Dark Horse Bourbon Barrel Aged Plead The 5th - Dark Horse Brewing Company

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appears a dense, dark midnight toned onyx. A small tan head slowly fades into a gentle cap and collar. Spotty bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of campfire s'mores with black grapes and sugary syrup.
Taste is of the aromas with a sugary sweetness up front followed by an oaky, vanilla, caramel blast.
Mouthfeel is sticky, full bodied, sugary, intensely insane, and smooth in the finish.
Jeez! This is one sick beer!

Serving type: growler

06-14-2011 01:34:26 | More by weeare138

Bierguy5

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pitch black. Tan head holds for a couple minutes, then fades to a thin ring. Not much lace, but still good looking.

Lots of roasty malt. Oak and bourbon notes abound. Dark chocolate. A good amount of wood, without being overwhelming.

Roasty malt, nice bourbon character with some oaky tannins. Very minimal fruit. A hint of vanilla.

Medium body with a nice creamy feel. Some warming alcohol. Overall, very nice, but a bit hot.

Serving type: growler

01-23-2011 22:57:09 | More by Bierguy5

mistakebythelake

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this at a recent BA barrel aged tasting with some Cincy folks. Thanks for providing this gem!

Was impressed with the pitch black color and lacing that this growler pour revealed into my snifter. A beauty on the nose as well with a medium amount of bourbon touched off with some cocoa. The taste with the bourbon, chocolate and some vanilla characteristics from the oak really impressed me with the balance of this stout. The carbonation may have been a bit off due to the growler pour being the last out of the keg when filled, but still was a sludgy, creamy feel. I was surprised that it was around 14% as its drinkability was very high for me without the booziness some ba stouts can get.

Serving type: growler

01-18-2011 18:47:33 | More by mistakebythelake

brew3crew

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I was drinking this from a 2/3s fill growler. Dont know if it affected anything. If someone wants to send me a bottle, i can re-review it :).

A-Dark black with zero head
S-very large bourbon upfront. Can pick up some chocolate and malt through the bourbon
T-Once past the bourbon, can pick up some malts and chocolate. somewhat oaky taste
M-Very smooth and no burning
D-Crazy Drinkable. Would not have guessed 14%. WOW

Serving type: growler

01-17-2011 02:16:38 | More by brew3crew

nickd717

California

4.28/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Nanoslug for this one.

Pours black and relatively viscous with a one-finger tan head and thick lacing.

Great aroma, similar to the regular version with a decent bourbon and -bal hints. Dark chocolate, roast, molasses, and anise.

The flavor is rich and huge on the molasses, not unlike the regular version. Rich dark chocolate notes and a good bourbon-soaked wood presence.

Really thick and a little syrupy with very low carbonation.

Great beer. Glad I got to tick this. I love me some -bal aged RISes, and this is a great example.

Serving type: growler

12-11-2010 02:30:08 | More by nickd717

largadeer

California

4.47/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler shared by Adam and Anna. Thanks!

Oily, viscous black with a small dark brown cap.

The aroma is great - rich dark malts backed by strong but well integrated bourbon barrel. Milk chocolate, fudge, caramel, slight mustiness from the barrel and a hint of tar from the dark malt. Some noticeable alcohol, but no harshness.

Flavors of dark chocolate fudge and scorched malt frolic alongside caramel and vanilla. The body is huge and oily with a low level of carbonation. Tarry, burnt malt lends some balance to an otherwise sweet finish. The lingering sweetness reminds me of Jack Daniels. Alcohol is surprisingly reigned-in, I'd never guess this was 14%.

Plead the 5th is already a great beer, and this is even better. Impressive stuff.

Serving type: growler

11-03-2010 19:35:43 | More by largadeer

writerLJBerg

Oregon

4.26/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2012 bottle from Jim M. Thanks! Poured into my LA Teku.

A: Pours in an inky, almost treacly manner to the glass. Fills up with a solid dark mocha head which fades quickly. Some carbonation bubbles are disturbing the surface of this black puddle. Legs are thick, thick, thick.

N: Hearty bourbon with a big chocolate and espresso background. Vanilla and caramel and oak. Coconut and more fudge. Brown sugar and some molasses. Big sweet sugars here. Some rye and oatmeal.

T: Very, very sweet. Bourbon appropriates the top level here and adds a sweet sting on top of a very pronounced sweet malt body. There’s a little bit of earth, pine and spice from what I assume are the hops and there’s some additional roast. This has some surprising balance, though it’s still a heavy confection. Does have a salty soy sauce aspect.

M: Super boozy, but it’s got a wonderfully filling mouthfeel. Other RIS’s should pay attention to this aspect, it’s the best I’ve had outside Apple Brandy Hunahpu’s.

