Bluegrass Jeffersons Reserve Big Fella Bourbon Barrel Stout

Brewed by Bluegrass Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Louisville, Kentucky USA

Serve in Snifter

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On draught at Sergio’s World Beers. The beer pours a flat black color with a medium thin beige head that diminishes steadily to a film. Small patches of lacing on the glass. Aroma of oaky bourbon, malt and vanilla. Full-bodied with a somewhat boozy character and flavors of oak, caramel, vanilla and mild coffee. The finish is oaky with a lingering bourbon aftertaste. Solid all around.

Batch brewed on 9-20-2011, drank at Sergio’s World Beers. Beer smells of toasted cereal, leather, a tinge of coffee, and musty barrels. Head retention is moderate but leaves a nice fine lingering lacing. On first sip I got notes of coffee vanilla and a small touch of alcohol though finishes somewhat astringent with a touch of chocolate. Carbonation is medium, to be expected. Hops are negligible to say the least and are hidden in the roasted malt’s astringent aftertaste. All and all this beer surprised me as it came from BBC, which has a long history with me as their beers tend to fall flat. This "big fella" seemed to stand on it’s own two feet and is worth trying if you get the chance even if it is a bit more muted than other beers in the same category.

On tap at Capital Ale House - Downtown on 01/26/2009. Clear very dark black body with ruby highlights. Big bourbon aroma with some caramel and fruit. Big fruit and bourbon flavor. Medium full body with moderate carbonation. Surprisingly smooth for the amount of alcohol it contains.

(Sample Date: 1/26/2009 Source:Capital Ale House - Downtown) Whiskey and oak right up front in the aroma. Nice roastyness underneath. Very dark without a head. Slight sourness with big whiskey presence in flavor. Then some oak, vanilla, and roast come through. Medium body and mouthfeel. Finish is dry with the whiskey and oak sticking in there. Gets better as it warms. For a whiskey barrel aged big beer this was the best of the evening.

On tap at Capital Ale House in downtown Richmond - leftover from thier stoutfest 2 days prior. Pours a deep dark black with a thinning head. Aroma is straight up pure vodka harshness, tons of fusel alcoho l and other distillates- with a green apple fruitiness and some harsh burnt malt crap going on. More alcpohola nd vodka flavor dark chocoalte burnt malts floral hops and more acetaldehyde harshnes- almost thinking Im going to go blind drinking this- thin and too over the top. I just shivered a bit thinking about this beer.

Served on draft at Beer Run in Charlottesville. Pours a pure black color with almost no head but some decent lacing. Aroma is bourbon, vanilla, bourbon and bourbon. Taste is bourbon, vanilla, oak, grain, wheat, smoke and roasted malts. This is some awesome bourbon, but sadly the beer is just the same old overrated jefferson’s reserve stout. Full bodied.

On tap at O’shea’s Half-way to St. Patty’s day celebration. Poured very dark with practically no head. Extremely sweet taste with hints of bourbon and chocolate. Extremely smooth for such a strong beer. The batch was even better than the previous years.

@Indiana Beerfest-on tap-pours a light brown head and dark brown/black color. Aroma is molasses, popcorn, roasty-dark malt, vanilla, bourbon. As it warms-vanilla, bourbon comes to the front. Taste is molasses/chocolate, roasty-dark malt, vanilla, bourbon, some hops bite.

Pours pitch black with a fully receding mocha head. Aroma of vanilla and bourbon. Mouthfeel is full bodied, dry with mild carbonation. A very nice bourbon stout, surprisingly well balanced despite spending over a year in a barrel.