Barrel Aged B.O.R.I.S. Oatmeal Imperial Stout - Hoppin' Frog Brewery

MbpBugeye

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3

Batch #2- Purchased on 7/3/09.

A- Pours out slow with the look and weight of draining motor oil from a car. A very thin, dark coffee colored head fizzed up but was very short-lived. Im left with a shimmery, oily surface with small wisps of suds and a hairline ring around the edge.
Not much lacing, just little beads of foam that slide back down the sides of the glass.

The color is black with hints of black around the edges. If held up to the light some black begins to be visible.

S- Swirling this one around in a snifter really helps bring out lots of hidden aromas. Whiskey up front, vanilla, bitter sweet chocolates, raisins, prunes, figs?
The nose is smooth and round. It matches the body and taste.

T- Like the smell the whiskey is at the front but its not intimidating or overpowering nor does it linger. It makes way for roasty malts and a raisin-y/ prune-y sweetness, followed by the oak.
The finish is my favorite part of tasting this beer. Im getting a wonderful powdery, rich taste of bitter sweet cocoa and hot fudge syrup. Very pleasant.

M- Smooth, thick round. Very full body. The low carbonation helps play up the round feeling. A bit of alcohol warmth on the finish. BA BORIS is very sticky and chewy. I feel it resting in my stomach. This beer has some weight to it.

D- Sip this one slowly, enjoy it. This bomber is going to last me all evening.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2009 20:16:01 | More by MbpBugeye

kasper

New York

4.1/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a deep, dark brown with a small roast coffee-colored head that leaves tads of lacing. Looks oily with a nice sheen.

S: Aromas of dark fruits, and prunes, apples, bourbon, vanilla and a tad of smoked and cocoa.

T: Dark, fruity stout with many of the aforementioned aromas playing out on the palate. The dark fruits are balanced nicely by the barreling aging aspects.

M: Thick, oily, a bit sticky and definitely chewy. A heavy one for sure.

D: A superior effort. Great sipper. Well balanced. Smooth finish.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2009 02:19:37 | More by kasper

nlmartin

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I went into my one of my favorite beer stores looking for the new Stones Anniversary Beer. No joy on the stones; however, I stumbled across a couple bottles of Barrel Aged Boris. I am a sucker for stouts. I really dig Boris and well throw whiskey in the mix and its a party. I left the beer in my fridge for longer than I would have liked. Dam!... The beer has set on the counter for 15 minutes its still a bit cold but into my pint glass its going. The beer will be allowed to reach a temperature I enjoy.

Appearance: The beer pours a nearly perfect blackness in my beer. All the light that hits the beer cannot penetrate the blackness. No opaqueness is noted to light. The head is the coloration of lightly creamed espresso foam. The head is about 1/4 inch. Nice retention of the head is noted. Thick lacing remains on my glass. This seems to be a very inviting beer.

Smell: Like regular Boris all the expected Imperial Stout notes are played well. Dark roasted, toasted and chared malt notes mingle in the aroma. The aroma of bitter sweet cocoa and dark roasted coffee. The aroma of the "whiskey" isnt subtle. The "whiskey" is a well played addition to Boris.

Taste: The whiskey is very forward in the flavor. The whiskey flavor is leading the charge and driving the flavor of Boris. The resulting combination kind of reminds me of Bourbon balls. Vanilla, dark semi sweet cocoa, a flash of coffee bourbon. I think I could get this same sort of effect adding a bit of bourbon to my own bottle of Boris.

Mouthfeel: Boris in this incarnation is still extra large and in charge. The beer has a full body. The carbonation is low but works very well. The beer seems a bit hot to the mouth.

Drinkability: The addition of the whiskey element turns this beer into a sipper for me. Its still draining from my glass at a fast rate. If you dont like whiskey - bourbon ect stay away as this isnt a beer for you. As for me I have another bottle in my cellar. I am curious to see what a bit of time will do for Boris and the whiskey in the jar.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2009 00:06:14 | More by nlmartin

OldSchoolGamer

Ohio

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

This beer was all the hype a couple months ago. With another release in the close future, I decided to crack open my last bottle. Lets see if it lives up to the hype:

A: Just like the regular BORIS. Pitch black and thick. Head is very dark brown, but dissipates rather quickly. Lacing is very minimal.

