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

Spectre

California

4.61/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A.Poors like motor oil with a copper head.

S.The whiskey carry's a similar scent to a bourbon. Strong alcohol with grinded coffee and chocolate.

T.Sweeter than you would expect. Milk, coco, coffee, and a strong whiskey burn at the end.

M.Real smooth, not too thick not too thin.

Overall this is a top ten stout. Unlike this unique beer most whiskey aged stouts are terrible.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 05:41:10 | More by Spectre

baconbourbon

Florida

4.05/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Quite dark with hardly any head or lacing.
Smell: Bourbon. That's about it.
Taste: Bourbon, with some slight smokey hints.
Mouthfeel: Moderately thin body, but goes down smoothly nonetheless.
Overall: It's good. Not the best that I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 04:05:07 | More by baconbourbon

Tom8Analise

Massachusetts

4.7/5  rDev +9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Black with nice tan head. So black you can't through it holding it up to the light!

S- Sweet with dark chocolate notes as well as smokey whiskey barrel scents.

T- Amazing! This beer has a great amount of flavor such as dark chocolate, coffee and a lot of whiskey which gives it a nice sweet taste! Leaves a nice warm feeling in your chest.

M- F'n PHENOMENAL !! ... Easily one of the smoothest imperial stouts we have had yet.

D- This was the lowest score we gave the beer but that does not mean that it is bad. Due to the thickness and sweetness of the beer, this is something we would enjoy a few glasses of at a small get together but not something we'd pound at a party for 4 hours...

Enjoy!

Tom and Analise

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2009 02:06:23 | More by Tom8Analise

brewtechnik

New Hampshire

4.08/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Super dark brown to black with dark tan head, though very weak and lasting only seconds after pour.

S: Def has much more malt aroma than hop, oak comes through with a tad of whiskey, prevalent ethanol, but not overwhelming. Roast and hop aroma very subdued.

T: Wow, perfect hop balance with the malt. Hop is there, but not taking over. Def more malt, oak and ethanol - which is most likely a combination of the near 10%abv, and whiskey aging.

M: Though the head is weak, the carbonation is certainly present and right on. I would expect a slightly heavier mouth feel from a oatmeal stout, but it still works for this beer. Doesn't linger too long on the palate and is far from cloying due to the superb hop/malt balance.

O: Buy this beer when available, it's worth checking out. Just wish the head was more retentive. This was a young beer, and would be excellent after a few years of aging.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 22:59:48 | More by brewtechnik

ricknelson

Vermont

4.73/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Six of us attending a beer tasting that I hosted in my man cave pub gave this beer a score of 27 out of a possible 30 for and an average score of 4.5 It ranked 2nd out of the 12 beers we tasted. The group of six were divided evenly, 3 that favored IPA's and 3 that favored Stouts. BORIS & DORIS Hoppin' Frog stouts are very hard to come by in the Northeast. So if you are lucky enough to see it, grab it.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 21:19:51 | More by ricknelson

trodersark

California

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a Batch 1 bottle into a Tulip.

A: Pours a dark chocolate black with a nice finger thick head.

S: Smells of malt, boozy bourbon, and slight oatmeal

T: Tastes of bourbon, malt, chocolate, oat, and oak

M: Effervescent enough, but not overpowering. Good mouthfeel.

D: Very drinkable. Overall good brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 20:31:13 | More by trodersark

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

JBIII

Georgia

2.1/5  rDev -51.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

The bourbon alcohol flavors are too over-powering in this beer. I've tried at least three bourbon cask aged stouts and this is by far the worst one.

Atlanta Brewing Company created a delicious bourbon cask aged stout a couple of years ago, as a 15th anniversary celebration. Brooklyn Brewery's Black Ops, is excellent. And 5 Seasons Brewing Westside Brewpub, made an excellent one as well.

Each previous example had sophisticated accents of roasted barley, toasted caramel and light chocolate, which blended perfectly with the, just above subtle, flavors of delicious bourbon.

The BORIS, tastes like a slightly acidic stout, where someone poured and mixed bourbon, directly into the glass of beer.

If it wasn't a sin against nature, I'd dump this beer out... I can't believe this beer has an A- rating!

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 21:29:03 | More by JBIII

Treb0R

Oregon

4.53/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

2013 vintage - 25.3 Plato, 60 IBU

A good example of how barrel-aging can elevate an RIS.

Motor oil black body, very thick. 1-cm dark brown head that disappears within a minute or so.

A harmonious blend of dark bittersweet chocolate, real quality vanilla, complex whiskey, used characterful oak barrel, roasty malts, bitter coffee, and toasted coconut that perfectly meld with each other to create a wonderful drinking experience. Some alcohol hotness is sensed in the tummy, but it is not too hot when you sip it. Very smooth and rich with just enough sweetness where things don't become cloying. The hop bitterness helps in that regard.

