Bluegrass Jeffersons Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout

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

Serve in Snifter

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Bottle, thanks Tom, tasted in my La Chouffe glass; The pour is a deep chestnut brown with a small ring of foam and some lace. The aroma has notes of chocolate, coffee, vanilla, star anise, molasses, gentle Kentucky Bourbon cask characteristics.

The flavor profile is mostly sweet malt supported by some burnt black patient and a nice lactic twang. There is some prune and plum notes before a peppery finish. A mild barrel aged stout, really an entry level BA beer for your buddies before giving them the big boys. The feel seems too thin as well for the genre, oily but no sticky qualities I was hoping for.

Overall, it really is not that bad, but when I think of all those BA imperial stouts I have had, this is so tame it should not even be mentioned in the same breath. (a 420 beer, go figure...haha)

Poured a very dark brown color with a small cream colored head. Aroma of ash, coffee, vanilla and chocolate. I had trouble finding the bourbon until the beer warmed up a good bit. The flavor was sweet and roasty with coffee and vanilla. The body was a little thin with a light bitter finish. Semi-dry.

Bottle. Thanks again to Brennan at Kahn’s Fine Wines for selecting this one as well. Nice thick off white head that fades pretty quickly actually. Coffee, bourbon, dark roasted chocolats are what I found in the aroma. Slightly bitter wa the first thought I had after my first drink. Bitter, dark coffee, chocolate, with just a little bit of bourbon coming out in the flavor. Needs some more bourbon in my opinion. Finishes a little dry and bitter. Not my favorite Bourbon Stout. But may get better with some age.

UPDATED: APR 10, 2007 Bottle courtesy of Kevin, my main supplier of Bluegrass beers. Pours black with a beautiful off white head. Cola like carbonation in appearance. Nice coffee and dark roasted malt aroma. Medium bodied mouthfeel, which is sort of nice. The malt flavor is more a robust porter than an impy, with chocolate, coffee, and molassess notes. The bourbon barrel characterstics were very subdued in this sample, but in a good way. It gave it a wisp of vanilla and oak, with none of the hotness and smokiness of bourbon. Very easy to drink and alcohol is well hidden. I am sure Impy purists will knock this in future ratings, but I am not a purist. Just a beer enthusiast who does not reserve the good ratings only for "huge" beers. This is a good beer. Those who can’t stand overpowering bourbon flavors may want to give this one a try. 1-25-07. Tried a different batch a year later. Not as good. Too much dry woodiness and mulch flavors. I would drop the overall down to 14. But the original rating stands.

Pours solid black with a brown head. Aroma is chocolate ovaltine, light slightly dusty wood that I may be imagining because this is “barrel aged” but that is as close as I get. None of the expected overpowering alcohol smell which bodes well. A nice roasty edge to the aroma like espresso. O.k. now I can taste the bourbon barrel and it is working nicely. Chocolate and the woody bourbon flavor match well and then are accented nicely with a coffee background. It’s a nice Irish coffee stout tasting brew. Nothing overpowering here, just a clean balanced enjoyable brew. A nice sipper that leaves a bit of bourbon and a bit of coffee on my tongue. It is a pleasure to have a drinkable barrel aged beer. By that I mean one I could sip two or three of in an evening. This is not so over the top or such a palate killer that it will stop me at one or so jacked up in the abv department to incapacitate. A nice brownie flavor is coming out now that is muy bueno. A bit of the flavor I recall from a dark chocolate Hershey’s kiss with almonds sticks around too. A nice beer that I’m sure I will enjoy a few times more. Ap-5 ar-8 tas-9 pal-5 ov-19

On Tap at Richos, Poured nice black color with thin brown head. Hints of oak and bourbon in the flavor but otherwise a bit thin and bland.

Draft: Deep chestnut. Thin light-beige layer of bubbles quickly collapses. Decent aroma of black licorice and charred oak. Vaguely roasty and vegetal. Very fuzzy and thin on the palate. Immediate bombardment of shallow tannins and deeply toasted oak. Weak dry chocolate flavors combine with toasted marshmallows and an abundance of sulfur. Heavy-handed huskiness. Absolutely no malt depth to this at all, and this only allows the tannins to run rampant, which in turn, yields a very thin body. Vanilla is showcased quite tamely, and there’s no cakey malt softness to compensate for the lack of depth, either. Bourbon character is very vegetal and reveals but a spark of sweetness. Flavor evolution fails to progress into anything intense, becoming more and more watery by the second, leaving in its path faint memories of toasted oak and dainty roast. Far from engaging.

Draft at Party Town in KY. Black color with a moderate brown color head that diminished slowly. Soft soft roasted malt aroma. Medium body with a thin texture. Light roasted malt and toffee flavor with a short finish. Very bland brew.