation as well as dank grape-raisin-apricot musk and dank earthen bottom.
On tap at Ambulance, light apple brandy wining nudges dark chocolate fudging and mild wood char. Distant cherry, plum and date illusions barely touch the serene brandied mocha surface.
Extravagantly rich barrel-aged version of SYF soaked in Social Still Rye Whiskey from local Bethlehem distillery conveys luxurious bourbon, burgundy and sherry tones to enhance whiskey-buzzed rye conviction draped by dark chocolate syrup. Bold coffee roast then comes to the fore boosted by vanilla bean, cola, hazelnut and blueberry illusions. An excellent mocha-derived rye whiskey alternative.
