Stone Suitable For Cave Aging (Bourbon Barrel)

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Escondido, California USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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Growler shared by yourefragile. Thanks Michael. The beer appears a cola brown color with virtually no head or lacing. Perhaps the growler format contributed to this? The aroma offers bourbon, roast, malt (slightly charred), smoke, oak. The aroma is superior to the flavor. A bit thin and even perhaps watery, with roast and smoke. Bourbon and barrel character is prominent throughout. Overall, this was decent.

At the L.A. Beer Week opening day at Stone-Pasadena. Pours a dark black. Lots of bourbon on the nose but the taste is more a balance. Not much smokiness here but very smooth with a bit of vanilla taste to me.

Had this at the 2012 Great American Beer Fest in Denver, Colorado. Nice bourbon and vanilla scents, taste is similar but a tad lighter and smooth.

UPDATED: SEP 21, 2012 On tap at stone Pasadena pre opening. Brown pour with tan head. Aroma is slight smoke and bourbon. Taste is initially boozy but finishes with a touch of smoke on the back of the pallet. Medium carbonation. Overall, pretty damn tasty.

Growler fill from brewery. NOTE: The tag on the growler has this at 11.9% (though currently listed here as 9%). Pours black with three fingers of light brown head. Nice complex aroma of charred wood, thick molasses, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, campfire-roasted marshmallows, vanilla, boozy barrel, roasted nuts, and a hint of maple syrup. Flavor has lots of bourbon up front followed by fudgy dark chocolate, dark roasted malts, vanilla extract, some astringent smokiness, and some dark coffee. Not overly sweet or smoky, but quite a boozy flavor and finish. I was surprised to see a BA version of this beer as I understand it was brewed only once and apparently not a whole lot of it. I liked the original and the extra six months or so in the bourbon barrel have only improved it. (5, 744)

On tap at barrel aged festival. Color is black with off brown head. Aroma is chocolate and chili. Taste is sweet with chocolate chilli, dark malts and coffee.

medium bourbon, and nice smoke on the nose. Flavor is an excellent smoked chocolate and vanilla bourbon character. Medium thick mouthfeel. Fantastic

Sample at Fobab - this was one of the better beers at an all star festival. Dark dark pour. Big flavors in this one. Oak and smoke dominate this one, with a nice subtile bourbon balancing it all out. This seems to me like a stronger version of smoked porter and then bourbon aged. This works incredible well. The bourbon mixes great with the smoke. Both are strong but neither overpower. I could sip on this all day.

On tap at HAF, maybe the last beer I could drink on a fresh palate A: A moderately fluffy creme colored head with an almost perfectly black body. N: Intense bourbon on the nose. Caramel, honey, and vanilla. Some chocolate and smoke, but it’s mostly barrel and oak. T: Smoke, peat, and bourbon. Vanilla, and honey. A pleasant espresso through the middle to balance the sweetness. Dark chocolate. M: On the lighter side of stomach-sinking. Noticeable alcohol. Could use some improvement here. O: Suitable for cave aging indeed. I believe the program said this was a 2011 vintage, and it was probably neck and neck with the other best beers I had at the festival. (Though aged Abyss is hard to beat.) I would love bottles of this.

P: Black with redhilights and a khaki head. A: bourbon, wood, vanilla and brown sugar. T: Dark chocolate upfront, with bourbon following through, some figs and black licorce and smoke come afterwards. M: light mouthfeel and creamy. O: a good beer