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

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

1.3/5  rDev -71.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Poured from a 750 mL bottle into a tulip. Thanks to Dunt for the sample.

Appearance: This pours an oily molasses brown, nearly black in the center of the glass. A faint ruby tint in the edge of the glass, but almost no light sneaks through. No head whatsoever, even with an aggressive pour. Uh oh.

Smell: I get the requisite bourbon, vanilla, oak, chocolate and roasted malt, but there is also a good amount of sour cherry and a little bit of funk that pull the aroma down.

Taste: I would say it is unfortunate that the lack of carbonation really flattened out all of the flavors, but since there is also an unnatural infection in this bottle, maybe not. I can taste a bourbon, vanilla, oak, chocolate, and roasted malt, but they are all nuanced behind a dominant sour cherry flavor with some funk as well. The lack of carbonation also makes it difficult for any one flavor to stand out. This is an unfortunate composite of flat flavor.

Mouthfeel: The first problem is that there is no carbonation in this bottle at all. With it being completely flat, none of the flavors are allowed to blend together and come through. The second problem is that by being infected, the body has thinned out, leaving a dry, medium bodied 14% bourbon barrel aged stout in its wake.

Overall: This is a beer I was really looking forward to, to have it flat AND infected was a huge disappointment.

Note: This IS the bourbon barrel aged version, not the Aigre version that is supposed to be sour.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 19:23:49 | More by KickInTheChalice

DarthKostrizer

California

3.38/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2011 Batch

Look: Pours a midnight black with a tiny head and no real retention and leaves a slight coating on the glass

Smell: The barrel character on this one is extremely present. Lots of bourbon and oak upfront with some nice chocolate notes picking up the backend

Taste: For me this is where the beer goes wrong. The bourbon and alcohol and upfront and very overpowering and off putting. Disguised behind the Alcohol are some chocolate and oak and not much else.

Mouthfeel: The body is slightly thin for the style and not much carbonation and quite a bit of alcohol burn.

Overall: If you like stouts that taste like cheap bourbon this one is for you. There is no balance whatsoever in this beer and I don't feel like it even holds a candle to some of the high alcohol big stouts

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 23:16:19 | More by DarthKostrizer

s1ckboy

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -22%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2011 Vintage.

A - Black with a 2-3 finger mocha head that sticks around.

S - Chocolate, booze, bourbon, roast.

T - Chocolate, coffee, bourbon, roast. Very bitter finish that stays with you. A lot of alcohol burn as well which wasn't immediate but lingered for a while.

M - Full. A good amount of carbonation.

I had high hopes for this beer but the alcohol burn coupled with the bitterness made it a bit too harsh. Perhaps it will mellow with age.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 00:39:44 | More by s1ckboy

trappistlover

Arizona

3.78/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(750ml shared at Dak's Final Four tasting!). Pours oily dark brown with think khaki head. Aroma has sweet bourbon, vanilla and oak. Taste is sweet with some sour notes. Full bodied with oily texture. Good, but I had higher expectations of this one..

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 22:05:35 | More by trappistlover

brystmar

New York

3.8/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to JBuddle for sharing!

Looks like an imperial stout, leaving good lace. Nice aroma of bourbon-coated roasty malts. Dark, almost burnt. Slight oxidization too.

Roasty up front, though the bourbon takes over quickly and overwhelms the other flavors. The barrel aging is a kinda out of control here; the barrel character shouldn't be this prominent.

Huge body is this brew's savior. Bourbon be damned: the viscous mouthfeel is right where it needs to be.

I prefer the base beer -- especially with age -- but this isn't bad. I hear last year's batch was much better (makes sense; the beer I'm drinking isn't anywhere near deserving of a 4.48 average). Hope I can try a 2010 bottle someday.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 03:54:37 | More by brystmar

Retsinis

California

3.83/5  rDev -16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2011 vintage, thanks Adam! (mrbubbler)

A: Quarter inch cap of creamy cappucino colored head. The beer is a black, no light penetration, with a dark brown hue.

