Rye Barrel-Aged Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout

Reviewing the Rye Barrel-Aged Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout from the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company. Thank you Derek for giving me the chance to sample this hard-to-find brew!
Score: 93

Aged one year in rye whiskey barrels. Bottled 8/26/11. Served in a taster glass and enjoyed on 05/11/12. Review is from iPhone notes.

Appearance: It's dark here and beer is black. There is a thin layer of what I think is tan-colored head atop the beer initially. 4/5

Smell: Rollo candy, rye and sweet chocolate. A little smokiness and some caramel too. 4/5

Taste: Tastes just like it smells, but with a stronger and layering smokey rye peppery kick on the midpalate that really lingers in the aftertaste. Very balanced. 4.25/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus bodied and low carbonation. There is a nice "rye kick" on the tongue. Creamy mouthfeel. 4.5/5

Overall: A delicious improvement over a solid base beer. I liked the bourbon and rye barrel-aged Big Eddy's equally much, and if they were regularly released I would certainly buy them both. Kudos to Leiney's for an excellent foray into the craft beer market.

Recommendation: This beer's first release was incredibly limited, but I'd recommend trying to hunt down a bottle to try.

Pairings: Pastrami sandwich.

Cost: Unknown.