Heavy Seas Bourbon Barrel Aged Siren Noire

Brewed by Heavy Seas Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Baltimore, Maryland USA

Serve in Snifter

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On cask at the Winking Lizard 3rd Annual Real Ale Fest 3/26/11. Black pour with a thin, bubbly tan head. Nose is reminiscent of Bailey’s with a strong whiskey and oak presence along with vanilla and chocolate. Flavor starts with vanilla, then chocolate, then vanilla, then bourbon, then vanilla, then a chocolate finish. Lots of vanilla in this baby. Not subtle, but pretty tasty.

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.

Cask version at Winking Lizard’s 3rd Annual Real Ale Fest (03/26/11): Pours brownish-black with amber around the edges. Medium thin light beige head that diminishes quickly, and spotty lacing. Aroma of roasted malt and oak. Medium to full body with flavors of roasted coffee, oaky bourbon and malt. The finish is roasty with a malty aftertaste. Above average overall.

Pouring at the Night of the Barrels at EBF. Pours a ruby black to brown. Bourbon, wood, and roast. Sweet toast, roast. Chocolate and some plasticy phenolic yeast. Warm bourbon, brownies. Roast and chocolate, sweet roast.