Hangar 24 Brewery - Barrel Roll No. 3 - Pugachev's Cobra

First of all, I need to preemptively apologize to anyone reading this blog who doesn't like stouts. I'm a really, really big stout fan and we are right in the middle of stout season. I'm going to be drinking (and writing about) a lot of stouts. So if you're not a big stout fan, I'm sorry. You're going to be getting a lot of stouts thrown your way, though. Hang in there, we'll get to a lot of other beers soon enough. But for now, let's take a look at one very, very tasty stout.

Hangar 24 (in case you're not familiar) is a fairly new craft brewery located in Redlands, California. They've been cranking out an incredible amount of beer since they opened and the variety of beer they produce is pretty amazing. They've done a few barrel-aged beers in the past and I was lucky enough to get their barrel aged stout, Pugachev's Cobra, this time around.

Pugachev's Cobra pours a dense black color with a thin mocha colored head. At nearly 16%, this is an absolute monster, and it shows when you swirl it in the glass. The viscous liquid clings to the sides of the glass like crazy. The smell shows aggressive notes of toasted oak, chocolate covered hazelnuts, rye, bourbon, powdery chocolate, some charred wood and hints of dark fruit. Oh my! This is one of the best beers I've ever smelled in my life.

The taste definitely didn't disappoint. It opens with dense notes of rich chocolate and dark fruit. Right after come notes of roasted malt, chocolate covered cherries and brownie batter. The finish brings hints of anise, bourbon and some burnt cocoa. The mouthfeel is rich and velvety, but doesn't lead you to believe that this beer is anywhere near 16%. This is a fantastic beer and the perfect way to start off this year.

Final Grade: A+

Top 100 Beers Tasted: 36

Note: I know what you're thinking: How did the number of beers tasted drop by eight overnight? Beeradvocate just changed their ratings system a bit, which dropped a bunch of the beers I've had off of the list. Bummer. That said, there are a lot of new beers on the list to try, so I definitely welcome the new challenge.