Antwerp barrel aged series. Baby, hit me one more time! The fourth and last for the time being. The barreling is Heaven Hill Bourbon, this time I know what I know. 2023 vintage. The beer looks opaque, pitch black. As expected. The carbonation is somewhat introverted but a beige minuscule-bubbled foam falls short of one finger and melts quickly to virtually zero. The nose enjoys lovely aromas: velvety Bourbon, accompanying vanilla, date, creamy butterscotch, modest cacao nibs and a negligible whisper of cinnamon. Barrel nuances are obvious. A multifaceted, yet not massively copious olfactory reserve though. The gustatory universe proves to be powerful: Bourbon is truly intensive, a tad alcoholic, neatly fruity. Vanilla characterizes the Bourbon beautifully. Auxiliary components include smaller injections of caramel, dark chocolate, raw cacao powder, date, a pinch of raisin and a hint of cinnamon. And barrel notes, of course. The body is full. Nice. The aftertaste offers an alcoholic medley of Bourbon, barrel nuances, dark chocolate asked raw cacao powder. The beer leaves a robust, very deep, rich, intense and barrel aged impression in the mouth. Appealingly warming and, despite everything, rather gentle, as well. Adequately complex. I'm not surprised, Heaven Hill delivers!

Let's continue with the Antwerp barrel aged series analysis! Now the third variety: brandy barrel aged with vanilla beans. I'm not into brandy, or even cognac for that matter, but combined with vanilla, it can actually give a nice cakey impression. Bottled 4.5 years ago. The hue is black and opaque. Not a big surprise, I guess. The carbonation is temperate. A beige froth elevates up to one finger and shrinks fast to the sides. A standard phenomenon. Brandy is recognizable in the scent although not particularly generous. Cacao nibs give a chocolatey aroma, escorted by cane sugar and a pinch of vanilla. A touch of waffle merges with subdued barrel notes and completes the olfactory journey. The taste is a bit shocking to my fellow tastebuds: brandy grows substantially and isn't very round or mature. Vanilla is obvious, accompanied by truly limited cacao nibs and a coffeeish hint. Strong sharp barrel nuances and alcohol introduce an arduous side to the profile. The body is full. The end carries forward especially alcohol, barrel elements, raw cacao bean and dark chocolate. Not easy, not impossible either. The sensation left in the mouth is full, a bit thick, deep, strong, a tad alcoholic and barrel aged. Not cakey at all. And not exactly balanced. I'd like to say that ”cellaring could do wonders to this” but if this is now 4.5 years old, what new would additional cellaring bring to the table? I doubt that this would change a bit.

Oh Lord! What sauna doesn't heal, is lethal. I didn't die, I'm actually very much alive. Still sore muscles, and tomorrow most likely even more so, but definitely less sore and more relaxed than before/without the sauna. It's just magic. Now #2 Imperial Stout of the Antwerp barrel aged series: Blantons Bourbon barrel aged. I'm not familiar with Blantons Bourbon either but I'm open. The beer pours opaque, oily jet black. The same level of carbonation: timid. The head, too, is identical to yesterday's Antwerp: soft, bronze chocolatey, half a finger tall. The foamy cap dwindles rapidly to a hair-thin lace ring. The nose enjoys milk chocolate, cacao nibs, vanilla, butterscotch and cream. Further down the road, I pick candied orange peel and a suggestion of coffee. Attractive but probably a bit less intensive than yesterday's version. The taste confirms my initial assessment: the package is soft but moderately less powerful than that of the Weller Bourbon version. The parameters include Bourbon, for sure, vanilla, caramel, cream, butterscotch, cacao nibs, honey and candied orange peel. Very inviting! The biggest difference from yesterday is the dark cherry that is absent today. And now that I think carefully, the barrel notes are substantially weaker here. The body is full but not enormous. As if it was bigger yesterday? The finish puts forward a good deal of Bourbon, some barrel nuances, chocolate and vanilla. The beer leaves a relatively full, creamy, soft, lip-glueing and barrel aged sensation in the mouth. It's also somewhat deep, a tad rich but not particularly complex though. Nice, yet not very intense. Weller was sturdier than Blantons.

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. 🥃