S: Again, very similar to regular BORIS. Lots of oatmeal. Semi-sweet with hints of coffee and chocolate. The oak aged smell is present, but not overpowering.

T: It actually tastes a lot different than the regular BORIS. The oatmeal is very present, but the coffee and chocolate notes seem much more subdued. They are still present, but overpowered by the oaky notes. Very strong wood character with hints of whiskey. Alcohol seems much more pronounced. I think I prefer the original. This one is much more oaky and has less of the signiture Stout flavors. Actually reminds me a lot of Weyerbacher Heresy.

M: Super creamy and thick. Alcohol does rear its head in there though. Overall, very good.

D: This beer is a sipper. Very thick and rich in flavor. One bomber is more than enough for the night. I don't know why, but BORIS always puts me out. Its 9.4%, which is pretty moderate for an Imperial Stout...

Overall, this beer is very good, but not worthy of the hype. The comparison to Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout is way off. This is more in the league of Weyerbacher Heresy, but this has a much thicker body. I have had better Stouts, and I have had better from Hoppin Frog, but this is still worth seeking out and buying.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2009 18:00:46 | More by OldSchoolGamer

endincolorado

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours an opaque black body with some chestnut brown at the edges. A small, quickly fading tan-colored head. Thick sheets of sticky tan lace.

Sweet, complex aromas that include wood, evident alcohol, some brown sugar, toffee and a faint bourbon scent in the background. Zero detectable hops in the nose.

Flavors include bittersweet cocoa, more toffee and brown sugar. Detectable alcohol--reminds me of bourbon, with a vague phenol/woodiness and a powerful toasted malt character. Again, very little- if any detectable hops.

As full-bodied as they come. Velvetty texture coates the mouth with a lingering sweetness.

As delicious as I'd hoped, but the ABV would knock me out if I tried drink any more than this bomber.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2009 22:51:29 | More by endincolorado

MasterSki

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Dave for busting this out on New Beer Sunday - I promise we'll get to the Cigar City next time. Served in a Hopleaf tulip.

A - Minimal tan foam that dissipates immediately - had to check that we weren't drinking Brandy Angel's Share. Even giving a hard pour and sloshing it around didn't help. Pitch black - not even the tiniest bit of color at the edges when held up to the light. If this was a 13%+ R.I.S. I might have given it a 4.0, but for a 9.4% beer I expect at least a half finger of foam.
Edit - Upon trying batch 2, they seem to have corrected this issue. There was a finger of dark mocha foam with decent retention. Still minimal lace, though. Gonna bump it to 4.0

S - For only three months in the barrel there is a lot more whiskey in the smell than I expected (especially after the JD Blackbeerd). Unfortunately the whiskey smell is somewhat harsh and astringent - almost as if the barrels were from lower shelf swill. Lots of roast malt, some smokiness and wood, semi-sweet chocolate, a hint of vanilla. Not the hugest smell - I had to get my nose in the glass before I could really pick out the richness and depth.

T - The taste is a significant improvement, with a great balance of whiskey, coffee, sweet malts, lots of roasty bitterness, and a touch of barrel bite in the aftertaste. Much smoother and better integrated than the smell.

M - Typical awesome B.O.R.I.S. mouthfeel with tons of creamy oatmeal softness and tons of residual stickiness. Full bodied, with low carbonation, and minimal alcohol heat. Just wonderful.

D - The booze is well hidden, and the mouthfeel is delightful, but the roasty bitterness and barrel flavor are kind of palate destroying. The 7-8 oz I got to try was definitely the right serving size for this one. Great for an evening ender.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2009 17:28:52 | More by MasterSki

klewis

Ohio

4.53/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A: Pours black with a small frothy head. Light lacing.

