Schlafly Reserve Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

'A roasty, rich and malty Imperial Stout with a strong dose of caramel, oak, and Bourbon character. This is a perfect beer to pair with hearty, cold-weather dishes, smoked meats, and virtually any dessert (especially chocolate).' -schlafly.com

I would like to start this post off by thanking a few of my friends from STL for nabbing me bottles of this now and then. Thanks to Ryan, Marissa and Ben! Keep the beer coming, suckers.

And what a beer this is! I am more and more convinced that bourbon aged stouts are my favorite style of beer, at least when I really want to indulge. Schlafly's version does not disappoint at all. This beer had the bitterness you should expect from an imperial stout married with the milkiness gained from the bourbon barrels. It's hard to explain the taste without being extremely verbose, but it I can sum it by stating it is certainly delicious (and probably a bit much for non beer snobs). This is one of those beers that makes you think alchemy must be involved at some step in the process. Where did you acquire your philosopher's stone, Schlafly?

You should probably split the bottle with a friend though, I made the mistake of drinking a bottle by myself and I was acting a little loopy towards the end of the stuff. I distinctly remember annoying my girlfriend and acting like a lunatic in guild chat (World of Warcraft reference, ouch). This is a great beer and one I hope gets some distribution to Chicago soon. Until then, lets keep the St Louis friend pipeline going!