More of a stampede than a trace...
Brewery
Wylam
Name
Imperial Macchiato - Buffalo Trace B.A. Edition
Style
Imperial Stout
ABV
10.3%
I don't pick up Wylam stouts very often and can't recall if I've even had the original 'Machiatto' the younger brother to this beefcake so was definitely excited to delve in!!
This double hazelnut praline coffee porter served out an 8 month sentence in Buffalo Trace Oak and my word it shows, you could easily have fooled me into thinking this had spent a decade in the barrel!!
The pour is jet black and oily with negligible trace of carbonation. The nose a bombardment of bourbon and boozy warmth straight out of the blocks that mellows into divulging a fresh cup of french press that's been swirled with a spoonful of Nutella.
On the yap this was a serious booze grenade. Upfront all I was getting was bourbon heat and oak and I was concerned this was going to be extremely one-dimensional with the barreling overpowering anything else that went into the brew. Thankfully, as I made it past my second dram, my palate opened up and room temperature did its thing and a second layer of flavour started coming through.
I was detecting rich and slightly earthy cacao, silky sweet toffee from the caramalts, creamy espresso and a hint of burnt toast. I wasn't picking up overt hazelnut although it perhaps played into those slightly earthy notes and the toffee sweetness. I have to say, the latter half of the can drank rather well although these flavours were still a touch muted for my liking.
My issue with this drop, however, is that it drank well above its ABV which is generally not a compliment, especially when it's already a not so nimble 10.3%. Whilst that conspicuous ethanol fire from the barreling did eventually mellow down a little, and I stress it was only a little, the dominating flavour was still bourbon. Luckily I like whiskey so that isn't a dealbreaker for me but whilst I like whiskey, I prefer stouts and want the stout and adjuncts advertised to be the presiding flavour!!
For me, the barreling works best when it pairs back some of the sweetness and imparts clever adult notes of oak, vanilla, candied fruit and the like. In this instance, there was perhaps not enough sweetness to begin with and the end product was all barrel and not enough coffee and hazelnut. I'm glad I tried this and it certainly was the epitome of a winter warmer - whilst I won't go as far as deeming this one-dimensional, it would say that one dimension alarmingly overpowered the others to the detriment of this impy!
Score 3.75
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