Full Sail Black Gold Imperial Stout Bourbon Barrel Aged

Sampled at RBSG06. Dark black color with a thin off-white head. Sweet roasted malt and caramel aroma. Sweet chocolate, roasted malt, and fruit flavor.

Bomber, courtesy after4ever. Pours an opaque brownish black with a persistent rocky brown head. Medium body with light carbonation. Smells a bit like somebody sneaked some whiskey into the brew: oak, bourbon alcohol. Nice roasty chocolate aromas as well. The taste is chocolate, nuts, bourbon, oak, vanilla, dried fruit, and coffee. Dry oak/bourbon/coffee finish.

Black opaque with a very snmall tan head. Bourbon chcocolate and sweet. Vanilla in spades, oak at the end all capped in a coating of alcohol. Full almost chewy palate.

This Imperial Stout pours an eclipse black gold color from a 22oz bottle. Medium sized beige foamy head. Aroma is bourbon, semi-sweet chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla and oak. A medium bodied Imperial Stout. Malts are big roasty chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate and coffee. Lots of bourbon flavor. Nice balance between the malts and the bourbon flavors. There is a noticeable alcohol bite at 10.5%, but it sort of blends in with the bourbon flavors and adds instead of detracts from the overall flavor. Nice level of carbonation. If you are a fan of bourbon aged stouts this one is a must try. It brings out the best of both without being over the top. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter, with an alcohol and lingering bourbon aftertaste.

Bomber. What a brilliant beer. Obsidian body with a sturdy, bubbly brown head. Occasional isolated bubbles come up, but the carb is light--the mouthfeel is actually rather watery for a heavy stout. Lots of chocolate, roast, bourbon, vanilla, and dark sugars (molasses, raisins) on the nose and on the palate. The great thing about this hugely complex aroma and flavor is the hollowed out dry finish--it’s decided, and it fits perfectly. Not overly bitter on the finish, rather light for an imperial actually, but nice and clean and final. Truly a meal in itself.

22 oz bottle, bottles via Wohlfs, acertain, and LarryPitonka. Pours a completely pitch black body under a creamy firm one finger brown head. The head settled to a thin film, but had decent retention concidering the ABV and barrel aging. Huge aroma on this one, bourbon, vanilla, oak tannins, burnt and roasted malts, some alcohol, black strap molassas, and more. Flavor is just as complex as the aroma. Bourbon, alcohol, vanilla, and roast hit you over the head up front. Finish is warming with lots of barrel flavor and char. Mouthfeel if anything is a little on the thinner side with moderate soft carbonation. Can’t help but think that the filtration had a negative effect on this one. This really was very good, hard to believe that this was the same beer as the regular Black Gold that I thought was middle of the road if that.

Deep dark ruby, not opaque. Light moderately lasting beige head. Strong bourbon nose, not overly aggressive, but certainly up front to say the least. There’s no mistake where that slightly husky, liquorice and burnt corn feels comes from. Adequately roasted malts find a balance with caramel sweetness. Spongey palate, sweet and toffee laden. Little bitterness to speak of despite west coast origins. Obvious alcohol grows in importance as it warms. Chewy marshmallow, mint and chocolate complementing flavours. The palate is slightly oily, medium bodied and slowly carbonated. Competently brewed, but a huge been there done that case, devoid of the usual explosive character you find in most top rated beers.

Pours a small tan head that is short lived with minimal laceing. Nose of whisky and maybe some roast. Black as night appearence. Body is full/medium with a bit of astringency. Flavor is mostly bourbon with passing notes of chocolate, whisky, roast, whisky, some rauch action and,,,,,, bourbon. Finish is lightly sweet with ongoing whisky flavors.The whisky flavors are overpowering, overdone, just a bit too much for me. Balance? Not here, did,nt see it. Ageable? Maybe it would help? Props to Indiana Red for the trade!