Swan Lake Barrel Aged Imperial Stout was originally released in September 2014 by Hyouko Yashiki No Mori Brewery. Only 600L of this was made and put on sale due to the limited amount of whisky barrels available. At the time of writing, it is unknown whether Swan Lake Barrel Aged Imperial Stout is a one-off beer or if it will be on sale again.
Look at the espresso-like crema floating on top.
Swan Lake Barrel Aged Imperial Stout Aroma and Taste
Excuse the dodgy picture of Swan Lake Barrel Aged Imperial Stout above as it took lots to finally get that one picture that shows off this beer. I had been sitting on this beer for over a month, since a trip down to Kyoto and Yamaoka Bottle Shop. It wasn’t cheap either, price at ¥1,800 for a 330ml bottle and the shelf life wasn’t that great either. End of the financial year meant a year for a celebration.
I love me some good espresso, in particular, that beautiful thin layer of greasy crema that floats on top of one. Swan Lake Barrel Aged Imperial Stout reminded me exactly of a strong espresso I had a couple of days before in Tokyo; pitch black body with that brownish-white crema floating on top. The aroma coming off of Swan Lake Barrel Aged Imperial Stout though was beautiful, lashings of coffee with alcohol reminded me of those Scottish coffees that are drunk after meals. Oak and chocolate and vanilla were thrown in for good measure too.
At 12%, perhaps more due to being aged, Swan Lake Barrel Aged Imperial Stout is a beer meant for sharing. In my case, I had no one to share with (awwwww please readers), so I took one for the team and drank it alone. Over one hour. It really was a wonder to drink with the aforementioned Scottish coffee style being so perfectly balanced that I didn’t want to drink Swan Lake Barrel Aged Imperial Stout quickly. After one hour with this beer, our time was up, yet as there were still dregs in the bottle, I found myself shaking the bottle to try and force them out. Give me more!
Swan Lake Barrel Aged Imperial Stout One Line Review
Swan Lake Barrel Aged Imperial Stout is the best Swan Lake beer out there and perhaps, hands down, one of the best beers I’ve had in my life.
Where to Buy Swan Lake Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
Swan Lake Barrel Aged Imperial Stout can be bought from the Swan Lake Beer online store here, though at the time of writing, it was sold out. We picked up out bottle from Yamaoka in Kyoto, so try phoning them and see if they have any more in stock.
