Full Sail Top Sail Imperial Porter Bourbon Barrel Aged

Brewed by Full Sail Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Hood River, Oregon USA

Serve in Snifter

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Very dark with no head. Aroma is sweet and inviting, but flavor is a miss for me. The chocolate notes don’t work well.

Pours a thick black with a tan film that settles around the rim. Aromas are all chocolate roasted malts with hints of oak,licorice and vanilla. The palate follows the nose but imparts a bit more of the bourbon and vanilla flavor then I had expected by smell alone. Its rich and creamy but more towards the medium body with the hint of effervescence... defining it better as a porter than a full fledged stout.

I couldn’t be more disappointed. Thin, with zero flavor of the barrel, very forgettable. I was able to pick this up as a pricing error so I am not as mad as if I’d have paid the $14 it should have been. It was for me a drain pour.

Pours black with minimal head. Huge oak and vanilla aromas. Very oily in the mouth with strong vanilla taste. Finishes sticky vanilla. Good stuff!

Pours very dark brown, with minimal tan head. Aroma is rich, of oak, and malt. Taste is complex and delicious. The oak barrel aging is just right. Notes of bourbon, malt, and dark chocolate. This is a fine, premium porter. Tumbs WAY up!

Bottle. Brewmaster Reserve 2012 - 9.5% ABV. Black bodied with a short, thick, frothy brown head. Nose is strong bourbon notes, oak, coconut, roasted malt, vanilla, molasses, and Irish coffee. Taste is big vanilla, oak, toasted coconut, roasted malt, chocolate, coffee notes and booze.Body is not and full and thick as expected. Medium with a soft, creamy carbonation. Moderate warming from the alcohol. Ends with more oak, toasted coconut, molasses, vanilla, roasted malt, dark chocolate and coffee.

Pours mahogany-tinged black into an English pint. Tan head with medium retention recedes to hug rim. Bourbon aromas. Thin with deep chocolate and deep dark bourbon front to back. Thin bourbon finish.

Originally reviewed: 10/5/09. Vintage 2008. Split a bottle of this with a friend during a night of billiards and darts. Poured into my snifter. Pours a deep jet black with a thin tan head on top. Little lacing sticks. Smells of oak, vanilla, booze, chocolate, and hints of ginger. The mouth is creamy smooth. Coats the palate well. Big flavors of bitter dark chocolate mixed with a subtle creamy sweetness. Nice balance. The bourbon quality is definitely tamed down a bit, which I like. Not as boozy as their BBA Stout was. This is a really good beer that I’m am glad to have had the opportunity to try. Recommend.

Whooie! A great beer from a great brewery. Medium body, black as night with an off white head. Oak, whiskey, coffee, licorice...delicious. Sweetness of vanilla and coconut.

22oz bottle shared by Jimmie. Poured a good looking pitch black body, medium denstiy, with an average sized foamy dark beige head. Aroma is great with strong boubron upfront, vanilla, chocolate syrup, touch of honey sweetness, very light charred notes to finish this off. Body is to thin, average carbonation, slight alcohol heat that lingers nicely. Flavor isn’t quite as good as the aroma. Notes of bourbon, darker toast, vanilla, dark chocolate syrup, some barrel as well. Good stuff.

Wood, bourbon, roasted chocolate aromas. Bourbon chocolate cordial flavors. Overall a very tasty beer.