Full-bodied mouthfeel. Probably my 2nd fav barrel aged whiskey stout other than Founders KBS.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 16:56:39 | More by Treb0R

jradams76

Indiana

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

Poured into a pint glass. This poured a rich deep black with hardly any bubbles. Smell is of bourbon with molasses. Taste is of a faint bourbon with nice molasses coffee coating the mouth and tongue. This kinda reminds me of a harsher KBS. Its a good beer and a subtle replacement when your out of KBS. I liked the beer and glad I picked it up to try would buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 23:35:44 | More by jradams76

bigkamp

Rhode Island

3.73/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 Oz. bottle. Red cap

A- I loved the appearance. Some people don't enjoy a dark ale with very little head, but I think it is an excellent and intriguing appearance. Certainly looks great in a like clear glass.

S- Strong alcohol smell, but it is what you would expect from a 9.4% abv.

T- Very strong taste. Best enjoyed by sipping slowly.

M- So strong that it doesn't sit smoothly.

D- See mouthfeel comment.

I really enjoyed this beer but it was very strong. I am usually a pretty fast drinker, but it took me about an hour to down this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2011 05:00:47 | More by bigkamp

PaulW

Ohio

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

Purchased from the brewery about 2 weeks ago. (The brewery is a little hard to find, its on the south side of Waterloo, within a stones throw of the Hobby store.)

Look: Poured about 12 oz from the bomber into my favorite stout glass. Dark as night with a milk chocolate foam on top, about 1/2 inch. The foam dissipates in a minute or so.

Smell: A few quick sniffs and you're treated to a collection of: bourbon, chocolate, and expresso. This is going to be good. There is a whiff of something sweet, almost fruity that seems out of place.

Taste: The smell of bourbon dominates your first taste so you're thinking bourbon for the first few seconds. Then the dark chocolate kicks in and stays there for the remainder of the first sip. It covers the palate well with chocolate, you can still taste it minutes after your first sip. A few more sips and you really start to experience the blending of charcoal-bourbon, chocolate and some hints of coffee. It has a nice balance.

Mouthfeel: Like I said, covers the palate well. Not overly carbonated. Swish it around like a single-barrel bourbon.

Drinkability: Its a great beer to sip during and after a good meal. Serve with a small quantity of red meat. This would make a nice dessert beer in small quantities after a hearty meal.

This is a handcrafted stout from one of the masters. I really enjoyed this beer's flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2009 18:17:03 | More by PaulW

gunpwdr

Virginia

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

Nose: Milk chocolate, hint of bananas, coffee grounds, but soy sauce dominates. Palate: Coconut shavings, chocolate cream, coffee on the attack. Seamless transition to the mid-palate where more creamy chocolate features then gives way to coconut cream, coffee, and bitter ashes on the finish.

Good length and integration on the palate. Creamy and tasty palate with good stout character, minus the excessive ashtray action. Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 02:34:27 | More by gunpwdr

Jcb890

Massachusetts

4.83/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is the first batch of BA BORIS.

A - The beer poured a deep black color with a small dark tan/brown head. Lacing was about average.

S - First smell is a vanilla and a lot of chocolate.

T - The barrel aged factors in more in the nose than in the taste on this one, but it is nice and subtle. I liked the fact that it was not overpowering at all. You get some nice vanilla to go along with the oatmeal, chocolate and coffee. I really enjoyed this one a lot.

M - Nice and silky smooth.

D - In my opinion, quite drinkable. It is very smooth and easy to drink. Having a keg of this would be wonderful.

Overall I really really enjoyed the 1st batch of BA BORIS and may post up an edit to this when I try the 2nd batch of BA BORIS to compare the two. This is one of my favorite barrel aged beers.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2009 03:01:49 | More by Jcb890

gtgood

Indiana

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

Green cap. Poured into a snifter.

A: While pouring, I noticed a little bit of light coming through around the edges, but that's it. The rest is pitch black. Head is rather thin.

S: Very nice. Vanilla is most prominent. Bitter chocolate and sugary sweetness are also noticeable.

T: Wow! There is a lot going on here. Again, vanilla is most prominent, but not overpowering. Lots of dark chocolate up front, as well as the lingering bitterness of hops and wood. With every sip, all I can think about is bourbon, but I don't see that as a bad thing. Despite its age, this brew packs some boozy heat.

F: Everything it should be. Nice and thick and creamy. This one really clings to the tongue, but in a pleasant way.

O: Lots of flavor. Dangerously close to being unbalanced, but everything blends together quite nicely. Strong, but not off-putting. Whiskey is the major player here. If you like bourbon and/or dark chocolate, chances are you will like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 02:10:30 | More by gtgood

ubufan2112

Connecticut

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

Green Cap
Poured into a 6oz tasting Glass.

