Rating: 5.35/5

2012 Hellshire II by Oakshire brewing is a 10.5% ABV Double/Imperial Stout aged in Buffalo Trace and Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels for 7 months and bottle aged for 2 years

Label:
Deep within the recesses of the alcoves & antechambers of Oakshire Brewing lies another realm. It’s a place where carefully fermented beers are laid to rest in oaken sarcophagi. They slumber for aeons & emerge as wholly new & unique entities, fueling the malformed creatures that populate those blasted and eldritch wastes. That place is HELLSHIRE.
Hellshire II is an Imperial Stout aged for 6 months in freshly emptied bourbon barrels. Notes of vanilla, coconut, chocolate, roasted coffee, oak & bourbon intertwine with the beer’s complex malt flavors. It’s ready to enjoy now or can be cellared cool and dry for several years. Cheers! Mat Van Wyk, Brewmaster.
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Like the Hellshire I, in 2012 I traded for this beer. Stories of lore told that this beer was infected and the brewery had apologized. Despite this, I had reviewed one which I enjoyed and aged another for to be drink 2 years later. I wanted to check on its status of infection, that is, if it really was true. It really wasn’t bad back then. Nothing different than what I would have had from a lightly soured Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura, except aged in bourbon barrels. So Now, 2 years later, I resurrect the angel of death to bring you forth the Hellshire II. As enjoyed the Hellshire III earlier this year which came out in 2013, let is see if this beer has completely gone bad or has evolved into something awesome. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, dark fruits like raisins, prunes, tart raspberry skins, dark cherry, currants and blue berry yogurt, musty notes, smokey oak, port wine, vanilla, caramel, bourbon, wine grapes, Kahlua, roasted coffee grounds, mocha, anise, chocolate brownies, earthy notes, molasses, bourbon, musty notes and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Dark fruits like Blueberries, blackberries, tart currants, wine grapes, raisins, prunes, figs and dark cherry yogurt, dark fruit raisins, mocha, rich dark chocolate, bourbon, port wine, caramel, vanilla, coconut, smokey notes, roasted coffee grounds, earthy notes, molasses, anise, flan hints, Kahlua, brownies, port wine, funky oak, smokey notes, milk chocolate, smokey oak, licorice hints and tart raspberries.

Aftertaste:
Blueberry yogurt, dark chocolate, caramel, earthy notes, vanilla, bourbon, tart dark fruit and dark cherries, mocha, roasted coffee and smokey notes. No alcohol in the taste, Very smooth despite the ABV, pitch black as night and death body, light to syrupy mouth feel.

Overall:
Absolutely wonderful!! Despite the fact that there is this sour notes, they are very well controlled. This is not your typical over puckering sour. Oh Hell NO! This is quite awesome. The Imperial Stout and bourbon aspects are the ones in controlled only letting a slight sour bitter taste enhance the dark fruits into an oblivion of like a tart dark cherry yogurt and oak. Think of Madrugada Obscura. I would highly recommend this one if you like sour stouts only. Seems like an acquired but regardless, I definitely realized, this one aged great.

Anime/Comic Corner:
Raven from Teen Titans was used in the original Hellshire II. I wanted to bring her back for the 2nd review to show her as a stronger and more flavorful Imperial stout than the original. Right away,m you should be able to tell that Raven pairs greatly with the all aspects of the beer like the darkness of pitch black, death, hell, the label colors, the flavors and the strength of the beer. The first art depicts of how even though she has become stronger, the markings on her body (depicting the infection of the beer) have not stopper her but rather have given here an immense flavor complex and provided a balance to what would have been a pure sour beer but instead focused on the balance overall instead. Great job to Raven!!

Sources:
http://ramy.deviantart.com/art/Raven-271528390
http://yuumei.deviantart.com/art/Raven-Teen-Titans-161642708