Weyerbacher Heresy Imperial Stout

First off, I would like to vent on a pet peeve of mine.  Multiple times in the last couple days, I've been asked if I could "borrow" someone an item.  Here's a specific example, "Hey Dunz, could you please borrow me your pen?"  {Enter angry emoticon here}  No I cannot borrow you my pen, because that doesn't make any F'ing sense.  This is basic, kindergarden grammer!  I will never lend anything to anyone that asks me to borrow it to them.

Now, on to the beer - tonight I'm drinking Weyerbacher Heresy Imperial Stout.  This is actually their Old Heathen Imperial stout, which is aged in oak barrels that were used in their previous lives for making top-shelf Kentucky bourbon.  The beer-geek stats aren't available on the brewery's website, but we do know this comes in at 8%ABV.  I picked this up in a 4 pack of 12oz bottles - the bottle design is definitely eye-catching, with a lightning bolt streaking across the background of the label. 

The beer pours a very dark brown, a burnt brownie color, into a snifter glass.  The nose is an intriguing mix of cocoa, toasted malts, whiskey, and a bit of raisin.  The first sip is quite a bit thinner than I expected, with chocoloate roasted malts setting in initially, and quickly disappearing.  Then there is a dry, woody flavor with a hint of whiskey.  Even more wood lingers in the finish, along with a fleeting fruity sourness on the tail-end.  The texture looks thick and syrupy, but the mouthfeel is actually quite thin (for an RIS), almost watered-down. 

After letting this sit and warm for a while, the flavors become a bit more pronounced, but the mouthfeel remains thin and light. 

Overall Rating:  (2.8 out of 6.0)  While this beer did bring some interesting flavors to the table (oak/bourbon), it left me wanting for more.  There wasn't enough muscle in the beer to balance and compliment the oak flavors.  It's extremely drinkable, and the alcohol is well-hidden, but overall I was disappointed.