O: I wish I had split this bottle because it’s absolutely going to sit in my stomach, but at the same time, I don’t think I’m going to get sick of it. This might get a few more points if it turned down the bourbon heat, but at the same time, it’s done an excellent job of making both the bourbon and the stout distinct, so what else can you want?

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 03:46:30 | More by writerLJBerg

Ahappyhiker2

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

2011 vintage.

A- Poured dark and thick, black in color. Barely any head or noticeable carbonation. Dark brown lacing.

S- Bourbon, vanilla, coconut, some booze on the nose as well. The smell is sweet, I don't get as much chocolate or bitterness that I got when I had this fresh. The aroma is mostly bourbon and vanilla.

T- Bitter on the tongue as it goes down, and has a dominant coffee flavor. It's so much different from when I had it fresh. I remember tons of bourbon in the taste, and I'm honestly barely getting any. There is some vanilla in the aftertaste, but it's predominantly coffee and a bitter dark chocolate flavor throughout. Reminds me of KBS.

M- Could use a little more carbonation, but it's nice and thick.

O- More than I could say I'm disappointed, I'm just so surprised. This is the same exact beer I had fresh 2 years ago, and it's completely different. It's a little sweeter which I expected, but it has so much more coffee presence and so much less bourbon. It really reminds me of KBS, which is not a bad thing at all but the first time I had it it reminded me of Parabola. I'm putting this one down as a beer not worth aging. It's delicious in its own right still, but I enjoyed it so much more fresh. Still a solid barrel-aged offering from Dark Horse, and one of the better barrel-aged stouts floating around in my opinion. For those of you that are aging a few: drink them.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 02:11:53 | More by Ahappyhiker2

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a large dark brown foamy head with good retention and some light lacing. Aroma consists of light dry roasted malt notes with some black chocolate notes with medium bourbon notes with some vanilla undertones. Taste is also dominated by creamy black chocolate notes with some light dry roasted malt. Body is full with creamy texture and good carbonation with no apparent alcohol. Not as complex as I was expecting but very well balance overall with chocolate and bourbon creating an efficient mix.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 18:29:29 | More by Phyl21ca

beerpirates

Belgium

4.21/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle poured into my CBS snifter

A: Opaque dark, deep black with no light getting through this. 2 finger brown head which fades quickly into a thin collar and some wandering, appealing laces.

S: Smell is of dark chocolate, bourbon, oak, vanilla. Huge! A smooth smoky and nutty scent along with some dark fruits and a bit of alcohol follow.

T: Massive dark chocolate, sweet and roasted malts. Bourbon, vanilla very well blended to this malty profile. The upcoming booze brings dark fruits aroma. Finishes on nutty and resinous hops notes.

M: Full bodied, sweet, creamy, a bit chewy but not sticky. Not as warming as one could expect given the ABV. Easily drinkable. Just perfect!

O: A beautiful barrel aged stout. Smell and taste profiles are huge, massive. But this is so easy to drink, so good !

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 19:00:44 | More by beerpirates

yuenglingfan101

Indiana

4.99/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into my trusty pint glass. Dark brown to black color. Tastes of caramel and chocolate. The strong taste left me wanting more and more. The smell of Chocolate always means and wonderful tasting beer. Dark Horse has out done themselves with this one. One of the best this company has.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 17:45:47 | More by yuenglingfan101

ngeunit1

California

4.44/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown-black with thin finger of frothy chocolate head. Fades fairly quickly.

S - Sweet roasted chocolate and caramel malts, oak, vanilla, Bourbon, molasses, black licorice, some booze.

T - Sweet roasted chocolate and caramel malts, oak, vanilla, Bourbon, black licorice, molasses, dark chocolate, coffee, earthy hops, and some booze.

M - Full bodied with mild carbonation. Smooth and fairly thick with a sweet and warming finish.

D - Great barrel aged imperial stout. Super smooth and rich.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 05:27:03 | More by ngeunit1

chalsk

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle in celebration of Radiohead. A great gift from Damico. Pours a black color with a soapy caramel colored head. Heavy alcohol, vanilla, and oak. Some chocolate and caramel notes. Sweet vanilla taste with that oak bite and creamy chocolate finish. Wow. What a beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 01:58:33 | More by chalsk

zipper8650

New York

4.51/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

the 1st "Good Beer Sunday" review drinking down the cellar, special thank you to woodchopper for throwing this one in as an extra, 2012 in snifter
A - pours a jet black, little bit of a mocha colored head that faded quickly
S - very smooth smell, well balanced mocha/coffee/hot boozy smell but the booze balances well
T - intial flavor is a smooth well made creamed coffee taste, I find too many BA Stouts have a more bitter burnt coffee taste, not this one, very smooth. The end note is a little hot, to be expected but again balanced well
M - great mouthfeel, nice and heavy
O - overall this is a really well made, well balanced smooth drinking BA RIS, I prefer this over a new KBS. If I have not said it enough, smooth and balanced!
Skol

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 00:15:10 | More by zipper8650

rlee1390

Indiana

4.38/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Black in the glass, one finger brown head.

