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

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

alleykatking

Indiana

4.72/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Dark Horse. Pretty stoked to try this one out. Served in a snifter.

A- Pours a deep dark brown...almost black color. Dark chocolate colored head very little dies to a ring on the glass. Some streaky lacing on the glass. A very nice looking beer.

S- This has big roasted malt in the front of the aroma. Some light vanilla and dark cocoa in the middle. Don't pick up any wood notes but I do pick up hints of bourbon in the back end of beer. Typical coffee notes as well with a slight smokey presence as well. Light alcohol hits the nose and sticks to it.

T- Good roasted malt bites from the front with a light vanilla and cocoa ending. Some toffee and coffee notes toward the middle that adds to the sweetness. This beer isn't all sweet though which is where it turns into a bourbon laced beer. Light bourbon notes through the backing leading to a warming alcohol as you drink this one down. There is also a return to light roasted malts to this that add a finishing character as well. This is what a bourbon barreled beer should taste like to me.

M- Heavy mouthfeel. Carbonation is prefect for the beer although I think a little subdue for the style. Nice heavy roastd malts left on the palate with a touch of chocolate. Bourbon and light roasted malts left on the aftertaste. Flavors were bold and clean tasting. Everything mixed together pretty well but still had strong single flavor qualities to it.

D- This to me was a perfect style of a bourbon barrel beer. The higher ABV (14%) limits this to a couple snifters at best. I do enjoy this beer and hope they do something like making a short bottle run of it. Dark Horse knows how to make their beers very drinkable and I have never had a problem doing just that. Cheers to you Dark Horse!

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2010 19:37:28 | More by alleykatking

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into snifter - thanks to erikkoppin

Pours a midnight black color with barely any head. Wisps of retention slink across the top, with a few spots of lacing on the glass.

A rich mix of vanilla and chocolate soaked in bourbon in the nose. A bit sweet with roasted dark malts and some softer tones of dark fruits. Softly charred oak, booze and really faint smoke.

Boozy vanilla bean up front with plenty of syrupy bourbon and softly charred oak. Dark chocolate, nuttiness and layers of roasted dark malts. Syrupy with a prolonging boozy warmth, followed by a light undertone of leather and very subtle smoke. Finishes sweet and boozy with vanilla.

Fuller medium body, milder carbonation, sticky and creamy on the tongue. I've had this one tap before and it was one of my favorite BA stouts ever, although the bottle doesn't quite recapture that moment for me. Definitely still a top notch offering, but the appearance and feel were slightly lacking.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 03:41:40 | More by xnicknj

Phelps

Arizona

4.3/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sent by seeswo in the Blind Beers BIF. The 12-ounce bottle was poured into my fantastic new Three Floyds snifter and reviewed blind.

Inky black, with a dark, fizzy, cinnamon-colored head.

The nose on this one is decidedly swee. Big showing from the underlying stout here, with notes of sugary chocolate, toast and sweet wort immediately noticeable. Below those is more of the fresh oak and smooth bourbon.

Flavor’s great. As the aroma suggested, there’s a big showing from the sweet, chocolatey malt. Cocoa nibs, toffee and a big hit of toasted coconuts play off a nice bourbon character. The liquor here is top-shelf. The flavor continues to improve as it warms, eventually getting to where there’s so much coconut and chocolate, it’s like drinking a liquified Almond Joy. With bourbon.

Carbonation is a notch under medium. The tiny bubbles massage the tongue as I move the thick, medium-full-bodied brew around. There’s even a nice tongue-coating action from the residual sugars. Alcohol seems a little bit bigger than is necessary, though.

A great flavor. Loving the toasted coconut notes, and the bourbon is very well-blended. A tasty, sweet, drinkable stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 03:32:37 | More by Phelps

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.48/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to injuredreserve for sharing!

Pours black as night, with a mocha finger of head.

Aroma has big oaky bourbon notes with a soft, silky chocolate note.

The taste is far more complex: chocolate, vanilla soaked oak, rich roasted coffee, with bourbon notes mixing and adding to the complexity, not overpowering things. Awesome.

Nice full bodied, creamy, chewy feel. Can't really complain.

Can't taste the alcohol, super drinkable. Lives up to the hype IMO.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 14:00:36 | More by EgadBananas

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

Gobzilla

California

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

A: poured a dark as night black in color with a dark brown ring sitting at the top with absolutely no head that didn't leave no lacing whatsoever on the glass.

S: plenty of chocolatey oat grains were noticeable upfront in the aroma with brown sugar molasses sweetness, subtle burnt sugar, good bourbon barrel booze present and a little coffee bean coming through as well.

T: molasses with brown sugar sweetness were more prominent on the palate alongside chocolate goodness, nice roastiness, coffee accents, a touch of vanilla, plenty of oat grains, well balanced booze and bourbon barrel notes that added plenty of character to the base beer.

