Cigar City Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout - Palm Ridge Reserve Barrel Aged

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Rated 2010. On tap at the Tampa Pours House Drink Local event pouring up inky void staining the glass with infrared edges and thin mocha head. The aroma, as it finally warms up, gets punchy to yummy with sweet whiskey, then caramel candy, wood, chocolate and vanilla all blending boldly together. After a few more draws additional notes are noticed like coconut, nuttiness, dark roasted malts, some burnt malts, a thin layer of dark roasted coffee and lingering rich dark chocolate boozy heat at the end of the draw. The mouthfeel enters smooth and velvety and dries out a tad toward the finish. The taste starts with a smooth slick rush of sweet whiskey and wavy layers of chocolate caramel covered wood. By midway it picks up bold dark roasted malts, burnt malts and more chocolate notes while the smooth sweet whiskey begins to fade away along with aged mellow wood notes. This attains a pleasing balance between rich velvety chocolate, sweet boozy whiskey and wood as well as roasty to burnt malts. Well done with spot on barrel time for my taste.