S: Marshmellow, graham cracker, light vanilla, touch of bouurbon. Bakers chocolate

T: Oak, kiss of vanilla, touch of toast, vanills, & light roasted malt blended with bourbon.

M: semi dry, light carbonation, medium roasted sweetness.

O: Large margin improvement from regular plead the 5th. Glad I got the chance to try it. Not my favorite -bal RIS but still quite tasty. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 07:45:01 | More by Retsinis

n2185

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: pours black with a finger of brown head that fades into a hin ring with no lacing.

S: lots of creamy cocoa and chocolate notes up front followed by woody oak aromas. Slight caramel notes follow with stronger notes of bourbon.

T: roasted malts up front followed by semi-sweet chocolate flavors. Lots of oak notes follow with some caramel and bourbon flavors. The finish is lightly roasted and smokey with a light alcohol burn.

M: thick body with low carbonation, this beer is smooth and creamy.

O: a good bbal stout, overall. I'd like some more bourbon presence and more depth of aroma, but it hides the alcohol very well.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 00:07:43 | More by n2185

lurpy1

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 vintage (I think, shouldn't have recycled the bottle) picked up in a trade. Split the bottle with my wife.

Beautiful pour that runs out of the bottle like black ketchup. Not much head. Smell is fruit and bourbon, a little bit of chocolate behind. But it's all more faded than I expected, doesn't assert itself with sweet bourbon.

Taste. Hmmmm...again, faded a bit. Except for a surprising hoppy bitterness. Is this an 11 that past it's prime? Or is it not all that? Again, not bad, but not all that.

Mouthfeel - because the bourbon isn't as pronounced as expected, zero burn. Great viscosity. Can't believe it's 14%. Consistency is probably all that keeps me from declaring this a par beer.

Overall, a very good beer, but as with the base BT5, I apparently like this less than the average bear. And in the pantheon of bourbon barrel stouts, stunningly, I would rate this as slightly below average. Worth drinking, and recommended, but I would not pay $7/bottle for it or trade for it at a high premium.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 15:59:09 | More by lurpy1

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

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Jackie O's release party in February 2011.

A-pours a cola brown with a thin tan colored head.

S-the bourbon is fairly strong with notes of wood. sweet caramel malts and brow sugar make up most of the malt components.

T-again, strong bourbon in the flavor with a nice wood component. this seems sweeter tan anticipated with a lot of malty sugars, caramel and brown sugar.

M-medium body with a thick and syrupy texture. nice carbonation with a full easy drinking finsh.

D-this has a fair bit of balance between barrel aging and malt base but the malt base seems a little sweet. still a great easy sipper with loads of flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2011 15:23:05 | More by cpetrone84

kbutler1

Minnesota

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

Draft. Sampled at Great Taste. Pours a pitch black brown/black color with a slight mocha bronw head. The barrel and booze is pretty evident in the nose along with the normal imp stout characteristics of dark chocolate and some leather. The booze is pretty in your face to me on this one with it being the first thing I notice upon tasting, followed by the barrel, dark chocolate, and slight leather. Medium mouthfeel. Overall, I thought it a tad hot but otherwise pretty drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2011 15:39:33 | More by kbutler1

Jeffo

Netherlands

4/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got this one in a recent trade with hotpipes29. This one comes eagerly anticipated, so we made quick work of it. Thanks for the trade!

From a bottle into a mini-snifter
Vintage: 2011
Drunk right after the base beer for comparative purposes

APPEARANCE: Basically the same out of the bottle as the base beer, but perhaps even darker and thicker. A sludgy, thick black pour yields a small, medium looking, slightly bubbly, dark mocha colored head with good retention. Head slowly fades to a bubbly wisp and ring. Thick, opaque black body with no carbonation evident. A swirling wisp and thick ring remain until the end leaving some dots of lacing down the glass. Though the head is a little bubbly compared to the base, this is incredibly thick and menacing. Totally evil.

