 iowaherkeye (1424), relocated to Santa Rosa f/Iowa, California, USA
Apr 29, 2008
I have a rating of this somewhere in my notes from <i>FoBAB 5</i>, but I’ll add then when I add my backlog. This is a 12oz bottle, no date from <i>Dough77</i>--thank you Tim. Pours thick black with almost a ring--yes, there was that little--of tan head. Dominant aromas of dry wood and whiskey. There is some roasted malts and caramel behind with some alcohol and oxidation. A weak woody shot of alcohol. Flavor isn’t quite a shot of whiskey. There is stronger roast and caramel, as well as some light smoke and vinous notes. All the whiskey notes are still there, as well as a fair amount of alcohol. Dry woody finish with bitterness a 3 out of 10. As close to still as it could be with a full thick syrupy body. This is like a poorly made <i>Bourbon County Stout</i>, though I think I may be growing tired of that beer as well, with its absolutely over-the-top whiskey dominance. The barrel was overdone by a lot. If I remember correctly, what they had at <i>FoBAB</i> didn’t bother me near as much.
JCB (1118), Durham, USA
Nov 17, 2008 12oz bottle from scubarex - thanks, Rex! Nice pour, thick and promising. There’s very little carbonation at all, but that in itself isn’t a knock I suppose. The aroma starts to worry me - if you were in a charitable mood you’d call it merely boozy. But it’s more than that: it’s medicinal, and in fact astringent. Sure, there are some mild hints of ’bourbon barrel’ in there, but it is to well-done barrel aging what Velveeta is to a nice, complex cheese. Anyways, it tastes like ass too - menthol, tongue-burning heat, burnt soy sauce, and - best of all - the taste of really old cheap red wine. Sweetness, indeed. Doesn’t Walter Payton deserve better?
Silphium (2041), Lansing, Michigan, USA
Oct 21, 2008 Deep opaque black-brown, thin buff head. Sharp vanilla and oak nose backed by roasted malts and chocolate. Bitter with noticeable alcohol. Somewhat tart body with chocolate and bourbon notes- oak and vanilla, tannic, with earthy wood. Not a lot of heft or complexity beneath the barrel notes. Medium palate. Too much barrel, too little beer, although my enjoyment of the style results in a better-than-poor rating.
drainey (221), Chicago, Illinois, USA
Oct 19, 2008 Oily black with a small brown head. Aroma is heavy on the bourbon, but with chocolate notes. And I agree with thegreenroaster, the flavor hits with a blast of bourbon, is there any beer flavor there? Tasty, but the bourbon and the stout aren’t married as well as in some bourbon barrel stouts (Goose Island, 3 Floyds).
thegreenrooster (1559), St.louis, USA
Oct 17, 2008 Pour is a black oil looking with a small tan head. Aroma is first off bourbon barrel with some roasted chocolate malts bring up the rear. Flavor is not as good as the aroma as its just a full on bourbon bomb that finishes super hot. I like a nice bourbon on the rocks to sip on but this is just to heavy and the barrel aging takes over anything the actual beer would offer. Still they got the bourbon thing spot on and now i may have to go buy a bottle of Makers Mark tomorrow.
lb4lb (1499), Austin, Texas, USA
Oct 14, 2008 bottle in trade from raverjames. Thanks!<br />
pours dark oily black with a rich brown head. Smell is rich and dark chocolatey malt with some bourbon and chocolate chip cookie smells. Taste is tart cherry, dark chocolate and mild bourbon. A bit tart. Oily m.f. and could be more roasty and less tart, but still not bad at all.
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