Revolution V.S.O.D. (Very Special Old Deth) 2017

Brewed By: Revolution Brewing Company in Chicago, IL
Purcased: 12oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Revolution Brewing Tap Room in Chicago, IL; 2017
Style/ABV: American Barrel-Aged Oatmeal Stout, 13.4%
Reported IBUs: 27

Shit is getting serious now. VSOD or "Very Special Old Deth" is Deth's Tar aged for two years in barrels. This one actually clocks in at a slightly lower ABV than Deth's Tar.

But man, the pour on this is battered and viscous. The beer produces a finger of brown head that fades into sweet nothings. The only thing keeping any carbonation on the beer's surface is my sweet Revolution glass's laser etching. 

The aroma here is absurd. Front and center is an absurd amount of barrel, oak, wood, and vanilla. It's that splintered barrel aroma that is in your face and aggressive and poignant. To me it is reminiscent of the Reserve Bourbon County from 2017. Once you muscle your way through the layers of barrel, the aroma opens up into chocolate and brownie and fudge. 

The taste of this beer is boozy bliss. Straight away I'm noting chocolate dipped raisins/Raisinetts spiked with massive amounts of bourbon and rum. The barrel and woody dryness meets the tongue next -- as you might expect, there is a fair amount of oxidation here. There's ample amounts of coconut and vanilla, with some shades of maple syrup sweetness. There's also a fair amount of spice, and some lingering residual hoppiness. I'm getting some rye bread and notes that remind me of dark grains. Good stuff.

Revolution V.S.O.D. (Very Special Old Deth) 2017

What is there to say about this beer that you can't glean from the beer's description or infer knowing what the base is about. This is a full-bodied, complex beer that lingers on your palate for a long time. It has a lovely progression with oxidized wood, barrel, oak, and Raisinetts up front; the mids roll into rum, bourbon, spice, more dark fruits, hints of fruity and floral coffee; the back end drops coconut and vanilla and chocolate. The beer fades to black leaving kisses of drying alcohol and wood on your tongue, with lingering maple sweetness. It's wild. This is also a sipping beer. 

Rating: Strong Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

Random Thought: I want to spend some time taking a crap on Josh Noel's face, because I think his assessment of this beer was way wrong. But we should probably talk about price and format. I know this whole can thing has become a joke of sorts, but the price of these beers is insane. VSOD was like $30 for a 4-pack. That's basically $0.625/oz or $13.75 for a bomber. $13.75!!! And these are in fucking 12oz cans. So you can split a can with a friend, or solo-dome it and not feel like the world's biggest alcoholic. To compare, Goose Island Reserve was selling for around ~$24 and came in a 16.9oz format. Just food for thought...