First up was Brooklyn Black Ops. This is a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout that gets released once a year. I picked it up a few months ago when it came out in NY and had been looking forward to trying it for a while. This bottle was very expensive at $25, but it seemed to have a decent record. I was utterly underwhelmed when I tried Black Ops though. There was a lack of complexity that keeps Black Ops out of the same league as great imperial stouts. There was a weak burbon flavor dulled by a chocolate malt flavor. The flavor just seemed watered down. Very disappointing for such an expensive beer. The one highlight of the experience was the mouthfeel was right on for a big stout. I won't be seeking Black Ops out again next year.
Captain Lawrence Birra Decicco was up next. This beer was brewed by Captain Lawrence in collaboration with Decicco's market, the wonderful place in Ardsley, NY that I have posted about before. CL used some ingredients from Decicco's grocery store (chestnut honey and jam). This beer is pretty sweet with plenty of chestnut flavor. Not to bad overall. I'm glad I got to try it as it is an interesting take on a dubbel.
The third beer cracked was Deschutes The Abyss (2009). It was a little while before the "best after" date, but since I had 2 in my cellar and I've been dying to try one I decided to open one up. The Abyss was a much better imperial stout experience than Black Ops. The flavor was much more complex with an interesting interaction between the licorice flavor and the slight bourbon flavor. The beer was nice a thick with a velvety mouthfeel. The best out of the three we tried in my opinion. I'm glad I have one left to crack open later in the year.
More to come later this week.
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