Barreled Souls/Dancing Gnome Gnome’s Soul

One of my big beer-related goals for the early part of 2019 was to drink my cellar, I had close to 40 bottles in the cellar in December and I would prefer to have that number in the single digits. I had never intended on keeping a substantial beer cellar, but it becomes so easy to pick up a few extra bottles of high quality stouts, barleywines and quadrupels and stow them away. I am probably going to keep doing that, but I will also try to keep drinking the beers to keep the total number of bottles at a manageable level. One way of achieving this goal is to limit the number of beers I add to the cellar in the first place. When I stopped at Barreled Souls just after Thanksgiving I purchased a pretty substantial selection of their big stouts and barleywines, but I’ve done a good job enjoying the majority of the bottles over the last couple months instead of storing them. One of the most sought after beers that Barreled Souls makes is Gnome’s Soul, a collaboration with Dancing Gnome Brewery in Pittsburgh, PA. Barreled Souls/Dancing Gnome Gnome’s Soul is an imperial stout brewed with vanilla, lactose and pistachios, and is available on a rotating basis on draft and in 500 mL bottles.

barreled souls gnome's soulBarreled Souls/Dancing Gnome Gnome’s Soul pours pitch black with a massive light brown head. The aroma is rich with roasted malts and vanilla. The flavor is also very malt forward, notes of milk chocolate, caramel and dates. The adjuncts are also well represented, solid vanilla and lactose along with some subtle pistachio. There is minimal hop character, the malts are the star here. Gnome’s Souls is a full bodied sipper, but the ABV isn’t completely over the top at 10.8%. The finish is rich with some lingering malt, lactose sweetness and a touch of booze. This is another high quality offering from Barreled Souls, I am glad I didn’t let it gather dust in the cellar! Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.

Previous Barreled Souls Reviews:

Barreled Souls Hillrock Bourbon Barrel Aged Deep Space

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