Draft at the brewpub. Poured an opaque black color with a brown head. Vanilla, chocolate and whiskey aromas. Full bodied and sweet with lowish carbonation. Velvety in the mouth with a warming alcohol effect. Bourbon, vanilla, and chocolate liqueur flavors.

Draft @ FoBAB 2009, Chicago, IL. Pours a black color with a small tan head. Has a roasted malty chocolate, coffee, vanilla and bourbon aroma. Sweetish roasted malty chocolate and coffee flavor with hints of vanilla and bourbon. Has a sweetish malty vanilla and chocolate finish.

black color, nice tan head, quite a bit of lace. bourbon in the nose, bourbon in the flavor. you also get some sweet malt, vanilla and wood mixing around in there. what’s not to like? medium bodied, bourbony finish. a nice use of an old jim beam barrel. sampled at rockfest 2010.

He pours, in a word, black. Black and then more black. Thick and viscous with an ashen ringlet and nary a head in sight. Granted, it has been a while since he was drawn into my tasting glass, but I seem to recall his visage being rather barren and heavy even upon his arrival. Like a perfume descended from the heavens above, or a bourbon distillery around the corner, my nose and heart is filled with the sensual esters of bourbon, bourbon, and more bourbon. Of course, where there is bourbon to be found, vanillin and wood tannins aren’t too far behind along with a nice helping of charcoal and ash. Burnt licorice adds to his dark delights while intensely burnt sugar caramelized crunches and crackles before my attentive ministrations. Prunes and dates thick, meaty, and ripe for eating tease while one last flourish of concentrated vanilla extract brings me into my first quaff. O.M.G. My mouth is officially luxuriating in orgasmic riches of bourbon and stout. Burnt caramel and licorice root toil amidst a thick, oily mouthfeel ripe with intense vanillin and vanilla extract kissed by burnt sugar sweetness. I’m not talking slightly caramelized; oh no, this is the full bevy of sugars burnt black as a moonless night. I chew through dates and prunes oozing meaty juices while warmth immediately settles in my chest and spices linger in the back of my throat and breath. Did I mention oily? Not just in appearance, but in body, weight, and mouthfeel. There isn’t a single iota of space upon my lips and within my mouth that isn’t happily drowning in bourbon stout ecstasy. A sipper of epic proportions, being the last taster, he has had ample time to warm to the perfect temperature. Fudge as dark and rich as her brew trudge their way through the back of his palate while wood burnt black and dripping bourbon tantalize. Nummers!

I don’t think anymore need be said. The Redline Bourbon Imperial Stout came, and so did I. Children and the faint of heart need not apply.

Tap @ brewpub a couple of times over the weekend. Pours an oily dark black with a minimal thick and creamy tan head with patchy sheets of thin lacing. Aroma is notable bourbon, rich vanilla and caramel, some espresso, milk chocolate, oak and a nice blend of heavily roasted malts. Flavor continued the decadent bourbon and barrel notes, with more vanilla, caramel, roasted malts, espresso, chocolate, oak and bourbon. Nice lingering coating mouthfeel. Not shy about the bourbon barrel influence, but very well tempered with everything else going on, great stuff!

On tap at the brewpub. Pours black with a small creamy rich tan head. Aroma is very bourbony, nice coconut, espresso, vanilla, almonds, nicely woody balanced with the cocoa. Flavor is also delicious, very well balanced with all of the above notes melding with the dark chocolate and, very sweet and woody. A light berry note in the finish and almost no booziness. Nice creamy rich body and a soft carbonation. Delicious stuff

As every bit of an Imperial Stout as Old Rasputin or any other favorites- jet black, dark tan head, HUGE malts, very well-rounded and very drinkable. Outstanding!

The last in a long line of fine beers served during the IL. Craft Brewers Guild 5 X 5 Dinner held at the Marion St. Cheese Market in Oak Park, IL., before venturing out into the cold,...a little warmer. Poured a viscous, black/brown with just a touch of garnet showing through. The head was a dark tan that gradually reduced to a ring and film, leaving some spots of lacing. The aroma was rich and roasty, mocha, dark fruit sweetness, bourbon soaked, slightly charred wood, and hints of vanilla, and coconut. The flavor was all of these, plus a complimentary dose of hop bitterness and warming, bourbony alcohol. An intensely flavorful dessert course pairing ensued with dark chocolate truffle and tiramisu. Whoa!

On tap at GABF 2009. This beer killed it. Black in color with a medium-sized lasting tan head. Aroma is roast, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, and wood. Not too much bourbon. Flavor has just the right amount of bourbon as well, with great balance. Coffee, chocolate, vanilla, roasted malt, toffee, and oak. Palate is smooth and fairly full with low carbonation and some alcohol warmth. For a Rock Bottom beer, this is amazing.

Sampled at GABF. Kind of ironic I had to go to Denver to try this Chicago brewery’s best beer. Powerful bourbon aroma with some chocolate and vanilla notes. Flavor is bourbon, maybe fruitier than I expected. Some requisite chocolate and vanilla notes also. Nice mouthfeel. Not quite BCS, but make no mistake: this is really good.