Nightcap. This must be interesting! I tasted the base version “Antwerp” four years ago. It was nice although not a masterpiece. I now have four barrel aged editions, three Bourbon BA and one Brandy BA. I will, however, not do side by side reviews but enjoy them one by one whenever the time is ripe. This first of the series is a Weller Bourbon barrel aged version. The beer shows an opaque black complexion. Relatively shy carbonation manages to release a fawn frogspawny lacing that grows maximum half a finger thick. The foamy lid retreats cutely to the rim and bends passionately upwards. The nose enjoys intense Bourbon aromas like vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, cinnamon and oak barrel notes. A distant coffeeish hint seals the deal in the air. Copious Bourbon slams my tastebuds firmly but still softly. Alcohol isn't entirely hidden here. Well... not even closely. Strong oak barrel goes hand in hand with the Bourbon. The taste also gives ample vanilla, surprisingly intensive caramel and a new kid on the block: dark cherry. I didn't get it at all in the scent but it's definitely there on the tongue. A coffeeish wink doesn't leave me alone now either. Furthermore, cacao powder and marginal cinnamon complete the journey in the mouth for now. The body is full, nicely so. The end is rich in Bourbon, barrel nuances, cacao powder and dark cherry. A fairly long tail whips my tongue for quite some time. The mouthfeel is full, a tad alcoholic, definitely barrel aged and neatly warming. It's also rich and deep, intense, soft and smooth. Not particularly complex but not straightforward either. All in all, a pleasant BA imperial stout. Considerably better than the base version. Weller Bourbon is not really familiar to me but it feels like an exceptionally velvety Bourbon variety. Maybe one day, I will have a chance to taste it raw. 🥃