COAST Barrel Aged Blackbeerd Imperial Stout (Bourbon Barrel)

Brewed by COAST Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
North Charleston, South Carolina USA

Serve in Snifter

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750ml bottle into my Rochefort glass. Light black pour without much head. Light tan head for a second, poor retention and lacing...The aroma is sweet with lots of nice sweet bourbon on the front. Some light coffee and vanilla on the end. Its a really nice smooth bourbon, makes you really want to drink it...The taste really lets me down sadly. The sweet bourbon presents on the front but then you are attacked with a very harsh grain alcohol taste and bitter coffee. The aroma was so smooth so this is taste is super disappointing...The feel is light, but has a very lasting bitter finish...Drinkability is only so-so. Overall, this is ok, nothing special, don’t trade anything great for this. Decent to drink but does not mask the alcohol at all..

Craft Brewers Conference 2012
Dark black in color, clear with a thin tan head. Rich thick chocolate and bourbon aroma. Tons of bourbon in the flavor with thick coffee and chocolate flavors. Very rich and thick.

Bottle with friends. Black appearance with a tiny tan head. Rich toffee, dark chocolate, mild coffee aroma. Thick dark chocolate malty, big caramel/toffee/whiskey, dark plum flavor. Very nice.

From notes. First reviewed 7/15/2011. Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a tulip. Part of a 09, 10, Buffalo Trace, Jack Daniels side by side. From notes. Much like the other versions, this pours a mahogany, nearly black color with brown edges. A tan cap retains nicely and leaves a bit of lace. With the smokey and acidic aroma and flavor of the base beer, it is clear that barrel aging has helped. Bourbon, vanilla, and toffee overlay a sweetness to the roasted malt, coffee, and smoke. The taste is very nice. The flavor starts out with a mellow sweetness. Vanilla, bourbon, and toffee set the stage for full roasted malt and coffee in the middle. The smoke, oak, and a bit of chocolate add some additional character toward the end. The beer is more mellow here as well. Fairly smooth, medium bodied, with creamy medium carbonation. A light sweet stickiness lingers on the lips. This was the winner of the 4 versions I tried. The sweetness did not run rampant, but the Buffalo Trace was able to erase some of the errant flavors in the base beer.

Bottle shared by Blake at STL RB gathering, thanks man! Poured side-by-side with non-barrel-aged version. Pour is a touch more viscous with notes of smooth roasted malt, vanilla, light brown sugar, and faint cocoa. This is much smooth than the regular and most of the ashy and earthy flavors of the regular are replaced by notes of bourbon and vanilla with smooth roasted malt. This is great.

22 oz. bottle shared by bsuedekum- thanks again, Blake! All these Blackbeerds have been long-time wants, so he knocked two out with one punch. This one was tried side-by-side with a regular one; it was bottled 6/15/10, compared to 12/21/10 for the regular so this was an earlier base batch. Very big, bourbony aroma with vanilla, molasses, toasted oak, caramel, roasted malts, and some dark fruits. Flavor followed along the same lines. Very smooth, with the ABV fairly subdued. Medium-bodied, with a smooth, rich, roasty, sweet mouthfeel and low carbonation. Huge improvement over the regular Blackbeerd, though I don’t know if it was the batch or the barrel or both.

Sampled at the StL RB gathering. It poured a deep black color with a small tan head. The aroma was of vanilla, bourbon, and some peat. The taste was sweet vanilla and caramel, bourbon with a smokey, roasted bitter and dry finish. Very good Imperial Stout.

Tasted from bottle at 2nd STL Ratebeer Gathering, side-by-side with the standard version. Fun label. Poured an opaque black color with average beige foam. Possessed 100% true-to-style Imperial Stout aromas and flavors plus loads of vanilla, toasted hardwood, and bourbon aspects. Well-rounded, warm, smooth, creamy. High alcohol was disguised until aftertaste. I love that they brew with so many organic ingredients. This version was much improved over the standard Blackbeerd. Highly recommended.

(bottle - sampled at STL RB Gathering) black/brown with tan head. Aroma of bourbon. Flavors were roast malt (seemed milder than non-aged Blackbeerd), bourbon.

Sampled at STL RB Gathering - Pours dark brown with a tan head. The aroma has smooth oily chocolate, roastiness, light soy sauce, oak, light bourbon and vanilla. Medium body that’s a bit slick with mild carbonation. The flavor starts out with slick chocolate, berries, roast and oakiness. The finish is roasty and oaky.

Bottle compared side by side with the Jack Daniels version. This one still had a good bit of bourbon in the aroma and flavor. Super dark with a lot of body and flavor. Carbonation was pretty stellar for this style. Definitely held up well over time.