FiftyFifty Imperial Eclipse Stout - Hiram Walker / Christian Bros. Brandy Barrel
Imperial Eclipse Stout aged in Brandy Barrels.
Original Release Info: 2010 Imperial Eclipse Stout aged in Hiram Walker>Christian Bros Brandy barrels (3 turns). This is one of four versions for 2010. Fairly oak neutral with some brandy notes. Added French oak spiral to each barrel. Estimated bottle count 350-400. Subject to change.
Vintages:
2010 Imperial Eclipse Stout Hiram Walker/Christian Bros. - (PURPLE OR BROWN WAX w/ 2010)
2011 Imperial Eclipse Stout Brandy Barrel Blend Christian Bros - (BURGUNDY WAX w/ 2011)
Original Release Info: 2010 Imperial Eclipse Stout aged in Hiram Walker>Christian Bros Brandy barrels (3 turns). This is one of four versions for 2010. Fairly oak neutral with some brandy notes. Added French oak spiral to each barrel. Estimated bottle count 350-400. Subject to change.
Vintages:
2010 Imperial Eclipse Stout Hiram Walker/Christian Bros. - (PURPLE OR BROWN WAX w/ 2010)
2011 Imperial Eclipse Stout Brandy Barrel Blend Christian Bros - (BURGUNDY WAX w/ 2011)
3.9
156 reviews
Truckee, United States
Community reviews
Bomber from Mikkeller webshop. Vintage 2011, bottle #2494.
Pours a deep black with a 2 finger tan head that disappates quite fast.
Aroma of burnt rubber, licorice, brandy, honey, oak, booze, hints of chocolate, coffee and vanilla.
Taste is licorice, cacao, smoke, oak, tar, toned down notes of brandy, dark chocolate, vanilla, boozy with a medium bitter finish.
Thick, velvety mouthfeel with medium carbonation.
Quite different from the last Eclipse (Bernheim wheat) I had.
Sampled at 2011 RBWG. Pours near black with a thin beige head. The nose is cocoa, brandy, vanilla. The taste follows the nose with plenty of boozy barrel in the flavor. Body is creamy. Tasty.
21.05.2014, 0,65l bottle (2011 vintage, bottle #2158) @ BBGTC tasting:
Nice light brown creamy mediumlasting head. Aroma is very mild, dark malts, licorice, alcohol, oak, grass, sour coffee, hay, broth, minerals. Taste is slightly sweet grassy, dark sugar, oak, dark malts, alcohol, grass, sour coffee, licorice, hay, minerals. Medium to longlasting bitterness, very smooth - still slightly harsh mouthfeel. Fair enough.
Black pour, good sized head. whisky, smoke, cocoa, vanilla in the aroma. Taste is similar - barrel is fairly promiment even after a bit of age. Whisky, smote, cocoa, coffee, vanillan, anise... I found this one smokier than the other I had the same day, with a more prominent leather note. Beautiful mouthfeel.
Bottle, shared with BBGTC. Pours an onyx black body with a large light beige head. Nose is a strange mix of umami meaty tones, algae, licorice, mild chocolate, hints of wheat and grains. Taste is chocolate, cocoa, sweet grains, caramel, hints of wood and mild licorice. Smooth, velvety mouthfeel. Nice and smooth imperial stout with a layer of originality, which is always a good thing.
Bottle no 2158. 9,5% Pour is dark dark brown, looking black and opaque in the glass. Has an inch of dense, creamy tan head. Aroma of sweet malts, roast, oak, dried meat and smoke. Faint vanilla. Taste is roast, wood, smoke, sweet malts, vanilla, brandy and hints of leather and tar. Full body, creamy on the palate and just above soft co2.
The best 50-50 I have had, hands down, thanks, tom. Moderate IS tha leads to a grapey finish. Good drinkability, above average mouthfeel, big bubbly head despite 3 years.
