Transition BA

The cherry and vanilla hit first, then the cocoa nibs settle in for a slow, dark finish — that 26-month barrel aging really does the heavy lifting here. Poured it for friends and nobody said a word for a solid minute.

The cherry and vanilla really come through on the nose before the deep, roasty cocoa takes over—it's dangerously smooth for something this heavy. I poured a small glass after dinner and it was the perfect slow-sipping stout.

After 26 months in the barrel, this stout pours like liquid velvet—the vanilla rounds out the cherry bite so the cocoa nibs get to shine on the finish. I sipped it slowly over an hour and it kept evolving, which is exactly what I want from a heavy imperial.