S-Bourbon, vanilla, chocolate coffee and roasted malt.

T-Bourbon, chocolate, roasted malt, molasses.

M-Medium bodied, not much carbonation though.

O-Really improves as it warms, was expecting a little more but still a wonderful beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 01:32:58 | More by rlee1390

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.13/5  rDev -10%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

the beer pours a jet black with a thin tan halo of tan head...rather ominous. the nose is slightly boozy, intense earthy chocolate/coffee, and bourbon vanilla. the taste is intense caramel upfront, burning booze, lingering milk chocolate and a touch of bitterness. the mouhfeel is definitely thick, full bodied and flavorful. Roasty lingering chocolate aftertaste that has a subtle hint of bourbon, but blends well. this is a world class BBA stout that drinks super smooth...tasty

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 22:58:15 | More by ThePorterSorter

PsilohsaiBiN

New York

4.29/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2011 bottle, big thanks to Loweball 727!

Appearance: Black as Eddie Murphy with a small tan head that quickly recedes to the perimeter.

Smell: Oh yea! Barrel notes galore with vanilla, caramel, bourbon, dark fruit, dark chocolate, roasted malt sweetness. I'm even getting a bit of red wine character in there, nice.

Taste: Everything I like about normal Pt5, with barrel character to boot. I was almost afraid to drink this because I thought it would ruin the normal Pt5 for me. I don't even think I would say that this is better, it just adds another dimension with the barrel notes. I like both versions. What I like about this is that the bourbon character isn't overwhelming at all. Rather, it is evident but not overbearingly so and helps the other components to blend together with more unity.

Mouthfeel: This is a bit more viscous than the standard version of this brew. A little more stickiness is evident.

Overall: I love the non bb aged version of this so much, and this is a nice variation. Some of the malt sweetness I love in the fresh version of this beer is muted here, or it is perhaps this way because this is an '11 bottle. Either way, I like this, but until I try a fresh version of this, Fresh Pt5 wins out for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 00:39:14 | More by PsilohsaiBiN

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.68/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a bottle into a large wine glass

A - black black black. Aggressive pour produces only a small amount of light brown head, which dissipates very quickly into some whisps on top. No lacing.

S - smells mainly of bourbon and oak, some chocolate, booze, vanilla.

T - big blast of smooth vanilla, bourbon, oak up front. Some chocolate notes on the edge, vanilla and hop bittering at the end. Leaves an after taste of vanilla and bourbon. A damn tasty barrel aged stout!

M - it's a bit thinner than I would like. Starts out a little high on the carb, but as it warms the carb settles down. Last third of the pour was very nice.

O - an absolutely fantastic beer. Maybe the best BA stout I've ever tried. If it were a little thicker, it would be perfect. A+, no question.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 22:35:08 | More by Beerandboards

thegoon55

South Carolina

4.53/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

2012 vintage.

A- thick oil sludge, medium tan head. great appearance!

S- bourbon and oak up front, followed by chocolate roast and sweet hints of vanilla.

T- wonderful. following the nose, hint of bourbon (not overpowering) followed by sweet chocolate and vanilla then booze.

M- perfect. full body, but yet light and very well balanced.

O- one hell of a beer. very well balanced, a real treat too have.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 20:49:15 | More by thegoon55

nataku00

California

4.54/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A 2012 bottle poured into a tulip glass. Beer pours very dark brown, bordering on black, with a half a finger of thin light brown head. Head dissipates immediately to a thin collar and a few patches of lacing, but plenty of alcohol legs on the glass surface.

Nose is big on bourbon, charred oak, toasted nuts, vanilla combined with fruity dark chocolate, freshly brewed espresso, roasted malt, burnt sugar. Even straight out of the fridge, the aromas are huge.

Taste started with a touch of bitter hops, burnt sugar, then lightly bitter dark roasted espresso and roasted malt, lightly smoky, before mellowing into sweeter dark chocolate and caramel. Bourbon flavors flourish on the finish, along with the dark chocolate.

Full bodied, thick and creamy with some soft barely there carbonation. Very sticky on the lips so a bit of residual sugar. A very good imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 03:31:19 | More by nataku00

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-dark brown black color with a tan head and some lacing

S-chocolate, dark roasted malt, coffee, bourbon, hints of dark fruit

T-dark chocolate, coffee, dark roasted malt, vanilla, dark fruit, bourbon, slightly bitter finish

F-medium body with light to moderate carbonation, smooth and creamy

O-great BA stout, super flavors and a great balance, bourbon is very well integrated into the beer

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 00:35:48 | More by MDDMD

tectactoe

Michigan

4.8/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Thanks to Jeff for cracking open one of the last of his stash. BBPt5 pours out even darker than the regular version (which was already darker than a black hole), although it doesn't seem to be quite as syrupy and thick, as this one actually creates some noise and light turbulence as it hits the glass. A dark-ish tan head slowly bubbles up into a thin foam and perches still on top of this black abyss of a beer.