S: Aromas of mocha, hazelnuts, and a hint of vanilla.

T: Full-flavored and a bit bitter. Earthy with prominent oak and vanilla flavors followed by coffee and bitter chocolate. Quite a lot of bourbon character.

M: Full-bodied with light carbonation. Sticky and dense.

D: Not quite as easy to drink as the regular BORIS; the bourbon is a bit too aggressive I think. With a year or two of aging, this one should be amazing.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2009 15:00:17 | More by klewis

wagenvolks

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Oh. Em. Gee.

In a line-up of phenomenal beers graciously supplied by JDV at his birthday tasting in Austin, which included the likes of Kate the Great, Brooklyn Black OPS, East End Toaster, Full Sail Black Gold, and Pisgah Valdez, Barrel Aged B.O.R.I.S. took the cake. Deniz may have cried, I'm not sure...

Sits a thick, seal-brown body in the tasting glass, letting in a little light at the edges to take on a mahogany hue. A fat custard head floats aimlessly atop, unaware of the deliciousness lurking beneath. Excellent nose on this RIS, as the oak-aging adds an intoxicating vanilla profile that complements well the espresso coffee and dark chocolate.

Too many flavorical (I just made that up) nuances to count. Chocolate, bourbon, immensely fruity tastes of blackberry and raisin...spiced wood, charcoal...the list goes on. This could have easily been a cluster-fuck of flavors, but everything is so well balanced in this beer that they all achieve a zen-like harmony across every part of the palate. Mouthfeel is no slouch, either. A hint of heat from the booze compliments a perfect carbonation level and a medium-thick body. I can feel my stomach warming with every sip. Bravo to Hoppin' Frog---I repeat: BRAVO! I thought regular old B.O.R.I.S. was amazing (and, rightfully so, it still is) but the Barrel-Aged version takes it to a whole 'nother level.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2009 04:53:44 | More by wagenvolks

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

GLASS: Snifter
TEMP: Cellared @ approx 50 degrees
Super huge thanks to normyk for this great hook-up!

Pours a deep, rich black color, with dark ruby highlights. Very thin head of loose, dark brown foam. Retention is almost nothing. Lacing is in small spots and oily slick.

Wonderful, warmly inviting, nose. Scent of cinnamon toast. Big earthiness. Butterey oak. Coffee and semisweet chocolates. Vanilla toffees. Hints of dark fruits. Toasted oats. Beautifully warm bourbon/whiskey notes.
Complex, yet inviting.

Rich, roasted malts. More of that butterey smooth oak flavor. Nice, deep, rich, coffee flavor. Vanilla flavored cream. Whiskey notes are so tasty. They aren't buried, yet they don't smack you in the face saying 'notice me' either. Sweet breakfast oats, with butter and cinnamon sugar. My first time to say that I pick up notes of brownie batter in this one. Chocolate milk with dark chocolate shavings.
This is much more balanced than anticipated, especially for being so young. For comparison, I'll say that I love KBS, but I think it's a touch weak, in the bourbon notes area. GI BCS is phenomal, even if it's 'hot' when fresh, but it gets even better as it ages and everything blends together. This one is already beautifully tasty.
I'd love to age one of these, but I don't know that I'd be able to stay away from it.

Full-bodied. Very smooth and goes down too easy. Ultra low carbonation. Lacking in creaminess that would send this one over the top. I'd love to see them attempt this one again with a little more carbonation.

I'm surprised that this one claims 9.4%ABV. I'm trying, but I can't find it in my glass. This is super tasty and very drinkable.
Bravo to Hoppin' Frog! And thanks again, to normyk for sharing this with me.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2009 18:24:26 | More by coldmeat23

nrbw23

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A- Pretty much like the original version. Pours black with a light brown head that goes away quickly and leaves pretty much no lacing at all.

S- A lot like the normal version of chocolate, roasted oats, smoke, tiny bit of dark fruits and alcohol along with oak and whiskey.

