Nickel Brook Winey Bastard

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Celebrating rating 2900 on this site. Pours a very dark brown, almost black colour with very little red wine highlights. Beautiful creamy-bubbly mocha-coloured head with great retention and full creamy lacing. Aromas are quite sour from the Brettanomyces with notes of red wine. Not sure this really works together, as seems like outdated wine scent. The taste is a little better with the roasted malts, licorice, hints of sour, wine and some light bitterness in the finish. All very well-blended. I really enjoyed their original Bolshevik Bastard, but not sure the Brett works in here. Would like to taste a Pinot Noir version only. Interesting Imperial Stout nonetheless.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

750ml bottle. Pours a very large amount of frothy brownish head and has a dark brown appearance. Big sticky lacing. Aromas of roasted malts, toffee and coffee. Flavours are coffee, resin, hints of raisin, a little bit sweet. The alcohol is more noticeable in the finish. The wine like/pinot noir taste comes more in the finish as well, hard to distinguish really but can also be a merlot or even shiraz. Has that winey, sour like mouthfeel. Somewhat bitter as well. Has sort of a drying sensation on the palate. Overall, pretty good and what’s expected of a stout aged wine barrels, giving Bolshevik Bastard a bit more character, like it needed any more. A bit pricey though.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Pours black with a thin bubbly head. Leaves no lacing. Not much roasted aroma or flavour for an Imperial Stout. Plum, wine and metalic aroma. Flavour follows the nose. Barrel characteristics dominate with a hint of chocolate and a sour cherry finish. Medium to full mouthfeel. Better towards the end. Ok but a little pricey.