SMELL: Lots of bourbon on the nose with notes of oak and milk chocolate from the barrels. Quite barrel forward, but some roasted malts and dark chocolate notes do make their way through the barrel aging. Medium strength nose.

TASTE: Quite barrel forward on the palate with very little of the base beer left over. Bourbon, oak, vanilla and some nice milk chocolate up front. Bourbon barrel dominates through the middle with a touch of roasted and dark chocolate flavors after the swallow. Bold and lingering aftertaste is barrel heavy with lots of bourbon and plenty of alcohol. Very little base beer sticks around. Flavorful, but not much of the regular Plead the 5th is left to be found.

PALATE: Medium body and higher levels of slightly prickly carbonation. Thick and creamy enough on the palate, especially after it has sat in the glass for a bit, goes down fine with a bite after the swallow. Finishes sticky on the palate and lots of heat lingers. Not as thick and full as the base, but still pleasant.

OVERALL: This was a really good bourbon barrel aged stout. Despite the slightly milder nose and lighter palate compared to the base beer, the look was outstanding and the barrel flavors were very interesting and enjoyable. Like many barrel aged versions of a base beer, however, the barrel aging on this one has almost completely erased everything that was so enjoyable about the regular Plead the 5th. In that sense, you could say this is a phenomenal bourbon barrel stout, but not a phenomenal bourbon barrel Plead the 5th, if that makes any sense. Anyways, I was stoked to be able to try these together and we really enjoyed the pair. Thanks again for this one hotpipes. This was a lot of fun!

UPDATE: Trying a 2012 and 2011 together tonight. Everything is the same in the 2012, though the palate is a little heavier and creamier. I'd give a solid 4 to the newer vintage in this department.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 16:26:33 | More by Jeffo

MADhombrewer

Oregon

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

Thanks to ramnuts

A-Black appearance with a dark tan head.

S- Dark chocolate. Alcohol and some vanilla.

T- Chalky, bitter chocolate. Dry after taste. Not as much vanilla in the taste as there was in the aroma.

M- Medium to thick. A tad thinner than I would have expected.

O- Good ba stout. Nothing extrordinary. Lacks something, but can't really put my finger on it. Maybe a little more complexity would make this better.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 17:57:07 | More by MADhombrewer

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

ManVersusBeer

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is the the silver waxed 12 oz. 2011 version of this delicious beer.

It is a very dark, though subtle dark tan with a little head.
A nice sweet coffee bean in the nose followed by chocolate bar and caramel, not toffee. Just like a Milky Way.
Vanilla, huge vanilla and then caramel with touches of milky cocoa and chocolate milk. That's the bourbon coming through, although I don't taste too much oak. I get some nice butterscotch dipped vanilla ice cream, too.
The mouthfeel has a bit of roasty bitterness which is nice when paired with the sweetness of this brew. It is creamy, mildly sticky with what I feel is below average carbonation. The Bourbon Barrel version is definitely better, and bolder, than the original.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 19:54:36 | More by ManVersusBeer

Verecund

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2011 batch thanks to StoutFest. February 16, 2012.

Pours black with a quarter-finger mocha head.

Rich and decadent nose: fudge brownie; toasted graham cracker; strong bourbon presence (with some heat); light vanilla; charred oak and roasted grain. Impressive.

Lots of chocolate notes on the palate, half milky, half dark. Bourbon and fudge. Fairly sweet, but there's an earthy bitterness throughout the mid-to-late palate. It's also pretty oak-forward for a -bal stout; the char is almost spicy on the finish. Still fairly hot -- the bourbon seems to be quality, but it's a bit messy, all things considered.

A little thin in body, with medium carbonation. Appropriately sticky.

Happy to have finally had this. An above-average -bal stout, but a bit hot and messy at this stage to be top tier.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 00:17:39 | More by Verecund

UCLABrewN84

California

4.08/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle pour shared by DarthKostrizer at his place.

