FiftyFifty 2010 Imperial Eclipse Stout - Rittenhouse Rye

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Wow freaking wow....one of my favorite of the line-up so far. Not sure how much age was on this, but it drank in grand smooth pimp fashion. Overly rounded and mellow as long as it got it's due respect. Abundant warming aroma and a slinky smooth flavor to follow suit. Lots of mild rye whiskey followed by vanilla, rich fudge, wood, and a surprising amount of dark fruits/berries.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

WAAAAAY more rye barrel presence than the 2009 heaven hill version, and not as high quality of a beer because of it. Still quite delicious. Silky smooth though it showed some heat, lots of chocolate, whiskey and rye on the nose and in the flavor. This one was not quite worth the bottle price. Too much barrel influence and not enough complexity...but some of these have been epic (see 2011 Iced Eclipse) so worth a shot. 2011 batch also a little too rye forward. Very good, but not elite as a couple of these have been...

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

Tasted at the 5th Annual Bistro Barrel Aged Beer Fest on 11/13/2010. This Imperial Stout pours a deep black color from the tap. Small to medium sized tan foamy head. The aroma is chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and dark fruit, with rye whisky and wood. A full bodied Imperial Stout. The malts are chocolate and coffee, with touch of dark fruit, a hint of vanilla, some wood and rye. The hops are earthy. This one seemed a little thinner and not as smooth as the Four Roses Version. The flavor was very nice, the rye and wood compliment the chocolate, coffee and vanilla sweetness of the beer very well. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.