Bomber bottle as Brandy Barrel Blend, vintage 2011. Near black with tan head. Aroma of both darker and milk chocolate, vanilla, light fruit and wood. Taste is soft, apples, vanilla, wood, roasted notes with a slight astringent finish.
Bottle at 7 Eclipse Tasting. Yet another opaque black. Sweet with some dryness. Aromas of burned caramel. Also hints of dark chocolate. Full bodied. Medium to soft carbonation. Dry finish.
Bottle, 2011. Sugar, light wood, licorice all sorts, light earthy, light chocolate, caramel. Medium/full body, oily/sticky texture, soft carbonation, medium sweet and light/medium bitter. A bit dull and sticky.
Bottle at Beer Hunters.
Opaque black color, small off-white head. Aroma is roasted, brandy, less alcoholic than most in the series. Medium-bodied. Toasted, apple flavors, some earthy notes. Alcohol kick in the aftertaste. Interesting.
Brown bottle, 1 pint 6 ounces, 2011 vintage, bottle 2,292, from Stephen Morris (merci!), savoured on December 13 2013; eye: black, opaque, no effervescence, no head no lacing; nose: bourbon, roasted malt, molasses, light soy sauce, light ink, slight liquorice, alcohol, peat; mouth: bourbon, roasted barley, molasses, light soy sauce, light ink, slight liquorice, alcohol, peat, alcohol warmth, finale in bourbon with presence of soy sauce, full body, below-average carbonation, mildly sweet, lightly alcoholic texture; overall: fine
FRANÇAIS
Bouteille brune, 1 pinte 6 onces, millésime 2011, bouteille 2 392, de Stephen Morris (merci!), savourée le 13 décembre 2013; œil : noire, opaque, pas d’effervescence, pas de mousse, pas de dentelle; nez : bourbon, orge torréfiée, mélasse, léger sauce soya, léger encre, très léger réglisse, alcool, tourbe; bouche : bourbon, orge torréfiée, mélasse, léger sauce soya, léger encre, très léger réglisse, alcool, tourbe, chaleur d’alcool, finale en bourbon avec présence de sauce soya, corsée, carbonatation sous la moyenne, moyennement sucrée, texture légèrement alcoolique; en résumé : bien
2150/2011 brunt vax (eller mörkröd eller vad fan det nu är för färg. Brandy i vart fall). Tungt skum. Diskret fat i doften. Mer åt lagrad stout i doften . Kaffe och svagt vinös. Något spretig i eftersmaken men härlig initialt. Vinner ej på längre lagring.
2011 bottle with burgundy wax. Dark brown pour with a nice brown head that lasts a good bit. Aroma is dark fruit and a little chocolate. Sweeter flavor from the brandy is balanced by roasted malt. Definitely on the sweet side but nice. Alcohol is well hidden.
Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color ale with a large brown foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of rich black chocolates notes with some light soy sauce notes and quite a bit of residual sugars is different than the other BA Eclipse. Taste is also a good mix between some rich black chocolates notes with some light soy sauce notes with quite a bit of residual sugar notes. Body still has the nice creamy and oily texture with good carbonation. Interesting but I found the sweeter side to his varieties less interesting.
2011 bottle thanks to Elliot. Pours a dark brown with small beige head leaving spotty lacing. The aroma is oak, booze, and chocolate malt. Thin mouthfeel with rich malt and oak with light boozy roast finish. Very good.
2011 bottle - Reddish hues nose is weak but very sweet. Honey as well. Lots of bitterness. Almost piney. Sweet brandy sure but like more floral and honey.
Opened at the 2013 end of year Ottawa tasting, 2011 bottle from Capones. Dark brown with pretty much no head. Quite sweet, lots of chocolate, sticky, brandy, hints of molasses, bit of soy. Full body, mild carbonation, smooth and easy to drink with a nice alcohol burn.
2011 version. Pours brown with limited head and some lacing. Big bourbon nose. Lots of vanilla and espresso. Big sweet taste with some light bitterness to back it up. Full body with medium carbonation. Awesome!
