Aviator Bourbon Barrel Aged Black Mamba

Brewed by Aviator Brewing Company
Style: Stout
Fuquay Varina, North Carolina USA

Serve in English pint, Shaker, Snifter

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Bourbon-soaked wood dominates the aroma, but smoky and molasses notes manage to squeeze through. Pours a tempting dark-chocolate brown with a fairly thick tan head that leaves some good lacing. Bourbon dominates the flavor, a little too much - I like a nice note of bourbon in a barrel-aged stout, but it should taste more of the beer than the bourbon, at least IMHO. Still, typical stouty notes of roast malt, molasses, coffee and semi-sweet chocolate manage to make an appearance. Thick, rich texture has plenty of fizz. A little more and this aspect would be perfect. Good job, Aviator, but next time not quite so much bourbon flavor & aroma. Thanks.

(bottle) clear very dark brown colour with a small brown head; aromas of wet wood, chocolate, roast; balanced flavour with a long medium bitter finish

(22oz bomber) deep espresso/ruby, medium fine tan bubbles. nose of rich graham cracker, chocolate, cream, light pepper, complexity added from the barrels. Taste is a bit thinner, bakers semi sweet chocolate, dry, rich, full of flavor for the ABV.

Bottle. Cloudy medium brown color, tan head. Aroma of vanilla, cocoa, subtle booze. Taste is dark milk chocolate, very subtle whiskey, more vanilla. Not bad.

Bottle. Dark brownish with a small tan head. Nose is lightly tannic, oak, generic booze, light brown sugar and nuts. Flavor is similar, definitely much lighter mouthfeel than one would expect. Needs work.

22 oz. bottle, sent from TURDFERGUSON (thanks a lot, Sam), pours black with a small tan head. Aroma of moderate bourbon, vanilla, molasses, and almost a peanut butter note to it. Flavour is fairly light for a BBA stout, with the peanut butter notes, molasses, and vanilla. Quite light-bodied and watery for the style, with a fairly thin palate – body isn’t very robust. Finishes on notes of vanilla and toasted nuts. Decent stuff.

Pours a dark/opaque black with two fingers of fizzy mocha tan head. Nose is weird, vinous and over oaked. Gets that wangy too much oak character. Not really any bourbon in the nose, just wangy barrel. Some acidity and dark grain come through as well. Very homebrew-ish. Wangy flavor, one dimensional. Sour oak with very little vanillin or bourbon. Some tannic astringency. Light bodied with a dry finish.

22 ounce bottle poured pitch black with aroams of oatmeal, lihgt roast, chocolate, vanilla, and bourbon. Flaovrs are the same with soem light coconut in the aftertaste. The bourbon is not as noticable as most barrell aged beers, but nice overall.

Bottle. Pours black with tan head. Nose/taste of roast chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oatmeal, milk chocolate and toffee. Nose is rich. Taste is a bit disappointing with mostly lightly toasted oatmeal, milk chocolate, oak and a red vinous note that seems out of place. Body is a little thin.

Bottle shared by b3shine. Poured black color with an average brown frothy head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate ground coffee,chocolate and bourbon alcohol aroma. Medium to full body with a smooth texture and flat carbonation. Medium to heavy dark malt and wood flavor with a medium to heavy bittersweet finish of moderate to long duration. This beer would go well with a cigar.