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

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Capone's Black Friday 2011:

A: Black body. Moderate khaki cap. Spotty lacing.

S: Profound bourbon up front with all of the accompanying aromas of wood and vanilla. Dark chocolate and hints of burnt sugar.

T: Like the nose, this has a strong bourbon component. It isn't overbearing, however. Roasted malts, chocolate and brown sugar round out the profile.

M" Medium bodied, perhaps a little thin in the back end. Moderate carbonation.

O: A very good bourbon barrel stout, but not my favorite option.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2011 01:27:25 | More by callmemickey

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served on-tap at Capone's Restaurant for the Black Friday event. Poured into a miniature 5 oz snifter.

A: Deep black body with a bubbly, creamy brown/mahogany head. Moderate amounts of sticky lacing with thick bubbles around the rim. No retention in the center but this is a wonderful looking beer.

S: Loads of matured bourbon, wood, spice, vanilla, maple syrup and hints of pepper. Huge dark rich chocolate malts come through towards the back end. An absolutely incredible display of flavors, exactly what a BA Imperial Stout should smell like. Simply divine.

T: Front of the palate is warming rich bourbon, tobacco, toffee, vanilla and chocolate chip cookie is mid-palate. Finishing are some more wonderful dark malts and a hint of leather. It's not unnaturally sweet but has a some to it; more liquor on the back end. Crazy drinkable, wonderfully complex and seriously delicious.

M: A bit lighter on the body than I'd anticipate but still retains a nice fullness to it. Sticky, rich and a bit of booze going down. Fairly carbonated yet creamy.

Honestly, this has to be one of the absolute best bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stouts I've had to date. The intensity and complexity of the flavors in this beer are missing in so many others in the style. You've got to like, or love, bourbon to enjoy this beer. It's nearly perfect.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2011 14:37:32 | More by ShanePB

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

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

Poured on tap at Capone's Black Friday event. 5 oz. snifter.
Pours jet black with a thin coffee rim. The nose is a lovely blend of bourbon, vanilla, coffee, and a bit of cocoa. The taste is a perfect meld of the bourbon, sweet vanilla, toffee, and a bit of cherry. The mouthfeel is smooth as silk. Doesn't get much better than this. Has a slightly bittersweet finish that lingers for a short while. This kicked in 40 minutes. A real privilege to try this.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2011 13:41:47 | More by Retail1LO

JLDyer

Michigan

4.93/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A very good example of the style. Chocolate and licorice sit fairly thick on the tongue then changes to hints of spices at the finish. Very smooth with no bite or sense of the high alcohol content. Pairs well with beef and sharp cheddar cheese. I have had this from the tap at the brewery every time it is on the tap list, which is not very often. One of my very favorite beers.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2011 21:41:46 | More by JLDyer

sarro

Michigan

4.88/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Reviewed from tap at Detroit Fall beer fest.

This is the 6th time I've had this beer (4 on tap, two from bottle (and no infections like the mislabeled Aigre bottle review below))

Looks jet black with a dark brown head. Smell's of bourbon, roast, light coffee & malt. Taste is an incredible wave of bourbon soaked dark chocolate rounded out by a thick malty backbone. Not too sweet & finishes dry & a bit boozy (think 2009 BCS). Full mouth feel, perfectly carbonated and not syrupy like most other stouts/beers of this ABV. One of my top 3 favorite stouts.
An incredible bourbon barrel aged stout to say the least.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2011 14:41:48 | More by sarro

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

camil1mj

Michigan

4.83/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Detroit Fall Beer Fest. My wife got a pour so that I could have a full cup.

A: Deep, dark stout with reddish/brown head.

S: Wonderful bourbon tones with chocolate, roastiness taking a backseat.

T: Bourbon forward. Followed up by chocolate, roasted stouts notes. Perfect.

M: creamy. Smooth. Full-bodied. Appropriately carbonated.

O: Best at the beerfest. I understand the hype. Beats out the Blacknote.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2011 00:06:51 | More by camil1mj

Chriscrundwell12

Minnesota

4.53/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured on tap at the Great taste of the Midwest 2011. 5 oz pour into a tasting glass.

