Heavy Seas Bourbon Barrel Aged Siren Noire

Formerly brewed at Heavy Seas Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Baltimore, Maryland USA

Serve in Snifter

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Had this one on draught today. Pours a near-black color with a moderate tan head. Nose has only small amounts of bourbon in it with some good roasting and an almost sour note. Taste had a little more of the bourbon, but was malt dominant. Pretty good brew.

Overall though this is a damn fine barrel aged stout. I’ve seen this on the shelves locally and at $9 or so bucks for the bomber its a damn good purchase. Very well executed.

Slutfest 2013: Aroma is chocolate and toasted barley malt. Mahogany, medium tan head. Cocoa and chocolate syrup. Full body. Tastefully done with low bourbon presence.

Aroma of vanilla and fig with a dark reddish black pour, simple taste and warming mouthfeel. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Pours a nice dark color with an off-white head. Aroma is very chocolate forward with a some notes of bourbon and roasted malt. Flavor is smooth and sweet with a chocolate bourbon flavor. Finish is heavy with notes of alcohol and hot. Mouthfeel is full and carbonation is average. Overall this is a solid beer.

From the firkin at the Raleigh Rare and Vintage Festival 2012. The guy pouring said they aged it with pear wood, vanilla beans, and cocoa nibs. Solid brown pour with no head at all. Sweet creamy vanilla, and some suntan lotion on the aroma was EXTREMELY nice. Very chocolatey on the flavor, almost like tootsie roll. Flat body, but I guess that is to be expected from firkin. Still good though. Loved the aroma.

Winking Lizard Cask Ale Fest 2011 (3/26/11), from those lost notes... pours like motor oil, somewhat flat. vanilla, bourbon, milk chocolate and oak . oily texture. boozy long finish.

On cask at Churchkey yesterday as part of their Heavy Seas event for DC Beer Week. Served in a snifter. Poured a midnight black with a thin light mocha head and a nice collar throughout. The nose brought a mild dosing of bourbon along with loads of chocolate. Bordering on Hershey syrup, though restrained by the bourbon and a bit of roast. The flavor was a letdown from there, as the bourbon didn’t really come through at all. Instead, this was plenty of chocolate syrup and a touch of roasted malt. The mouthfeel made things better, with a smooth chocolate character and a bit of bourbon heat in the background. Slightly-dry finish after a full body. Pretty well done. Something I’d certainly drink again.

Cask, Buffalo Trace Bourbon. Soft tan head, black body with brown edge. Completely (and unexpectedly) blown away by the aroma here -- the Bourbon wasn’t there, just the vanilla, which when added to the underlying milk chocolate and coffee, created a desserty nose. Taste is moderately sweet, vanilla, coffee, milk chocolate, light alcohol burn. Medium-full body, some stickiness, very smooth.

In short: A typical roasted bourbony chocolaty imperial stout. Decent beer.
How: Cask at Extreme Beer Fest 2011, Night Of The Barrels
The look: Dark brown body with minimal head
In long: Bourbony and chocolaty nose. Body is round and creamy, taste of chocolate malts, whiskey barrels, nice vanilla, walnuts, medium roast level, warm finish. Relatively smooth for a 10% beer BA impy stout. Another decent barrel aged imperial stout just like so many other barrel aged imperial stouts. Most of these barrel aged beers at NOTB were nothing really special but I was a pretty happy dude by the end of the night. Conclusion: chemically simulated happiness is just as good as the real thing.