Updated notes

Original notes 03/06/2013

The back story to me acquiring this beer is interesting.

When it first came out, I was still very active on beeradvocate. At the time, I remember doing my usual, ‘this is bullshit’ type rant about limited release beer and the ridiculous hype associated with it. I then received a ‘beermail’ from another BA, offering to send me a bottle for nothing. I gladly accepted, and a week or so later, there it was. I of course reciprocated with a big box in return. That was when trading was fun, and was still in the ‘spirit of beer’.

I believe this is the original batch, and I held on to it for a number of years. Wanting to bring the beer full circle, and to keep it in the original spirit that I obtained it, I took it to Raleigh with me last week and shared it with some beer enthusiasts at Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, NC.

The pour was a pitch black, light viscous body but with a surprising amount of carbonation. Don’t get me wrong, this was not a gusher, but it did produce some thin mocha head and a light ring of coffee colored lace.

The nose was astonishing. even at a relatively cool temperature, and before any had been poured, the liquor and alcohol notes were spewing out of the bottle and hitting the olfactory areas two or three feet away. It was almost instantaneous. This worried me at first, since I though that suggested that the beer would still be very hot.

To be honest, I need not have worried. The tastes were absolute sublime. Silky beyond belief, with very, very gentle bourbon, light alcohol burn and a lot of sweetness. I am DELIGHTED that I waited this long to open this, since I would imagine athat earlier in its life it MUST have been significantly hotter and more agressive. Now it’s just kissing the lips and the palate. There the tiniest of burns in the finish but this beer is the epitome of a silk-laced, bourbon barrel stout right now.

Suprisingly light on its feet too. No hint of overbearing elements of alcohol or bourbon, and a body that hits a superb medium of drinkable and decent depth.

All of the above comes from a beer drinker (me), that generally doesn’t favor this kind of beer at all. Beers at close to 20% ABV – yes, 20% – and bourbon based anything, leave me cold. Black Tuesday did the exact opposite, and the experience will remain with me for a while. I’m truly astonished at how much I enjoyed it, and its drinkability which was pretty amazing.