A- Pours a dark black color, with ½ finger to one finger brown head that dissipates quickly. Moderate lacing on the sides of the glass.
S- The aroma is awesome, big bourbon aroma, roasted malts, some chocolate and molasses notes, dark fruits (raisins, plums).
T- Big bourbon flavor but not overpowering, roasted malts, nice chocolate flavor, raisins, molasses, a bit warming as it goes down but not too much. Nice oak from the barrels adds a nice quality to this beer.
M- Big mouth feel, warm as it goes down, smooth and creamy on the finish.
O- Loved it, got to the line early enough to be one of the first to try it, quality Barrel Aged stout that is very drinkable for how high the abv, very happy I was able to drink this.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2011 02:44:09 | More by Chriscrundwell12

tmoneyba

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a black color with an average creamy brown head that mostly lasted and produced excellent lacing. Heavy toasted malt, bourbon and chocolate aroma. Full body with a smooth texture and flat carbonation. Moderate to heavy complex toasted sweet bourbon flavor with a heavy toasted sweet finish of long duration. Best of fest complex standout brew.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2011 23:59:01 | More by tmoneyba

mfunk9786

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

WOW. Had on tap at Capone's during PBW. The unexpected star of my day.

This beer is perfectly balanced. Pours extremely dark, smells of vanilla bean, bourbon, and rich dark chocolate with a hint of the usual bitter stout trappings (licorice, anise, etc) which just add depth. The taste is more of the same, with a huge vanilla bean and dark fruit flavor that is nothing short of incredible. This beer is worthy of the hype on this site and I'd love to see it become a standard in bottles.

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2011 02:51:06 | More by mfunk9786

Alpar

Minnesota

4.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Had on tap at Sugar Maple, what a fantastic surprise :)

A: Dark with a perfect level of carbonation that sticks around for a while.

S: Bourbon, malt, bread, vanilla, charred oak and a minute amount of anise.

T: Vanilla bourbon BOMB, awesome! Very smooth bourbon flavor. It tastes like marshmallows :) Reminds me of Vanilla Bean Dark Lord! I gwt some of the oak, malt and bread on the aftertaste, this is beautiful.

M: Surprisingly thin, but works to the beers advantage. I think it is perfect.

O: This is stellar. I hope I can get to the release of this beer if there is one in the future. Simply outstanding!

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2011 02:02:42 | More by Alpar

smokeypeat

Maryland

4.8/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Finally got to try this at Capone's for the end of PBW. Poured into a snifter the chocolate brown head dissipated quickly leaving no head to speak of, but major alcohol legs were present with each swirl of the glass. Smell on this was great. I must have looked like a junkie with the deep inhales I kept finding myself taking. Lots of deep roast espresso, dark chocolate, bourbon, and vanilla. Taste was even better. The integration of the bourbon into the base beer was exceptionally well done. This beer was exceptionally well balanced with great bourbon flavors present, but at no point did it overwhelm the stout. Nice coffee, roasted malt, and smooth bourbon on the tongue, with a great charred oak character right there. Vanilla became ever more present as the glass warmed up. I also got a hint of campfire type marshmallow. All of this had a great coating effect on the palate. I could drink this all the time. Definitely worthy of seeking out, and making efforts to go to tasting events to get a chance to try. Highly Recommended!

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2011 23:58:12 | More by smokeypeat

DefenCorps

Oregon

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

On tap, the 2009 vintage, 12ish%

Black with a dark brown head that has surprisingly poor retention or lacing, given the base beer. Still, this does look great, and has nice legs. The nose reminds me of dark lord. Big licorice and molasses mildly soy like even, with a big barrel character. Beautiful vanilla and oak with some tannins. Plenty of dark chocolate and dark caramel. Great nose, I almost want to give it a 5

The palate opens with a big boozy heat and plenty of bourbon working well with the chocolate and licorice. Plenty of malt and licorice bitterness as well. Thick chewy and boozy, this beer is sweet and hot on the finish with nice chocolate and vanilla. This is one of those few beers where the heat is well-incorporated in the flavor profile, mostly thanks to the huge body .Not as much soy on the palate, as the nose might suggest. A little overcarbonated, though, but that's personal preference. Letting it warm up and flatten out reveals how awesome this beer is.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2011 13:03:14 | More by DefenCorps

philbe311

Pennsylvania

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

A - Slight medium brown colored head quickly fades leaving just a thin collar around the glass... Slightly menacing black color... Minimal carbonation...

