 drewbeerme (1793), Chicago, Illinois, USA
Feb 7, 2007 Updated: Mar 26, 2008
12oz, big thanks to 11026 (steve) for this extra! poured pitch black with very small ring reddish-tan head. nose is clearly dominated by coffee but haven’t several minutes of sniffs there’s delicate undertones of vanilla and bourbon. tastes of a very rich high quality milk chocolate, perfect espresso (not burnt), vanilla, and a hint of bourbon. the flavor doesn’t come off to roasty or burnt in anyway, but muted in some way that just doesn’t take this to another level. i like how the bourbon doesn’t overwhelm the beer. more BA beers should take notice. mouthfeel is oily, rich and smooth, a tad thin and watery. very low carbonation. alcohol is extremely well hidden. finish is long and rich. a wonderful beer, but too thin, oily, and, dare I say, dull. 8/5/8/4/16=4.1.
4/13/07, re-rate of a 2007 bottle (very fresh). All i can think of is, "Where’s the beef...i mean....bourbon? Yes, Where’s the bourbon?". No bourbon in the nose and barely noticed in the flavor. A lot less than last year and I found last year’s to be subtle. What happened here?? This taste like regular Breakfast Stout, lots of stale coffee and cigarettes. i wonder if they reused the same barrels as last years so there just less bourbon notes. still tasty but i prefer last years batch. rating changed, 7/5/8/4/15=3.9.
12/12/07, 2005 vintage, cellar aged almost 3 years. still lots of coffee and dark chocolate in the aroma for this. flavor has silky chocolate, ash, lots of coconut, some wood, and sweet vanilla. bourbon notes don’t come through at all. a bit thin and silky feel. this as mellowed a bit with age but it hasn’t changed much. i don’t think more age will improve this. this is still nice BA imperial stout but as barrel aging fad roars on, this is no longer special as there are many more done better than this.3.9.
3/26/08, 2008 vintage, fresh bottling. pours black with small tan head around the rim. a wonderful nose of freshly ground coffee, smoke, coconut, and vanilla. flavor is however a bit coffee roast harsh and ashy. some chocolate in the finish. the profile just isn’t smooth and not alcohol or bourbon harshness but more roast and ash as its a little rough around the edges. some buttery bourbon notes are barried underneath but are rather underdone. a full smooth mouth feel and carbonation. a nice beer that is worty of a solid 4 from me.4.0.
unclemattie (1584), Georgia, USA
Sep 4, 2008 12oz twist-off bottle. Vintage 2006. Big bourbon barrel aroma. Lots of vanilla, coffee, wood, big chocolate. Smells of charcoal. Big bourbon and vanilla flavors. Full bodied Stout.
thickfreakness (63), Austin, Texas, USA
Aug 30, 2008 Thanks to a friend for picking up an 07 4-pack of this in Indiana for me. A vigorous pour into my glass leaves a one inch dark, oily mocha colored head that fades to some lacing. This one is pitch black. The smell is coffee grounds, cocoa, slight bourbon/vanilla and astringent oakiness. Flavor is much of the same with a huge hit of coffee and oakiness followed by a smooth chocolate and bourbon finish. So Texture is velvety smooth. Alcohol is slightly present at the finish with a slight burn in the back of the throat but it also warms the belly. Compared to fresh I much prefer the aged smell and flavor; the fresh was much more coffee centric and a year+ on this one has allowed more character to come forward and made it much more balanced and flavorful.
dkachur (781), Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Aug 30, 2008 12 oz. bottle courtesy cdumler. Thanks Chris! Dark brown pour with a small brown head. Very strong and very bitter roasted coffee aroma with oak and vanilla trying almost in vain to fight their way through. Taste is strong coffee, very roasted malts and oak and vanilla notes. Full bodied. People who don’t drink coffee beware, this will be over the top for you, as it was for me, but it is a damned good beer.
Capa (738), Yokosuka, Japan
Aug 26, 2008 Dark with a deep tan head. Strong bourbon aroma with some chocolate, molasses, and dirt. Smooth bourbon and roasted malts in the flavor with light cocoa, and that damn dirt again. The body is perfect for the flavor. The bourbon is a little harsh in this one but I’m sure another couple years in the cellar will fix that.
Schultsc (407), Henderson, Nevada, USA
Aug 25, 2008 400th rating! Thank you Armsby Abbey in Worcester, MA. Pours a pure, opaque, oily black with a very fine, thin, shimmering caramel head. Heady aroma of sweet coffee, caramel malt, dark dried fruit, and oxidized notes along with a slightly smokey, almost honey edge. Flavor contains the perfect level of sweetness to support and compliment the incredibly complex, multi-layered flavor profile. The first level of flavors consists of dark roasted malt and subtle hops bitterness followed by bourbon sweetness, smoke, and wood-aged characteristics. Coffee is present as well but doesn’t overpower or dominate the other flavors. Still more flavors arise with a hint of dark black cherries and well-integrated alcohol. The body is perfectly balanced with smooth, mouth-filling expressions of bitterness, sweetness, and the full range of flavors in between.
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