M: the brew was medium in body with a low amount of carbonation which had a roasty, boozy, chocolatey, sweet, rich and chewy finish.

O: definitely a must have, plus the bourbon barrel treatment really gave this beer great qualities all around; Delicious

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 09:43:23 | More by Gobzilla

aasher

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

This bottle was courtesy of Lukafer, who gave it to me just to spread the love. Thanks Luke!

This beer pours a full bodied, black chocolate black with no head but a dark khaki lacing around the rim. The nose is very rich and roasty. T has some fudge brownie to it, LOADS of chocolate. That said, there isn't much bourbon at all. The flavors are really smooth and chocolaty. Again, loads of chocolate fudge and brownie. There is barely any bourbon at all and moderate roast. Great flavor on the chocolate standpoint, but disappointing in terms of barrel aged imperial stouts. This is the most palatable chocolate I've ever experienced in a beer. It is pretty light in body, compared to others of the style. I would describe it as a light medium. It does however increase drinkability. Overall this is a very nice beer, but doesn't show the bourbon you would expect. If I had to guess, I would say that this is oak aged or just aged regular Plead the 5th. All of that said, this beer was delicious.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 03:10:26 | More by aasher

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

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

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4.64/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from 12oz bottle with a gold wax cap (2011 vintage) into a tulip glass. Pours dark chestnut with thin tan lacing head that lasts throughout. Aroma of sweet oak, vanilla, bourbon, some blueberries. Really nice aroma! Taste some alcohol heat from the bourbon, sweet dark fruits, vanilla, oak, cocoa, and some chocolate. Thin to medium mouthfeel. Smooth and mild bitter back finish. Quite enjoyed this one!

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 23:09:34 | More by CuriousMonk

MbpBugeye

Ohio

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

Obviously the first beer I sampled from Dark Horse's living room at the Brewers Guild Fest in Ann Arbor 2010. I was excited to get to try this one as Plead the 5th is one of my favorite beers.

Quite vinous at times but chocolate and bourbon squash that. There is dark fruits, vanilla, oak, chocolate, bourbon and alcohol.

Taste is fantastic. This beer beat out CBS, KBS, Black Note and lots of other big stouts with major hype that were at the fest. We ended up going back for more of this. Our resounding favorite of the day. Theres nothing too frilly about it. Its just a big ass stout with dark fruits, coffee, chocolate, molasses soaked in oaky and vanillay tasting bourbon barrels.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2010 21:58:51 | More by MbpBugeye

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

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.51/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

'11 vintage. Second time around, and I've got two more from my four-pack. Mad Elf snifter.

Pours black as black, not much head. A few bubbles chunking on-top.

Bright bourbon nose with bar chocolate, heavy roast, rocket fuel, espresso, Nutella, marzipan, and malt bitterness. Smells phenomenal.

Sweet bourbon upfront with gooey choco-fudge brownie, walnut, hazelnut creme, milk caramel, Mexican coffee, and hefty booze strength. Charred malts with extreme roast. Black and sweet with lovely breath of whiskey. Some of the best bourbon barrel qualities in a stout I have ever had.

Big-bodied and lightly-carbonated to style. Hot, even with a year down, but it's at a goddamn 14%. Still a great feel for the strength.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 20:31:03 | More by thecheapies

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

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

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

On-tap at dark horse 12/27/11

A- Dark motor oil black body. No light passes through. Served with maybe a thin collar. The thin collar is a dark tan hue. Fades within 15 min and no lacing is left behind in the glas.

S- When you smell this you know that it is quality and something special. Very complex nose. The bourbon is stronggest, but underneath is an even balance of anise, oak barrel, chocolate, currants.

T- The flavor is very similar to the nose. Upfront is some bourbon sweetness, chocolate, anise, and a big chocolate malt background with some oak balance. Some bourbon heat comes through for the finish but otherwise the finish is consistent with the initial flavor.

M- Low to medium carbonatio and a thick, creamy, yet woody stout body.

O- This is a very special beer. It drinks like a 9-10% when its really 14-15%. The Russian Imperial Stout quality and the Bourbon Quality are equal here. Something that is rare in a BBA stout-and the fruit is perfect not over or underripe.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2011 03:05:50 | More by PittBeerGirl

inlimbo77

Delaware

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

12oz bottle, Vintage 2011
Hunahpu's snifter

A: Pours completely black. Initially I don't get much head, just a faint ring of dark tan around the edges of the glass. There is some carbonation because I can see it along with the alcohol feet. Some dark lacing sheets on the swirl. Also, this conjures up a little more of that dark mocha head.

S: Smelled it as soon as I opened it. Very pronounced bourbon notes: vanilla and oak aromas. Also pulling some alcohol esters and dark fruits. Rum soaked raisin etc. Some char as well.