S - Lots of roasted malts... Vanilla... Smoke... Some dark chocolate... The scent of the bourbon barrel is present, but far from overpowering... It adds nicely to the overall aroma...

T - Fudgie brownies... Dark fruit... Roasted malts... A touch of smokiness... The bourbon continues to take prominence as this one warms a bit, but never overwhelms...

M - Full bodied... Thick... Slightly viscous... Subtle carbonation... Sleek... Silky smooth...

D - This one isn't for the timid or shy... A full bodied, full flavored, full throttled barrel aged stout... Lots of good things going on here... This one deserves a seat at the table of the best of the big time barrel aged stouts...

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2011 04:05:27 | More by philbe311

homebrew311

Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at Sugar Maple.

A: pitch black, dark brown head that is short-lived , lots of lacing

S: huge roasted malts, deep chocolate followed by nice vanilla notes, huge oak barrel on the finish, this smells bold and delicious

T: the palate is absolutely dominated by chocolate and coffee, vanilla comes in and makes it's presence know , the finish is sweet with a touch of oak. The bourbon pairs beautifully with the base beer. This one is a winner!

Mf: huge body, moderate carbonation

O: this beer is a rollercoaster of flavor, It starts off with the delicious base of plead the fifth and then tacks on delicious bourbon character. This is a rarity worth trying!

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2011 03:11:38 | More by homebrew311

seeswo

Ohio

4.53/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Served on tap the night before FoBaB at Local Option. Served aside many other interesting beers, which were quickly cast aside for more pours of this beer.

Pours black with a thin ring of brownish head. Smell is an intoxicating light bourbon flavor, vanilla, oak, chocolate, roasted malts. The taste is just fantastic. Like the nose, the bourbon treatment on this beer is unbelievable. It is basically the opposite of Rare's deep, earthy bourbon flavor - this is big vanilla, light and playful. The integration of the base beer and the bourbon is dead on. I could drink tons of this beer all of the time. Special beer. Mouthfeel is creamy and lower carbonation. Overall, one of the best few BA imperial stouts I've ever had. Worth a cab across Chicago just to try.

EDIT: Had this a second time at the Great Taste and it was not nearly as good. Dropped the taste -.5 to reflect this change.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2011 05:06:45 | More by seeswo

BieresDesMoines

Iowa

4.25/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep impenetrable black with a good head that shocked me because every bottle of Plea The 5th I've opened has had a whisper of a head. This nice head leaves a subsequent nice lace. The aroma is plum, fig, vanilla, molasses, and plenty of deep roast. The flavor is loads of vanilla and chocolate with plenty of dark fruit and some nice fig and raisin notes with just a mild warming alcohol note. A delicious variation of an already delicious beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2011 17:42:33 | More by BieresDesMoines

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

grub

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

sampled on tap at stub and herbs pre-darkness party, oct 22/2010.

pours inky black and opaque with a small layer of fine dark brown head. the head quickly drops to a ring around the glass and leaves only a few spots of lace.

aroma is good. bourbon and vanilla. bit of raw oak. coffee and espresso. whole wheat bread and biscuit. dark chocolate. bit of milk chocolate. earthy and woody.

taste is great. similar to the aroma, with more bittersweet and dark chocolate. just under medium bitterness level. espresso. hint of oxidaiton. the barrel is actually farily mellow, allowing the stout beneath to show through.

mouthfeel is good. medium-large body. medium-light carbonation level.

drinkability is good. nie balance. barrel is not all that assertive and works well.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2011 17:23:02 | More by grub

