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4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Hong Kong, Stout - Imperial, Young Master Brewery

Young Master Hak Mo Sheung Con Chile Ancho Y Panca

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Brewery: Young Master Brewery
Country: Hong Kong
ABV: 10.1%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Stout Imperial Con Chile Ancho Y Panca anejadas en barriles de bourbon. Ancho & Panca chillies from South America. 45 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from website) Aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels from America for six months and infused with Ancho & Panca chillies from South America. A brooding beer, it starts off as a rich, chocolatey imperial stout with a touch of smoke and heat from the chillies taking over mid-palate. Get to know it for a few sips and you will be rewarded.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.27
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle, 2017 release with a best before date of 31st December 2022. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a big almost two finger tanned head that had good retention, but eventually settled to a thin layer, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate with a touch of wood and chili.
Taste: Chili spice dominates but doesn’t overpower, and this is a good thing. In the background appears the roasted malts, chocolate, caramel, molasses, dark fruit and oak.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: A very nice sipper. I tried this just after the Raspberry version and preferred this a lot more. There is good heat that isn’t overpowering, but yet enough to mask any booze. In addition, the chilis complement the base roastiness and chocolate really well. Although there was oak, it would have been really interesting to me, if the bourbon actually turned up, but lets not take anything away from this great tasting beer.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, Hong Kong, Stout - Imperial, Young Master Brewery

Young Master Hak Mo Sheung Raspberry

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Brewery: Young Master Brewery
Country: Hong Kong
ABV: 10.1%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Raspberry Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels. Fresh raspberry and Valrhona cacao nibs. 45 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from website) Aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels from America for six months and fermented a second time with fresh raspberry and Valrhona cacao nibs. Reminiscent of a rich black forest gâteau, this is the perfect digestif after a nice meal.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.07
My ratebeer.com rating: 3

Intro: A 330ml bottle, 2017 release with a best before date of 31st December 2022. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin tanned head that disappeared quickly to a ring around that glass while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Gummy candy raspberry, plasticky, milk chocolate and roasted malts.
Taste: Tart, candied raspberry, artificial cherry, milk chocolate, cocoa and boozy on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: A bit odd in that it felt like two different things were going on at the same time with the tart candied fruit of raspberry and cherry which was quite strong and tasted a bit artificial, and secondly the roasty malt, milk chocolate, cocoa and booziness which was trying to balance except that the booze felt over the top, and in the end the two just didn’t mesh together well. This one just didn’t work for me. As a side note, I tried the Con Chile Ancho Y Panca version right after, and preferred it a lot more.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Founders Brewing Company, Stout - Imperial, USA

Founders CBS (Canadian Breakfast Stout)

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Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 11.7%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Barrel Aged Series. 2017 release. Imperial Stout brewed with chocolate and coffee aged in maple syrup – bourbon barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) CBS was born when we stumbled upon some bourbon barrels that had previously housed maple syrup. We opted to put the same base beer as KBS, an imperialized version of Breakfast Stout, in the maple barrels and, after one taste, we knew we had something special. Rich maple syrup, roasted coffee and velvety chocolate meld together in what can only be described as a transcendental drinking experience.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.55
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. bottle, bottled on 27th October 2017. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: Black in colour with a one finger fluffy brown head that had decent retention while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Sweetish milk chocolate, bourbon, vanilla and coffee bean with hints of oak, maple and caramel.
Taste: Sweet bourbon and maple upfront with roasty coffee, chocolate, vanilla and caramel. There is light booziness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Full to medium bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: This was an excellent sipper. There was perhaps less maple than I expected, but still just enough to make an impression with the nice bourbon flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Cerveses La Pirata, Spain, Stout - Russian Imperial

La Pirata Black Block Bourbon Aged

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Brewery: Cerveses La Pirata
Country: Spain
ABV: 13%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 72 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from website) Russian Imperial Stout Bourbon Barrel Aged. The “Bourbon” version of Pearl Pirate. An even more incendiary beer warms much heart and soul.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.26
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 12th September 2017 and a best before date of September 2022. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with pretty much no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Nice bourbon, vanilla and liquorice with chocolate, cocoa, roasty malts and alcohol in the background along with hints of oak.
Taste: Lightly sweet beginning with bourbon, vanilla, raisins and dried dark fruits followed by a light roast, chocolate and cacao.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with low carbonation and a lightly boozy finish.
Overall: A very nice RIS with great bourbon flavours coming through. Body could have been heavier, but despite this, it was still very good.

4 - Good (buy), 8 Wired Brewing Co., Beer Reviews, New Zealand, Wild Ale

8 Wired A Fistful Of Cherries

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Brewery: 8 Wired Brewing Co.
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 6.7%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Sour Ale with Marlborough Cherries aged in wine barrels. 2016 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A sour ale brewed in the Belgian tradition. Barrel aged for two years on fresh Marlborough Cherries. Vibrant flavours of funk and fruit. Contains a fistful of cherries per bottle. No more, no less. Depending on the size of ones fist of course…

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.13
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 500ml bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date other than 2016 vintage. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy ruby red colour with a one and a half finger off white head that dissipated fairly quickly and left only sparse lacing. Near the end, the pour becomes a cloudy purple-reddish colour.
Aroma: Tangy, cherry and lemon with light citrus zest, oak, leathery brett and funk.
Taste: Tart, lightly sour, cherry, oak, barnyard, funk and brett.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, medium to light bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: A solid sour that is enjoyable and very drinkable.