T- Very nice brew tons of flavour jump out. Tons of roasted oats/malts then it gets sweet with chocolate and finishes with a bitter taste from hops and a little warmth from the alcohol. I thought this one was so much like the regular version with the addition of a wood and more whiskey flavour very nice.

M- Full in body. Nice and thick but also creamy and smooth.

D- Very solid and easy to drink without a doubt.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2009 08:11:10 | More by nrbw23

younger35

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Received this brew from both eyebrews and iceicebaby in trades at Dark Lord Day. I had the regular brew again last night and finally reviewed it. Wanted a fresh idea of how it tasted so I can compare it to the Barrel Aged version. Drank from my Darkness snifter.

Appearance- Pours an extremely dark black with dark brown around the edges and a small half finger dark brown head. The head slowly recedes leaving a spotty cap and decent collar that leaves no lacing.
Smell- Much better nose than the original. A big burst of milk chocolate and vanilla ice cream almost seem to jump out of the glass from first whiff. Some black licorice, caramel and a bit of molasses adds a tiny bit of sweetness which is a switch from the original. The hops really dominate the nose in the non Barrel Aged version. Not much in the way of oak but it really does a nice job of toning down the citrus.
Taste- Starts lightly sweet with a big rush of caramel and dark chocolate. A bit of vanilla that's slightly woody and ever so slightly astringent. The hops and roast seem a bit toned down from the original but they are still present. A dark coffee like acidity from the char is present as it a bit of something resembling cherries. Finishes with a light bit of some bitter lemon peel and tons of brownie batter.
Mouthfeel- Much better than the original. MUCH!! It's big and creamy and has that great oat smoothness. The carbonation is light and the alcohol is fairly well covered.
Drinkability- This is a prime example of how a bit of Barrel Aging can really take a beer to the next level. Regular B.O.R.I.S. is an amazing brew; Barrel Aged B.O.R.I.S. is doubly amazing brew. The mouthfeel is better and it really adds quite a bit more nose rather than some roast and hops. Thanks much Sean and Jack!!

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2009 00:06:54 | More by younger35

tmoneyba

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared at local BA gathering.

Poured a clear dark brown color with a minimal brown head that mostly diminished with virtually no lacing. Moderate to heavy roast coffee, chocolate, smoke wood and alcohol aroma. Medium body with a smooth texture and flat carbonation. Medium to heavy roasted bittersweet flavor with a medium to heavy bittersweet finish of moderate to long duration.

This is a standout smooth brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2009 01:42:27 | More by tmoneyba

brdc

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to a kind BA for sharing this one. One of the high points of DLD.

Pitch black, dark brown head, good retention and lacing despite a relatively small serving.
Very nice aroma, the same milk and chocolate, coffee, seen in the original version, but here with more noticeable, yet delicate, vanilla oakiness and bourbon. Interestingly, I had already noticed that on the allegedly not BA Boris. More noticeable here.
Full bodied, thick but creamy, and the palate is bursting with milk and chocolate, evolving into sweetish vanilla notes, coffee, and some bourbon-like notes, with less heat than the original.
Although I am comparing old notes with a new taste, it seemed to be one of the few RIS I believe might have actually improved with barrel aging. I wish I could have a side by side.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2009 01:13:40 | More by brdc

tpd975

Florida

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to markwise for sharing this one. Have a bottle of my own to age a bit.

A: Pours pitch black with a rather puny fizzy mocha colored head. No retention and zero lace. Not off to a good start.

S: Lots of barrel in this one. Bold fresh cut oak, vanilla, and smoke. Hiding beneath is a bit of chocolate and toasted malt.

T: Whoa mama this is a big boy. Bold barrel flavors as soon as this one hits your tongue. Lots of burnt oak, with hints of whiskey, and vanilla. Dark chocolate macaroons,and a touch of coffee.

M: Rich, big, bold, and smooth. Has a body bigger than the elephant man.

