This is what happens when eight maids lay down in bourbon barrels for a year: a rare display of darker, velvety chocolate notes to 8 Maids-a-Milking, the eighth beer in our 12 Days of Christmas series.

This is 8 Maids-A-Milking, the eighth beer in our 12 Days of Christmas series, aged in bourbon barrels for about a year. The Belgian-style imperial milk stout emerges this holiday season with deeper, richer, darker milk chocolate notes, along with amplified roastiness and ripples of caramel, coconut and vanilla character. Drink alongside the 2015 release to revel in the udderances achieved through barrel-aging.

==Introduction==

Released to the Reserve and Hoarders society. This beer is based on the original 8 Maids A Milking which was released in 2015. The original was very damn delicious. The Belgian Imperial Milk Stout isn’t something that is always brewed. The last time I had one was when I made the Trappist Milk Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels which was the Oblivixen’s Maelstrom. I had recalled there were some flavors of the Bruery’s 8 Maids a Milking in that beer but ofcourse mines was amped up several degrees with barrel aging and different ingredients. Now that we have the barrel aged version of what I think is one of the Bruery’s best Christmas beers, let’s have a look and see if this is worth finding, cheers!

Aromas:
Rich oak, bourbon, vanilla, marshmallows, toasted coconut, dulce de leche caramel, dark candi sugar, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate milk shake, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Yoohoo chocolate, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, chocolate cherry cordials, maple syrup, sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, crème brulee, brown sugar, molasses and bananas.

Flavors:
Dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, chocolate cherry cordials, vanilla, oak, bourbon, toasted coconut, dulce de leche caramel, dark candi sugar, Stone fruit peach hints, peach preserves, apricots, mango, lychee fruit, rocky road ice cream, bananas, clove spice, milk sugar, rock candy, pistachio ice cream, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate milk shake, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Yoohoo chocolate, peanut butter notes, cocoa krispies, hazelnut nectar, mocha, roasted coffee notes, marshmallow smores, cookie dough ice cream, maple syrup, sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, crème brulee, brown sugar, molasses, mints, anise and toasted rye bread.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with oak, bourbon, milk sugar, chocolate, dark fruit, stone fruit, mocha, marshmallow smores, vanilla, caramel, earthy notes and coffee cake. No alcohol in the taste, dark full body, super smooth, creamy, frothy, very rich and creamy mouthfeel, with a drinkability that does not equate to its ABV.

Overall:
Holy shit, this is a real mind blow! The original was one of my favorite Belgian Milk Stouts aside from my own creation. This barrel aged version is even more insane. You get the great barrel aging flavors that the Bruery’s process gives and still get a lot of the original but definitely enhanced into a new level of oblivion. The chocolate milk, toasted coconut, dark fruit and caramel goodness is really over the top. If you do decide to get this one, definitely get several of these, you won’t regret it!

Anime Corner:
Ryoko Hakubi, Ayeka Masaki, Washu Hakubi, Ryo-Ohki, Mihoshi, Sasami, Kiyone Makibi and Nagi of the Tenchi Muyo in Tokyo series were included in this pairing to represent the 8 maids-a-milking. Tenshi Masaki and the other characters are not one of them as I included Ryo-Ohki who is a girl and is Ryoko’s spaceship but also is in love with Tenchi and well, all of them are Tenchi’s harem so Tenchi is in the picture by default just like the previous beer review. They are his 8 maids-a-milking. Not literally I hope but they all work the farm in the Tenchi Muyo series while there are no Space havocs about ofcourse.