Adroit Theory Port Barrel-Aged B/A/Y/S
My first Adroit Theory brew was their B/A/Y/S back in 2014. In that time, the brewery has released a wide array of variants — more than 30 at the time of this writing — of the big beer and altered their packaging a bit (and thankfully dropped prices on some bottles). This port barrel-aged version of the 10% ABV (100 IBU) imperial stout was picked up back in July and beyond that, I don’t know too much about the beer.
The port barrel influence adds a nice touch to a this big beer. The old grapes and wood combine nicely with astringent dark coffee and chocolate notes creating an interesting flavor profile. As with many barrel-aged beers I’ve had lately, this imperial stout is a bit thin on the palate. While the brew displays a nice array for flavors, they don’t quite all come together that smoothly. Port Barrel-Aged B/A/Y/S is a bit rough around the edges in that regard and could use a bit of time in cellar to mellow some.
It’s pretty well documented on this site that I’ve had a tough relationship with this brewery’s products. It’s not really a love/hate sort of thing, but I’ve spent a good amount of money on Adroit bottles and have been left wanting more or, in a couple of cases, having to dump them due to poor quality control. This particular brew is pretty good, but as stated, it could use a bit of time for the flavors to meld with one another.