Dark Horse Bourbon Barrel Plead the 5th Sour Imperial Stout

Brewed by Dark Horse Brewing Company
Style: Sour Ale/Wild Ale
Marshall, Michigan USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

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Thanks to Eric for busting out this rarity...Light black that still has brown on the edge. Hardly any carbonation...The aroma is super buttery, actually pretty good. Vanilla, cocoa, roast, but not sour...More butter on the taste, bourbon shows itself off now. Complex notes of vanilla, bourbon, caramel. Pretty good, but again no sour. This is a decent barrel aged beer, but seems to leave you wanting more as its advertised as sour and you don’t get any. Super rare but I wouldn’t trade much to get it. Maybe it will be sour over time.

Pour at EBF has a dark black color and a still look. Aroma has chocolate, some roast, light acidity, and malts. Mouth feel is hefty and the mouth feel coats well with a nice texture. Flavor has chocolate, some barrels, roasted dark malt, and a very light sourness. Quit enjoyed but could have had a bit more sourness.

750 ml bottle poured a translucent dark brown with a lingering ring of brown foam. Aromas of roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate, fruittiness and light vinegar. Palate was light bodied and smooth with a lightly tart finish. Flavors of roastiness, coffee, citrus and dark chocolate with a smooth dry lightly tart citrus finish.

Pours nearly black in color with a small khaki head. Starts off with fairly regular stout aromas such as roasted malt, coffee, and some vanilla from the oak. The vinegar and sourness come through toward the back end. It also has an interesting grass aroma. Tastes a bit more sour than it smells, but still lots of roasted malt and a hint of coffee. The oak flavor is there and provides a slightly drying tannic feel to the beer. A decent amount of vinegar, but not overly acetic. There is even a touch of fruit on the palate.

Draft. Sampled at Great Taste. Pours a pitch black brown/black color with a slight mocha bronw head. The barrel and booze is pretty evident in the nose along with the normal imp stout characteristics of dark chocolate and some leather. The booze is pretty in your face to me on this one with it being the first thing I notice upon tasting, followed by the barrel, dark chocolate, and slight leather. Medium mouthfeel. Overall, I thought it a tad hot but otherwise pretty drinkable.

Bottle. Pours opaque black. Aromas of sour coffee, chocolate. Medium bodied, light tartness with more chocolate, slick mouthfeel, faint bitterness, very nice. Tasty.

@Victors Fantasy Tasting-750 bottle-thanks jtclockwork-pours no head and a black color that sheets the glass. Aroma is black licorice-dark malt, peat/wood/whiskey. Taste is dark malt-ashy/peat/wood/whiskey, some medium/dark fruit mid-palate. Some hops bite at finish.

Bottle shared at Paul’s tasting. Pours oily black. Tan brown head. Nose of roasted chocolate, wine barrel, oak and bourbon. Taste is a chocolate port wine. Lots of vinous and chocolate notes. Medium body.

Very potent and pungent, they only served these in 8-oz glasses at the restaurant I was at! Not the best stout I’ve ever had though.

Thanks to TurdFurgison for opening this bottle at the post-Christmas Chicago tasting. Served in a Cantillon tulip. Pours a pretty dark brown with a minimal amount of light foam on the top of the beer without too much else there. The nose is pretty good. There really isn’t all that much sourness. I would think this has to have been accidentally infected, as I was curious about the concept to begin with and this doesn’t seem like it was intentionally soured. Who knows. Some chocolate and roast there as well as a bit of woody character. The taste again shows no sourness but does have a good dose of wood and chocolate. Very nice roast there as well. The mouthfeel is pretty good. It is somewhat thick and the barrel character works well. Pretty drinkable, though. Interesting, but I still don’t really see the point of this one. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 01-05-2011

Bottle from triptens...thanks Joe! - Pours deep and dark with no head at all--still as hell, as foreshadowed by the lack of pop on pulling the cork. Sharp alcohol on the nose--boo--roasty and lightly soured, but mostly overshadowed by the heat. The taste is a complete 180--sweet blackberry and currant with vanilla and dark, smooth, chocolatey roast. Not terribly sour, and really, really smooth. Chewy, but still silky--this is a beast of a beer.