Bringing this one to my nose and taking a big whiff reveals its huge bourbon barrel characteristics - there's no denying that this bad boy spent some considerable time encased in boozy wood. The bourbon in the aroma is very smooth, however, not harsh, pungent, or stinging like many of these BBA beers can tend to be. Other notable aromas include vanilla, light coconut, mild wood, roasted malts. There's also some sweet brown sugar and a huge, creamy coffee undertone that can be found on the back end. This is really a complex beer, just from the aroma alone. Sometimes BBA beers can kind of blend together and get repetitive, but this one smells wonderful and distinct.

BBPt5 slides across my palate as I take the first sip - it's super creamy and smooth, maybe even more so than the original (not surprisingly so). The first tastes to emerge are light syrup and sweet molasses. Before long, the bourbon inches its way into the flavor profile, but just like the aroma, it remains very smooth and easy to handle. Warming, but not "hot", and it's wonderful. Some heavy oak and vanilla tones charge in about halfway through.

As it warms up, I pick up more generous notes of dark, thick fudge and even some lightly sweet, dark fruits. Roasted coffee bounces in and out for pretty much the entire duration - a big component in the base beer that certainly isn't lost through the barrel. Overall, a seriously well developed and complex beer. Even in the finish, there are still a ton of things going on; mostly dark fudge, roasted coffee beans, sweet and warming bourbon, and heavy oak. The body stays creamy throughout - heavy and lightly chewy, low-medium carbonation - more carbonated than the base beer, which as surprising.

Considering the high 14% ABV tag, this beer was insanely drinkable. I've never seen bourbon show up so heavily while remaining so smooth and tame at the same time. This is a barrel-aged beer done correctly - the flavors meld together extremely well. One of the best bourbon barrel beers I've had.

EDIT: 4/29/2013

After having this back-to-back(-to-back?) with KBS, Black Note, and BCBS, I think I can finally and honestly say that this is my favorite of the bunch. They are all extraordinary brews, but the thing that really sets BB Plead the Fifth apart is the incredible smoothness of the bourbon. Not ONCE, not even after warming up for nearly an hour, does the bourbon ever seem any bit stronger than "warm". So incredibly smooth and complex. Fantastic integration of the barrel flavors with the base beer as to not mask or hide any of the substantial flavors, either. Probably my favorite Bourbon Barrel beer. I love this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 12:52:33 | More by tectactoe

mattsander

Alberta (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2011 vintage

A: Dense black with chestnut edges. Tenacious ring of brown clings to the edge of the glass. Very syrupy.

S: Fudge, dark fruits, booze, sweet vanilla oakiness.The booze element is a little distracting, nonetheless this is delicious.

T: Big dark chocolately malt, tons of toasty nutty oak, drier than I expected from such a huge beer. Complex and delicious.

M: Lighter bodied than BCBS, a bit boozier, but highly drinkable for a beer of this girth.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 03:12:20 | More by mattsander

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Vintage 2011: The grand finale to the night spent with jzeilinger. Poured this between the two of us. This beer was black it had a brown head that was faded quickly but left a ring around the edge of the glass. The look of the beer is pretty typical for the style. The smell of the beer is surprising to me, I expected the barrel aging to stand out a lot more on this. There is some vanilla on the nose along with some other sweet aromas. The taste of the beer is also really subtle. I was surprised by this, Really thought you'd be able to get much more intense flavors of the barrel and the bourbon. It's a great tasting beer regardless. The mouthfeel is thick and gently carbonated, it's a very smooth beer. Overall it's much more balanced than I expected, it's a solid beer from start to finish. I would have enjoyed a little more bourbon on it though. It's good but I don't feel it's worth the 100% rating on here.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 17:39:43 | More by Knapp85

azdback

Arizona

4.45/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a small snifter. Ultra black color with not a hint of highlights. Head is almost non existent but does have a nice collar that is light brown colored and leaves just a bit of lace.

Smell is quite bourbon forward. Lots of vanilla, burnt wood, tart dark fruit. Definitely some alcohol. Very very nice!!

Taste is lots of roast, char, chocolate, vanilla, some mild tart cherries. Tons of booze but not unwelcome.

Body is viscous and rich, mouth is full with medium to mild carbonation. Finish is very long and wet.

Overall I was very impressed with this. I have had the base beer and enjoyed it but the barrel did an amazing job to this. Very smooth and rich barrel characters reminded me a lot of Parabola or Old Raspy XI. Possibly a bit better and more drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 05:34:36 | More by azdback