2011 vintage.

Pours an opaque black with a khaki head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark malt, cocoa, cinnamon, wood, and bourbon. Taste is pretty much the same with an alcohol kick in the throat with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer but it’s a bit hot in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 04:49:54 | More by UCLABrewN84

Gfunk720

Connecticut

4.08/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle. Out of my HFS stemware.

A- Pitch black, with a reddish mocha colored head. Some light lacing and a ring of foam retains around the glass.

S- Smells kinda rummy, with hints of roast malt and chocolate. Some excellent light peat and barrel character is also present. There is definitely still some heat and astringency.

T-Oh so smooth at first, then the flavors start to come out. Rich chocolate and bourbon flavors hit the tongue, dark roasted malt and even a hint of smokiness are present. More sweet oaky bourbon flavor, touches of vanilla and caramel.

M- While it is easy to drink for the %, the beer is lacking body. The carbonation is a little too light, and it's just a touch watery. While it does have a nice creamy feel on the tongue, this is the weakest trait.

O- Overall, I enjoyed this beer quite a bit. The base beer is a little thin, but the barrel aging has quite a nice touch. Could use a little time, but the flavors are still excellent.

-GFunk

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 01:06:27 | More by Gfunk720

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Huge thank you to yeahnatenelson! 2011, silver wax.

Appearance. Poursalmost thick and black with almost no head, just a fine skim of dark brown bubbles on the surface.

Smell. Bourbon for sure, not very boozy though. Wood and Vanilla are there too, some roasty dark malts and a little caramel and coffee.

Taste. Bourbon, sweet vanilla, sweet caramel and coffee, some booze and a little burnt sugar (more burnt than caramel, anyways), just a little dark roasted malts.

Mouthfeel. Full body, low carbonation. A little warm.

Overall. A nice bba stout, no question. Seemed a little boozy and could probably use another year or two, but really not that bad for a 14% beer. Would love to try it again nicely aged.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 03:16:38 | More by Rutager

redblacks75

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Dark black, no lacing, very little head, and what color there is to the head is a mocha, tan.

S: Bourbon, & vanilla.

T: Vanilla, burnt sugar, anise, a slight oak taste which may be due to the dryness.

M: It's thinner than allot of stouts I have had before. A medium-low carbonation, with an extra dry finish.

O: The best Dark Horse offering I have had to date. If you are looking for a bourbon forward stout I recommend this. It is a worthwhile offering.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 03:19:03 | More by redblacks75

claaark13

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks Cam. Poured into a Founders snifter after being slightly chilled.

A - Pours black and a light-tan head forms. It soon disappears and leaves minimal lacing. Sticks to the glass alright. It looks extremely appealing.

S - Dark fruits with light amounts of vanilla and oak. Some fudge comes through as well.

T - Fudge quickly turns into into some oak and vanilla, some heat, then a dry vanilla finish. There is also a little bit of burn once the dryness begins to subside. The oak really makes itself present towards the end. The fudge/cocoa/chocolate is there, but really seems to take the back seat to the barrel. There is a little bit of sweetness, which helps create some balance.

M - Medium body with lower carbonation on the tongue. It does the job with the flavors.

O - The flavor seems a little heavy on dryness and virgin oak for me without providing as much caramel/vanilla as I would expect/prefer. I think if they could pull back the barrel just a little bit, it would surpass what I'd call similar beers. Or, if the barrel would be able to present more charred characteristics. I'd drink it again happily and would be interested to open one among similar beers to see how it stacks up.

