Review – Pike Entire Wood-Aged Stout

From Pike Brewing Company – Pike Entire is a blend of three beers: Pike’s XXXXX Extra Stout, original gravity 10.73 / alcohol 7.00%; the same beer aged for more than half a year in oak Bourbon barrels; and an Imperial Stout original gravity 10.98 / alcohol 12%. The Entire blend contains 42.7% barrel aged beer and finishes at 9.5% alcohol. The taste is complex with velvety malt tones, a coffee aroma, and a palate and finish of bitter chocolate.

It will have very limited availabilty at the Pike Pub and in select bottle shops, primarily in the Seattle area as of November.

Pike Brewing – Entire Wood-Aged Stout – 22 oz. bottle poured into a New Beglium beer glass.  9.5% abv.

Appearance: Jet brown, with a 1/2 inch of tan head.

Aroma: Lots of wood and smoked meat.  I don’t recall smoke being mentioned in the press release, but the wood really brings out this apparent smokey aroma.

Taste: Smoked meat, oak, vanilla, dark chocolate and bourbon. Overall, on the dry side for a stout.
Mouthfeel: More carbonated than I anticipated, which gave it a bubbly mouthfeel.

Overall: Magnificant and unique.  I really enjoyed what the wood did to this beer. Very balanced, very drinkable.  It really didn’t seem like I was drinking a 9.5% beer, as there was almost no alcohol warmth.