Over the course of 2020, Colorado’s Oskar Blues is releasing a number of barrel-aged varieties in cans. The line is starting out with All Monde, an over-the-top imperial stout utilizing toasted almonds and vanilla beans. Oskar Blues is utilizing continuous circulation of the stout through adjuncts in order to impart a deepness of flavor. While the decision to incorporate materials alongside the beer in the finishing process is not a new one, OB indicates some evolution in this procedure through their Spinbot 5000 (a “double vortex infusion tank”).
All Monde pours with a dark brown coloration and a fair amount of light brown head. There is only the smallest amount of lacing that creeps its way down a glass. Aged for 9 months in bourbon barrels, the brew comes in with bold, in your face flavors.
The ABV of All Monde is sufficiently robust that the brew is able to maintain cohesion, no matter how close it gets to room temperature. The different notes – toasted malt, phenolic burn, the sweetness of vanilla – are able to be discerned as singular efforts. These distinct elements can play together as a cohesive entity, making for a rich and varied experience. While the flavor profile is intense when compared to typical stouts, All Monde is crafted in a delicate enough fashion to allow it to pair nicely with strong-flavored cuisine, fruits, nuts, and cheese. Fans of Oskar Blues’ Ten Fidy will like how the company has ratcheted things up to 11 with this imperial stout.
Oskar Blues’s BA 20 offerings (available 4 times this year) will be available for a limited time through all of the brewery’s distribution footprint.
Rating: 9.0/10
We have covered a number of Oskar Blues’s brews over the last decade, including their IPA, Chubna, Death By Coconut, Hotbox Coffee Porter and Pinner.
BA 20: Volume 1: All Monde (Oskar Blues) / Imperial Stout / 12.5% ABV / Domain /