Jeff Eggleston
The inspiration for Creature Comforts came from David Stein, a former head brewer at Twain’s Billiards And Tap, a popular brewpub in Decatur, Ga. A homebrewer, who turned professional and had a passion for craft beer, was using the name Creature Comforts for his personal homebrews and that name eventually became the name used for his brewery operating today. David’s friend, Adam Beauchamp, formerly with Sweetwater Brewing in Atlanta, came together with David and the brewery was born. With the addition of one more enthusiast, Chris Herron, the brewery was ready to emerge into the craft beer scene.
Today’s review is a brand new creation from Creature Comforts. Life In Flux is a 13 percent ABV blended imperial stout using several different aging stouts from its fairly new barrel program. The exact included brews are not yet known to the public but as part of the new annual series of blended beers, the brewery plans to change up the blend each year to showcase different periods of time in its whiskey barrel program.
Poured from a 750ml bottle, the color is pitch black and forms a beautiful tan head and moderate lacing. Aromas hit the nose all at once but I am able to dissect them into nuances of semi to bittersweet chocolate, toasty caramel, molasses and whiskey-soaked cherries. The first sip produces a bold, in-your-face stout with flavors of an almost burnt caramel, lots of oak, semi-sweet chocolate, dark fruits and a touch of bourbon.
Mouth feel is clinging, slightly sweet and finishes with bitter chocolate, figs, dried cherries, spice and warming alcohol. Flavors remain quite balanced once the first sip is consumed and continue to stay that way throughout the warming process, only changing slightly as the alcohol moves up the ladder to get closer to the top
