Tonight's BA. The barrel is Buffalo Trace. Sounds absolutely intriguing! Oily black beer fills the glass. I don't see a party of carbonation, just an attempt to make bubbles move. The emerging head looks sandy, climbs half a finger tall and doesn't give a damn after a short while and goes down. So far, so good. Up to this point, most Imperial Stouts look the same. But now. The game starts. 💪🏿 The olfactory provision is... subdued! Astonishingly weak. I don't catch a buffalo, just a baby calf! Mooo. Oppressed notes of roasted malt and charred oak as well as a wisp of smoke approach my nose. After some time of warming up, the beer starts releasing also faint vanilla, cacao nibs and dark chocolate. The taste profile paws the ground and sends dirt flying: sweet caramel malt, butterscotch, toffee and vanilla are the first components that I spot on the tongue. A drop of honey follows right behind. Actually two drops, it's not too shy, by the way. As if a whisper of orange jam was also in the palate. A good load of flavors, somewhat predictable Bourbon-forward but includes also unexpected nuances. Enjoyable, for sure! 🖤🖤 The body is medium to medium-full. The ABV of 12 % should ensure more. The finish reduces to dark chocolate, cacao nibs, a pinch of vanilla and honey waffle. Still, a neat spectrum. The aftertaste is a buffalo soldier, dreadlocked Rasta, stolen from Africa, brought to America, fighting on arrival, fighting for survival. The mouthfeel is medium, lip-glueing, velvety, smooth and balanced. It's not particularly thick but still a bit chewy. Barrel aging is beautiful, no trace of alcohol, not even a buffalo trace (= a joke, you noticed?) Complexity is not absent either even though this is not a proponent of diversity. Reasonable degree of richness and more deepness, at least. Definitely #summerbeer22