Year of New Beer: Double Barrel Rye Imperial Stout, Cahaba Brewing (Birmingham)

Written By: Dion on 09/24/2015

After slumbering eleven months in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels, this limited edition brew made its way onto store shelves back in late February, and I just happened to be at Hop City in Birmingham the day they unboxed it. The nose is heavy with chocolate, freshly brewed coffee, faint oak, and not-so-faint bourbon. On the tongue, the chocolate is mild and slightly bittersweet, while the rye malt provides a subtle but effective spice note. Vanilla and traces of smoke blend nicely with a bourbon presence that is firm but not completely overpowering. Just a tad thin, but that's a very minor complaint. If only I could have sweet-talked that girl into relaxing the one bottle limit!