Pizza Port Barrel Aged Stunna Shade Stout

Draft @ PP Solana. We have a winner. This was one of the best beers on my recent SoCal trip. Like a lighter version of Bourbon County. Perfect balance of flavors. Awesome.

Poured dark, dark brown, nearly black with mahogany edges. The head was short and thin, but it left more room for the beer in the 12 oz glass. Low-lying aroma of chocolate and coffee, but accompanied by a rich, bourbon nose. Vanilla and oak are each present, as is a touch of caramel. Lovely taste. Lots of bourbon, but not enough to turn it into a boilermaker. Smooth, alcoholic, a lot like a liquer. The vanilla and oak compliment the base stout flavors of chocolate malt, dark chocolate, and a molasses-like sweetness. Pleasant repreive from soy sauce. A bit salty and earthy, in a Scotch whiskey way, as the beer warmed which was very nice. Creamy mouthfeel, lower carbonation, and no stickiness. Was a bit loose, but the taste more than made up for it.

Holy Shit. I did not expect this one to be this good. Almost pitch black pour with a modest head. Strong nose of vanilla and bourbon. Very smooth mouthfeel with a complex swirl of vanilla, bourbon, and chocolate. I think I went back and got 3 more tasters after my first one.

Tasted on tap at the Pizza Port Strong Ale Festival 12/5/2008. This foreign stout pours a eclipse black color from the tap. Small to medium sized tan foamy head. The aroma is chocolate and coffee with a touch of bourbon and vanilla. A medium bodied foreign stout. The malts are chocolate and coffee. The hops are earthy and floral. Nice balance of chocolate, roasted malt, bourbon and wood flavors. A little thin, but an excellent easy drinking stout. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.

On-tap at PPSB. Pours black with a big, light brown head, good lace. Smells nice. Big with lots of bourbon and some vanilla and wood. Not overly sweet though and slightly sour. Tastes slightly sour and woody and malty. The sourness could be the malts in the beer or the wood. Sweet malts, chocolate and some straight bourbon. Lingering nice barrel flavors. Full body, good carbonation.

On tap at the PP SA Fest. Dark black, chocolaty opaque coloring with a thin layer of creamy beige head. Huge bourbon aroma, including both the vanillin characters from the oak and some of the husky, grainy booziness from the bourbon. Some cakey, chocolatey malt hides beneath the bourbon, but the boozey notes dominate. Medium bodied, moderately carbonated mouthfeel with a soft, creamy texture. Some light, chocolate malt flavors start out the palate at first, but are soon overwhelmed by the bourbon characters. At first, the vanilla and chocolate nougat flavors seem to work well together, but toward the finish, the bourbon gets a little bit raw and unrefined. All the components seem to be in place to make a great beer, the base beer just isn’t able to stand up to the bourbon. I imagine this beer would be killer in a blend with some base Stunna Shade.

On tap the 2008 Strong Ale Festival. Wow. What a great beer. Great barrel aroma. Sweetish. Very easy to drink. Excellent.

On tap at the 2008 Strong Ale Festival. Poured a dark black color with brown edges and a very small sized off white head. Aromas of chocolate, roasty, lots of vanilla, bourbon, and some woodiness. Tastes of vanilla, chocolate, roast, and bourbon. Body a tad on the thinner side.