Full Sail Black Gold Imperial Stout Bourbon Barrel Aged

Brewed by Full Sail Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Hood River, Oregon USA

22oz Bottle... Poured black with a thin, light brown head. Aroma of chocolate and bourbon. Lots of noticeable alcohol in this one creating a nice warming brew to quaff on a cold rainy afternoon. Lots of chocolate and whiskey-like notes. Not much of a hop bitterness, but the malted grains were pretty dominant. Smoke vanilla flavors too. This one got better with every sip.

Black with a modest tan head that becomes a long lasting ring. The lacings are few and come and go rather quickly. The aroma is woody, boozy, some cocoa, and vanilla notes. Taste is a dark chocolate then a bit of vanilla bourbon on the sides of the tongue. Further sips find molasses, black cherries, oak tannins, and a hint of charcoal. Mouthfeel was fine and the carbonation was just enough. Drinkability was bordering on exceptional and very enjoyable. I have another bottle that will be tasted next year.

dark black pour with little head. sweet notes in the nose. bourbon elements noticeable, chocolate and coffee.

Bottle from Alex (coworker). Many thanks. Very black color, but the tan head wasn’t huge. Aroma is bourbon, chocolate, and roast malt. Fulll bodied with mild, creamy carbonation. Flavor is thick, smooth chocolate/burnt toast. With bourbon accents, and lurking coffee. Touch of smoke? This is pretty complex, and often underrated. IMHO. Finishes sweet, dry and astringent. Impossible? I would have thought so. In a class with Paradox stouts.

Huge bourbon barrel essence. Opaque black body with a soft brown head. Lots of burnt malt character - wood, smoke coffee - but the bourbon was overpowering, as what the alcohol, which was a little over-the-top.

Just wasnt’ a huge fan of this...seemed disjointed. Dark mahogany pour with a small latte head. Aroma was of hot bourbon and molasses. Flavor again focused on the bourbon, with a little oak, smoke, and chocolate. With time, this might be a good brew, but now it is young and messy.

I’ve never been a big fan of bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stouts, but this one converted me. Rich chocolate and bourbon aroma, emanating from a pitch black velvety body. The flavor grew more complex with each sip, slowly revealing layers of bourbon, vanilla, oak, marzipan, allspice, figs, dates, and rum raisin. Very sweet, and yet never cloying thanks to a somewhat gingery-like dryish finish that compels the drinker to savor another hard taste of this nectar. Any comparison between this, and the Full Sail’s regular imperial stout are purely coincidental...apparently the ten months of barrel aging completely transformed this one, even more dramatically than the Laphroiag barrel aging improved Flyer’s regular 140 Shilling Scotch Ale. I’d keep typing my praises, but I’m off to score the better part ofa case of this beauty!

Bomber. Pours a crude oil black with a short lived brown head that faded faster than my 401(k) balance. The nose is dark fruit, roasted malt and bourbon. The taste is cocoa, burnt chocolate, dark fruit and light coffee with a oaky bourbon finish. Medium creamy body. Very good, especially if you like bourbony beers like GI BCS.