T: This is an incredible beer. Up front I get some deep, dark chocolate bitterness on the tip of the tongue. It's like high quality chocolate that you let dissolve in your mouth. In the mid-mouth you get more of the bourbon hints. Vanilla, toffee, and caramel for sure. The flavors really develop as the sip goes on and on. I am amazed that it's as smooth as it is. There is definitely booze there but it's hidden pretty well aside from the normal warming in the back of the throat. The sweetness helps with this I assume too.

M: Full bodied brew. Syrupy mouth coating in a good way.

O: I have to go super high with this one. Solid A moving towards A+ for sure.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 19:29:51 | More by inlimbo77

SpeedwayJim

New York

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

Thanks to Turdferguson for this one. Poured from a waxed and capped 12oz. bottle into a Darkness Snifter. 2011 vintage. Shared with schen9303.

Pours a thin, fine layer of chocolate colored head with poor retention. Beer is a dark, dense opaque black. Lacing is stringy and spotty with decent stick. Really oily and slick, thick legs. Decent looking beer.

Nose is booze, fudge brownie, cocoa, chocolate, and molasses. Extremely aromatic and dense. Almost smells like it looks if that makes any sense. Very rich. Really enticing.

Opens chocolate, honey, and cocoa. Fudgey and boozy in the middle with notes of molasses sweetness. End is sweet and sticky with some prune notes. Barrel presence crescendos at the finish. Aftertaste is sweet honey, chocolate, and fudge. Really tasty with a very balanced barrel flavor.

Medium bodied with low carbonation. Oily, slick, and silky in the mouth and warm and smooth going down. Finishes warm with a sticky, lingering aftertaste. Absolute perfection.

Although this beer has had quite some talk behind it, its still under-the-radar in my opinion. Absolutely amazing and pretty much everything you could possibly want out of a barrel aged imperial stout. I'll definitely be seeking out more of this to lay down.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 02:54:49 | More by SpeedwayJim

DovaliHops

California

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

2011 Vintage. Pours a thick, black color with a small, dark tan head that turns to bubbles shortly. Scent is out of this world! Such great bourbon...smells like expensive bourbon. Not sure what barrels were used for this beer, but it's fantastic. Sweet vanilla and toffee as well. Such a smooth, inviting aroma. Taste is just as nice...immediately I get sweet chocolate and vanilla. Then a nice transition into delicious bourbon whiskey with some alcohol flavors and toffee. This beer is sweet, but not overly sweet. At first there was a hint of soy, but as you take more sips it disappears. Great barrel profile with dark chocolate and a hint of coffee. Warm finish. Mouthfeel is full-bodied and very warm from the alcohol...feel it in my chest as it goes down. Drinkability is surprisingly high for such a big ABV. Overall, this beer is stellar. Such an extraordinary imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 05:38:57 | More by DovaliHops

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

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

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

Duff27

Illinois

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

Thanks a ton to 4DAloveofSTOUT for this one, thanks Brian!

A- pours a thin dark mocha head that recedes fairly quickly into a collar around the glass.

Aroma is of sweet, faint booziness.

Roastiness blends well with the -bal qualities. As alcoholic as this seems I would not guess it at 14%abv

Medium to medium-thick mouthfeel. Low but fitting carbonation.

Reminded me a lot of BCBS and while this was a very good example of melding an imperial stout with journal barrel aging I'd have to give my preference to BCBS. That said, this is definitely worth seeking out if you are a fan of the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 02:48:35 | More by Duff27

jmarsh123

Indiana

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

Pours black with a thin tan head that recedes into nothingness.

Aroma is deep dark chocolate some roasted malt and just a hint of bourbon.

Similar flavors. Chocolate some sweeter roasted malts and just a hint of bourbon along with oak and some vanilla. Bourbon is very well integrated. It's there for the warming effect, but not overpowering.

Nice and sludgy, but not cloying. Lower carbonation.

Outstanding bourbon barrel stout. Bourbon is well integrated and not overpowering. The bitter malts I usually like in beers of this style aren't as present, but even though the flavor profile is on the sweeter side, it's not cloying or overly sweet. Will definitely seek this out again.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 19:31:23 | More by jmarsh123

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

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

Uh whoa. That's the long and short of it. Into 25cl saison glass @ room temp thanks to my main man kzoobrew.

Pours low carbonation with a very dark brown head that's about a 1/2 finger. Considering the ABV, I'd say it looks damn good.

Aroma is intoxicating- I am swooning. Toasted oak, bourbon, vanilla and deep dark malt.

Taste... what can I say? This beer is hot and heavy. Lots of bourbon. The base holds up well, though, and the flavors meld. I think this is an improvement on an already great beer. Bourbon drinkers will appriciate this. The toasted oak and caramel/vanilla bourbon flavors do the base beer well. Already a rich stout, the barrels make it opulent.

This one is pretty hot- I really like it although I like hot beers. I think the bourbon is rather dominant but it's not over-reaching. Assertive without being overbearing.

Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good stuff. Thanks, kzoo.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 16:48:06 | More by ShogoKawada