Name: III
Brewers: Spartacus Brewing (Brazil)
Style: Mixed-Style Beer (Base Style: Imperial Stout)
ABV: 13.5%
Review Year: 2021
III by Spartacus Brewing (Brazil) is a blend of Imperial Stouts aged in Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey and Buffalo Trace Bourbon Whiskey barrels and was treated with toasted and raw coconut, maple syrup, roasted hazelnuts, and a touch of cinnamon.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Mixed-Style Beer (34B), combining Specialty Wood-Aged Beer (33B), Alternative Sugar Beer (31B), and Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer (30A), with Imperial Stout (20C) as the base style in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Pours almost like chocolate syrup with no head. This beer smelled like dessert with intense coconut (think of shredded coconut that goes with suman), salted caramel, and chocolate fudge being the most prominent. These were followed by milk, maple syrup, and rye. Full-bodied, moderately low carbonation with an almost syrupy mouthfeel. Like the aroma, the flavor profile showcased strong impressions of milky coconut, salted caramel, coffee, dark chocolate, and slight rye whiskey booziness. Residual sweetness was noted a notch above moderate but not cloying; the medium level of bitterness and the other flavors like coconut and salted caramel appeared to have enhanced the sweetness. The aftertaste lingered with a duality of milky coconut and salted caramel.
THE VERDICT
In our opinion, III by Spartacus Brewing is an outstanding example of what a barrel-aged pastry-inspired Imperial Stout should be like. It is a liquid delicacy that brings to the table something rich and delectable beyond the sugary sweetness.
There is complexity in flavors with the milky coconut character being the most memorable. Sweetness is present but not cloying; dark chocolate maltiness was sufficient as a backbone. Rye whiskey was evident and likewise added to the complexity of this beer. For some reason, this is something we would imagine being enjoyed alongside hot bibingka and suman latik.
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