2011. A deep dark stout with a thin brown head. In aroma, sweet pungent chocolate malt with coffee drips, soya sauce, resins, nice. In mouth, a nice lightly peated chocolate malt with soy sauce, alcohol warmth, tobacco, very nice. Xmas Ottawa gathering Dec 13 2013.
Bottle at home. Pours jet black with a creamy beige head. The aroma is oak, ripe fruit, sweet light roasted malts, light booze and cognac/brandy. The flavor is sweet roasted, sweet caramel, ripe fruit, dark berries, light chocolate, oak, brandy and some warming alcohol in the finish along with the firm spices you find in cognac.
Deep brown body. Beige head. Sweet. Doesn’t cover up the ABV. Well done still, big, thick, sugary. New school high class US Stout. OK.
Sample at fauxbab - extremely dark malts, almost expedition like, very smooth subtitle bourbon. One of the smoothest bba beers ive had.
2011 Pours dark with a red hue and a khaki foam head that falls off to stick to my glass. In the aroma I noticed mild sweet booze, cocoa, sweet carmel malts, oak, and vanilla. The flavor is of warming brandy, cocoa, carmel malts, mild oak character, and a dab of vanilla. The aroma mimics the flavor. What makes this unique is the pleasant brandy taste. Overall a good stout and it has a nice finish.
Bottle from a trade. Pours a deep stout brown with a tan head. Nose is honey, chocolate, chocolate syrup, big sweetness, big booze, and some light oak with hints of vanilla. Flavor is similar with honey, sweetness, booze, chocolate, chocolate syrup, and big sweetness. Medium to light in body for the style. Interesting, but really boozy.
2011 bottle shared by a friend for his birthday. Darkest brown pour with a medium tan head. Sweet boozy nose with notes of chocolate and whiskey. Malty and slightly boozy flavor with a dry chocolate finish. Was really looking forward to this one and it wasn’t bad by any means, but brandy just doesn’t do as much for this beer as the whiskeys do.
Thanks to Beer Savant for sharing 2011 (as Brandy Barrel Blend) and 2010 (as Christian Brothers) vintage bottles during his 50th birthday bash. Brownish-black pour with a medium foamy tan head that diminishes quickly to an outer ring. Short strings of lacing. Brandy, chocolate and toasted malt in the nose. Full-bodied with flavors of sweet chocolate, molasses and brandy. The finish is somewhat syrupy with a chocolate and brandy aftertaste. Good overall.
(22oz bottle) Pours a dark brown (near black) body with a medium beige head. Aroma of light ash, roasted malt, brandy, caramel, chocolate, and toffee. Flavor of roasted malt, brandy, caramel, chocolate, and vanilla.
Deep dark brown coloured body with some thinness to it and a fast-dying light brown head - not too dense. Aroma of alcohol, whiskey, oak, vanilla, anise, licorice, a hint of coffee, honey and a bit of peat. Medium-bodied; Dense oaky flavour at first with a thinnish feel right afterwards and a definite honey flavour with some whiskey, oak, bourbon, pit fruit and a little dry finish. Aftertaste complex of course, but a bit light and more like a baltic porter or a barley wine than an imperial stout - all the same flavours come through though. Overall, a very very overhyped beer that was beyond expensive. This was a decent imperial stout at best and not worth saving or spending the ridiculous amount of money on this. I sampled this 65 cL bottle (burgundy wax top) purchased from Healthy Spirits in San Francisco, California on 05-March-2012 for US$26.99 (yes, twenty-six us dollars) sampled at home in Washington on 16-May-2013. Beer #7 of my 4000rating extravaganza (of 9 total). Bottle #970 of 2011.
I think this was bought by Jason. #454 2011 vintage. The beer pours to a really dark brown body with a dark tan head. The aroma is whiskey and chocolate syrup. The flavor is smooth chocolate, oats, and whiskey. Complex and yet balanced. The palate is a complex silken, velvety, richness.