D: Too much barrel to call this one sippable let alone drinkable. That being said, a year on this one and it could very well be out of this world good.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2009 18:15:56 | More by tpd975

paco1029384756

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Pours black with a small thick dark tan head.

Scent of chocolate, whiskey, oak, roasted malts, caramel, dark fruits, and sugars. Strong and balanced, the character of the base beer is complimented well after the barrel aging.

Taste of chocolate, oak, whiskey, coffee, roasted malts, caramel, and vanilla. Very tasty, an excellent beer improved with a short barrel aging, I love it. Be it barrel aged or regular, BORIS is one of the best Imperial Stouts produced in the American market.

Mouthfeel is heavy and smooth with a small amount of carbonation, very nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2009 02:42:28 | More by paco1029384756

glid02

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had this courtesy of ChuggyMcBeer, mbudner, and TempsPerdu - much obliged!

Pours black with dark brown highlights and a one-finger brown head. The head slowly recedes into a thin pancake on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of molasses and roasted malts with hints of vanilla and bourbon. Not nearly as sweet as the normal BORIS.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Equal parts roasted malts and molasses give way smooth vanilla flavors with hints of chocolate and fainter hints of bourbon. The barrel-aging doesn't add a whole lot to the flavor profile, but it mellows everything out.

Mouthfeel is great. Great thickness with sneaky carbonation. I had an 07 Abyss after this and the Abyss actual felt a bit on the thin side comparatively.

Drinkability is good. This goes down very easily, and it would be no problem to finish off a bomber or two.

Overall I much prefer the BA version to the normal BORIS - the flavors mellow out and the sweetness is taken down a notch. Definitely give this one a shot.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2009 20:44:24 | More by glid02

HeyItsChili

South Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Poured from a bomber into a pint glass. Pours black with Coca Cola hightlights and a brown head.

S - Black coffee, earthy oats, vanilla, chocolate.

T - Very, very subtley different from the standard BORIS, the sweetness is sort of rounded down and a subtle oaky, woody, vanilla influence keeps things in check.

M - Slightly thicker than medium bodied, medium carbonation.

Notes - I wouldn't say that the barrel aged is necessarily better than the standard BORIS, just slightly different. Really up to your personal taste.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2009 02:27:07 | More by HeyItsChili

raninator84

Ohio

4.88/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A very well balanced stout here. Acquired a few bottles from multiple sources up to an hour away.
Pours very dark with little head and hardly any lacing. I had to force the head out of this one. Smells of vanilla, coffee, and hints of bourbon. The taste on this one was a pleasant surprise. The vanilla, oak, chocolate, fruit, and bourbon flavors were one of the most well balanced I have had in a long time. No one flavor dominated the other. Aging does BORIS good, this bottle doesn't add the crusher part on the label for a reason. Smooth as silk, highly drinkable. If you can find a bottle, don't miss out on this experience. I hear more will be brewed soon so just sit back and get ready for a pleasant tasting. Keep up the good work Hoppin Frog.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2009 05:19:50 | More by raninator84

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22 ounce bottle. Served in a snifter, the beer pours black with about a half inch brown head. The head went away quickly, and there's just a bit of lacing. The aroma is mostly sweet and malty, there's roasted malt, dark fruit/berries and chocolate along with some light aromas of oak, vanilla and bourbon. Taste is similar to the aroma, however the oak and bourbon flavors are stronger than the aroma would indicate. Also, all of the flavors mesh well together. No one flavor overpowers the others. There's also a nice slight bitter hoppy finish. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's creamy, a bit slick and has low carbonation. Drinkability is excellent, it's very smooth and extremely easy to drink. It's probably meant to be a sipping beer, but I had problems just sipping it because I liked it so much. I think this is an excellent beer. I liked the regular BORIS a lot, and the Barrel Aged verson is just as good if not better in my opinion. I could drink this all the time if available. Definitely recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2009 23:04:40 | More by bluejacket74

drgonzo3705

Ohio

4.53/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Pours a nice black color, same as the original. Not much head and little lacing.

