There are not to many beers nowadays that get the social media talking, but one that has bucked that trend is the Costco Vintage Ale brewed by Deschutes Brewery.
I am lucky enough to know someone with the magic card and so I got to get the boxed barrel-aged beer to try.
I am amazed to see an old school 22oz bomber bottle when I wrestle the bottle out of the packaging. In the first few sips, I am getting a woody bitterness that hides the light bourbon note underneath. The aroma has a green almost peppery note to it which is at some odds to the flavor. That and the viscosity belie the 12% abv. It is almost like a coffee cocktail.
We can be honest and say that the attraction is price. It lacks in several different vectors, including bourbon, character, barrel, character, and having the strength to stand up to what someone would and should expect from an imperial stout. At the price point, can’t beat it at all, but the reality is that if you stood this next to almost any beer stature from a reputable producer, it would be a large disappointment.
I cannot argue with that. Compared to a Firestone Walker stout it comes up lacking.