8 Wired Batch 18 Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

Special batches (yum) of imperial stout (yum) from 8 Wired (yum)? Well, if you insist, I guess.

12.5% ABV and 4.9 standard drinks to the bottle puts it squarely in the big leagues, and it's got a red tinged angry head on it too which soon subsides.

Has a big and slightly worrying nose, a bit like Basil Zempilas. There's plum pudding there, dark fruit, with a bit of chocolate and alcohol in the background, and just a slight tinge of coffee.

Bang, the taste on this is pretty immense, and it unfurls a big covering bitterness from about halfway through. The alcohol is warming throughout but not bitey. It's a drink for smooth jazz sipping over a good long time with some contemplative thoughts and possibly, just possibly, a cigar.

It does have a bit of an oaky barrel finish to it too which sets it all off just nicely. I'm glad it wasn't a bourbon barrel or this thing would just be insane. All in all, a fine beer indeed. Shame there aren't more. Yet. 9.0