S: Not quite overwhelming, but not exactly faint bourbon and oak up front. A little chocolate and coffee underneath.

T: Nice vanilla and bourbon wash over your tongue on the way down. Slight chocolate hiding underneath.

M: Full bodied and smooth. Light carbonation and a slight hoppiness.

D: Better than regular BORIS. Being aged it is a bit smoother than the original (we tried the 2 side by side). Enough bourbon to satisfy me and light enough for my friend to enjoy. Great BA stout here guys. Worth the drink! Don't quote me as saying this is the best ever, but it could hang with a few of em.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2009 23:16:53 | More by drgonzo3705

kirok1999

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Looks much like regular BORIS....black as night with just a wisp of a head.
Smells of a ton of dark, roasty malts. Not much bourbon in the smell but a nice hit of wood. Sweet fruits come through well as it warms a bit.
Taste is smooth, dark and fruity. Very complex, lots of chocolate, blueberry, cherry, caramel, slight bourbon and oak.
Rich and dense as hell. A great sipper much like regular BORIS, just with the added hint of bourbon sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2009 02:56:41 | More by kirok1999

sonicdescent

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appears a jet black with a brown bubbly head that turns into a ring with some decent lacing.

Scent is very nicely balanced, no overpowering booze. Vanilla and oak is present in addition to the already nice BORIS scents of dark fruits, cream, and chocolate with a light roasted malt presence.

Taste is similar to the nose in that the bourbon presence adds to, not overpowers an already great stout. No major heat, just a nice hint of vanilla at the end of the drink. Great creamy taste with hints of your stout staples make this greater than the sum of it's parts. It is done well.

Mouth is pillowy thick and low to medium in carbonation.

Overall, ill be seeking out more, a great twist on an already great drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2009 02:31:20 | More by sonicdescent

mcallister

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

What a RIS looks like. Black, oily, thick and viscous. A tan head instantly fades into a splotch of tan bubbles and a surrounding ring around the neck of the snifter.

Full of chocolate and black fruits in the nose. Vanilla, toasty oak, and very light bourbon. A slight must and effervescence of blueberry. Roasted malts as well.

Well balanced and very nice!! The barrel aging added a soft and roundness to the mouthefeel and really helps the drinkability compared to regular BORIS. Bourbon doesn't show overly so, slightly in the finish. Big chocolate, caramel, vanilla, toasty oak, black currant, hints of blueberry. Burnt milk chocolate covered caramel. Would love to drink this daily.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2009 14:22:30 | More by mcallister

ATLbeerDog

Georgia

4.65/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark root beer color - black with beautiful brown highlights and very little carbonation. Smells of whiskey with some tobacco and deep roasted malt notes that dominate the nose. First sip is oaked whiskey with a ton of fruits like a stick of juicy fruit gum to compliment the bouquet of dark fruits. There is plenty of roasted malts and tobacco too. Light bodied but not to a fault. My winner in a NCAA bracket style face-off of 10 World Class BA RIS's.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2009 02:33:08 | More by ATLbeerDog

rhinos00

Colorado

4.53/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

A- Dark brown, almost like a fudge brownie with a nice cocoa colored head. Head doesn't last very long and reduced to a circle after a few minutes.

S- Nice combination of chocolate malts, cocoa, and sweet molasses. There is also a slight presence of whiskey.

T- Mmmm....delcious. Initially, there was nice cornecopia of chocolate malts, sweet molasses, and cocoa. What I really liked was that the whiskey played a secondary roll to the taste. Well played.

M- Perfect. Very nice, thick viscosity. Thoroughly enjoyed.

D- As far as BA RIS go, this was damn drinkable. Alcohol is not that noticieable.

Overall, perfect meld of whiskey and RIS. I think 2 months of aging in whiskey barrels was perfect. It allowed the flavors of the beer to come out without being dominated by the whiskey. This was a very, very good BA RIS.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2009 22:36:15 | More by rhinos00