Sierra Nevada Barrel-Aged Maple Stout

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

Comes out of the tap a rich, warm sable with a thick tan head. Very appetizing. Powerful aroma carries enough to get your attention well before the glass is below your nostrils, getting the saliva glands a-goin’ with roast malt, oak, maple syrup, caramel and mocha notes. Flavor is sweet but not cloying, and maple syrup, roast malt, caramel, coffee, oak, chocolate and even subtle spice and hop tones dance across the palate. Thick, syrupy texture is quite fizzy. Drink it slowly.

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

...and the hits keep on rolling. The last SN release, the BA Narwhal, was probably my favorite theyve ever done, now barely a month later we're getting a Chico version of CBS?! Are you kidding me? Again, as with the Narwhal, everything I hoped for. I'll have it juuuust a touch behind the absolute favorites in style (KBS/Big Bad Baptist) but their are no faults in this beer, just splitting hairs. I do feel, especially if you are going to call it a maple stout, that the maple should have been more prevelant. This is coffee first, then the barrel, theeeeeeeen the maple, just a touch, in the nose and flavor. So very very delicious and ridiculously smooth for 13%, or any abv for that matter. The aroma of Narwhal (which we got to have again side by side) is easier to get (you have to dig a little deeper for the coffee and barrel to come out in the nose on this) but I can't really give one the nod over the other. Two of Sierra Nevada's best, and two of the better beers I've got to have this year so far.