7/1/12 Update - Dark fruits are showing up in the flavor, oak is still strong and the heat is faded. If you've been holding any of these for a while, you should really think about opening at least one of them soon. 5/4/4.5/4.5/4.25

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 00:55:25 | More by claaark13

tarheels86

California

4.1/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

355mL 2011 ed silver wax thanks to mikem409. Pours ink with a larger reddish mocha head settling abruptly to a bubbly layer. Nose is richer vanilla with thicker sweet bourbon. Very reminiscent of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. Rich wood and mild dark cherries. Very inviting, dessert nose. Taste is silky, rich, spicy bourbon, big dark chocolate. Thankfully only hints of ash that sometimes plague Dark Horse beers. Bitter, thicker. Very enjoyable. Great palate. Lower carbonation with super rich, oily palate. Beautiful stuff. Glad to see this bumped into the Top 50 on both sites. 1/13/2012 8/4/8/5/16=4.1

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 19:45:35 | More by tarheels86

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.1/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a Kuhnhenn snifter. 2012 vintage.

Appearance - Very think inky black pour with a small mocha head. Nothing left after a while. Just a thin collar and three measly and miniscule islands of foam.

Smell - The barrel is very nice, but the aroma of the beer is intense. Bourbon, tons of oak, and a nice hint of vanilla from the barrel. Sweet malts, licorice. Coffee and dark chocolate are afterthoughts compared to the barrel, booze, and sugars.

Taste - The base beer shines through the barrel, but it adds a nice layer. Bourbon is immediately apparent. Deep dark chocolate flavors and a sweet fruit layer. Oak is really intense in the back. Lingering oaky finish is too strong and just pegs it back from perfect.

Mouthfeel - It's heavy, boozy, and overly oaked. Low carbonation. A monster of a beer.

Overall - While this beer is spectacular, the barrel hasn't improved it. Intense oak creates an unpleasant aftertaste. That being said, I had this on tap and it was incredible. Batch to batch may vary. I certainly won't mind exploring different vintages of this.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 05:42:30 | More by Alieniloquium

CrellMoset

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev -10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle courtesy of a recent trade - thanks! Poured in to a tulip.

Appearance: Pours an onyx, deep and pool like, viscous but at the same time oily and slick looking. A moderately vigorous pour yields a surprising amount of head for a barrel aged, 14.0% abv brew - about three quarters of a finger of foamy espresso with surprising retention sits atop the body, about as thick as the inky sludge it's sitting on top of. It ultimately fades in to a similarly thick, foamy ring and a few sparse wisps of surface bubbles, with the persistence of the former being somewhat of a mystery, as even direct exposure to light reveals no internal carbonation. Half a point off for the inability of this one to hold any modicum of lacing on the sides of the glass, but half a point only given the aforementioned factors weighing against this one's ability to do so.

Aroma: Rich, but still somewhat subdued. Smoke, roast, hints of fruit, and a very smooth barrel presence belies absolutely no hint of alcohol spice or heat, even as this one warms, which is a definite plus. There's an interesting juxtaposition here between a lot of light fruity notes - cherries, sour apple, almost bordering upon jolly rancher-ish notes at times - and the deep, velvety smokiness of the malts and (I presume) some hint of barrel char. The latter also obviously compliments the bourbon and other barrel notes, which suggest strong vanilla and hints of cinnamon, along with a persistent but very heavy and low-in-the-register woodiness.

Taste: A slightly different tasting -bal RIS than I expected, heavy on the extremes. What I mean is that, typically, -bal RISs are bourbon, chocolate, and coffee bombs; and, while this one has all three of those components, none of them really dominate, or are even that prevalent. This one is more about fruit notes at the top of the register, smoky, charred malts at the bottom, and flashes of intermittent barrel notes filling in the blanks. It's unique, a little different, and still pretty good. Deep espresso roast and fudge brownie notes are definitely still present, mind you, but they're balanced by a slew of raisins, figs, cherries, dates, and even berry notes - way high up in the mouth, in a way that leaves that tinge of acidity.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, but what is here is well-embedded, smooth, creamy, and works perfectly with the flavor components. The end result hits all the right notes.

Drinkability: Fantastic. A really solid beer, with a very interesting flavor profile, despite the 14.0% abv.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 23:49:36 | More by CrellMoset

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