RedSpecial1

Florida

4.97/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I had this at a local beer bar. It had very little head, and even that didn't stick around very long; there was also very little carbonation. The smell was of bourbon, oak, and a well balanced malty sweetness. The taste was of bourbon and oak first with a very slight roast barley bitterness. This faded to a bourbon vanilla sweetness that coated the mouth. Finally, it finished with a bit of alcohol heat, but not too much, especially considering its high ABV. The mouthfeel was thick and rich, coating your whole mouth leaving a malty sweetness that lingers. For a beer this big it is surprisingly drinkable. I couldn't resist getting a second glass, but the alcohol in this drink is well hidden, and could easily creep up on you.

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2011 14:22:05 | More by RedSpecial1

mcallister

Ohio

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

Pours a deep shade of brown with a tan head that fades into a toffee topper with slight lacing.

Chocolate, roasted malts, hints of bourbon, musty wood, vanilla, black fruits, earthy esters with a bit of leather and tar.

The easiest drinking 14% beer ever maybe. Very balanced, neutral , and creamy. The bourbon barrel aging is very light and not aggressive, I would of liked it a bit more aggressive honestly. Light vanilla, oak, hint of bourbon, chocolate, roasty malts, dark fruits, leather and tar. Very nice.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2011 22:51:10 | More by mcallister

Urbancaver

Ohio

4.65/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance- pours pitch black off the tap with minimal dark brown head clinging to the corners of the glass

Smell- Bourbon on the nose. Very complex. Roasty smells, dark fruits, buttery bourbon

Taste- Bourbony sweetness first and foremost. Lots of malts and dark fruit flavours with some hints of chocolate on the finish. Amazing!

Mouthfeel- Thick and rich. Very smooth and creamy

Drinkability- A great sipper. Didn't realize they were serving a 14% beer in ohio ;)

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2011 04:21:08 | More by Urbancaver

punkrkr27

Michigan

4.97/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Sampled at the '10 Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival. Jet black pour with a small, loose, off-white head. Smoky, rich bourbon, tons of dark fruit, raw cacao and massive dark roast coffee. There's a nice little whiskey kick at the end too. Creamy, oily, full body with soft carbonation. What a huge beer with incredible balance and layered flavors!

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2011 17:49:26 | More by punkrkr27

TriGuy20

Illinois

4.88/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had at Twisted Spoke, Chicago, IL on tap. In tulip glass.

A: Oil black with nice dark tan head.

S: mmmm this smells great! Vanilla/ Dark Chocolate/ Bourbon/ Molasses/ Dark Roasted Coffee

T: The bourbon comes through nicely with the vanilla showing upfront with a nice bitter chocolate finish.

MF: Creamy and rich, this beer coats the palate like velvet. The finish goes on for a while.

D: For 14% abv this beer is amazingly easy to drink. Per this style 8-12 oz is plenty as it is quite rich.

Overall:
This is one of the finest stouts I have ever had. The use of bourbon barrels is done to perfection. Bravo Dark Horse for making such an incredible drinking experience.

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2011 04:11:04 | More by TriGuy20

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.58/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at the Dark Horse 4elf party. Glad it was on tap as there were very few (VERY few) bottles for sale.

It was served in a plastic cup (boo...), a 10oz pour (sort of boo...), but was delicious (hooray). This was dark, black dark, very opaque with a thin but still existent ring of foam.

It smells like a big beer, which of course it is, without smelling like alcohol. Strong malty aromas, sweet and roasty, with some dark fruits and a well integrated bourbon. Since having this glass I've had many bourbon aged stouts over the holidays, and I can say that the nose on this one is right up there.

Very very tasty, the bourbon is not overbearing, it really complements instead of contrasting the roasty stout base. Cocoa, raisins, vanilla, bourbon, this is just excellent. No burn in the aftertaste, just lingering sweet bourbon flavors. It feels big and heavy, everything about it says this is a major beer, and you have to be careful or you're gonna get buzzed.

This is especially good considering that you can't taste the alcohol in such a strong beer, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2011 16:56:11 | More by TurdFurgison