Stiegl Ferdinand (75cl, 10%)

A 10% ABV barrel-aged Imperial Altbier from Stieglbrauerei in Salzburg, Austria, in a 750ml bottle. This discontinued experimental release spent four months in barrels that sequentially held cognac and then rum. Stieglbrauerei was founded in 1492 and is one of Austria's oldest independent breweries. Ferdinand belongs to its limited experimental series, diverging from the brewery's flagship lagers and wheat beers. The sequential cask treatment layers fruit-forward brandy character beneath darker, molasses-tinged rum influence. The nose is dominated by cognac, with warm rum and caramel, plus vanilla and toasted coconut. The palate is smooth and malt-forward, with toffee, butterscotch, coconut and deeper caramel, while the finish is clean and dry with honey-sweet mouthfeel and residual toffee.