A: Black strap molasses, opaque. No head. Tinges of luminescense around the edges of the glass.

N: Wow! Lots going on here. First aroma I get is coconut, interesting! Then all the Bourbony characteristics start to flow out, vanilla followed by toffee and creme brulee. I could have smelled this beer all night long.

T: Exactly as it should be, Taste mimics the nose, with one minor exception, I got more of the Bourbon character in the taste, but in no way does it overpower the other flavors. Alcohol is present, but well hidden. As the beer warms, the Bourbon becomes more prominent, but again does not take away from all the other flavor subtleties. The taste is truly amazing!!

M: Medium/full to full bodied. Mild carbonation with an amazing long finish.

O: This beer blew me away! The nose alone was worth the price of admission. Add in the layers upon layers of flavors and the super finish, and you have a truly World Class Beer!!!

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 18:57:25 | More by ubufan2112

juliusseizure

New York

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

Picked up a bottle at Appalachian Vintner on a trip to Asheville, NC since no distribution in NY/CT border area

Poured into a Brekenridge Vanilla Porter Snifter.

A - Pitch black, no light, half inch dark brown head, thin

S - Bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, semi-sweet

T - Chocolate/vanilla first, strong bourbon in the middle and hint of alcohol in the end but nothing that distracts from the overall exquisite taste

M - Silky smooth but slightly thin. Still feels great

O - A perfect BA Stout. Not too boozy at <10%, not overly sweet like a Marshall Zhukov and the perfect amount of bourbon notes.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 02:24:36 | More by juliusseizure

RevRaymer

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

The first 3 things I noticed were the very dark color, the almost non-existing head, and the intense smell of the whiskey barrel this beer is aged in. The beer is full-bodied and strong (9.4% alc) but is actually quite smooth. I expected from the look and smell for it to be a bit more bitter and would probably preferred it to be. However, it was nice to drink a strong stout without feeling like it was trying to bowl you over.

Overall, a very nice stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 21:46:02 | More by RevRaymer

hopwilder

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - A beautiful dark pour that leaves a fluffy, tan, creamy ring of head around the glass. Leaves little lacing upon sitting.
Smell - The barrel aging is apparent, with hints of sweet, roasted coffee, and a light hop aroma to finish it off.
Taste - Again an initial hit of the wood barrels, followed by the roasted coffee, as the sweet sugary flavors come out right in your face. The finish is a fantastic combination of the woody, roasted flavors and the sweet creaminess.
Mouthfeel - The creamy texture of the stout is slightly lighter due to the barrel aging, with appropriate levels of carbonation.
Drinkability - The weakest asset of this beer, due mostly to the harder woody, bourbon flavors brought out due to aging.

Overall I loved this beer, one of the best OIS I have had in a long time. However, with some aging the balance in flavors will have a chance to settle to complete awesomeness!

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2009 19:21:37 | More by hopwilder

Gritch

Indiana

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

Found some Green Caps at an out of the way spot the other day. Poured it into my trusty mini-Shakeys Mug. Love that mug. Are there even any Shakeys left? Doubt it. On to the review:

Poured a deep black with no head, which turned into a nice 1/8 inch head within seconds. Very nice.

Tastes very molassesy, with a sharp oak taste and a hint of whiskey. I like that the whiskey is not overpowering like it is in some other whiskey barrel aged stouts.

All in all this is a great stout. One of the better ones that I have had. I highly recommend that everyone should try this at least once. Lucky for me I have a few bottles of this for future drinking.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 03:48:28 | More by Gritch

omgshesaboy

Ohio

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

22oz. Bottle poured straight into my GLBC snifter.

This beer pours nearly pitch black, and it just looks very thick pouring out of the bottle. Almost no head after a straight pour though, a little disappointing.

Right away you smell the bourbon, and vanilla sweetness. a little hint of oatmeal, and this is a little strange I am getting some banana peel in there too.

Bourbon and Vanilla are dominant in the taste as well as a little chocolate.

Mouthfeel is full! Very thick and chewy. Just what I am looking for in a BA stout.

This is one of my favorite BA stouts, the only complaint I have is the bottle size. 12oz would be perfect...22oz of this is a little much for just 1 person.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 04:33:48 | More by omgshesaboy

badworthing

Ohio

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I'll save the detailed A/S/T/M/D descriptions for the experts. Others describe beers so much better than I do. I'm an average hard-working American whose Monday through Friday beer is Genesee Cream Ale (just one or two after I come home from work at 11:30 pm). On the weekends, I have two or three decent beers that I can fit within my budget. Here's my review of this beer:

Bought from Warehouse Beverage in a 22 oz. bomber. Poured into a Guinness pint glass.

Wow, this is probably the best beer I have ever had in my life! Looked like motor-oil. Very thin tan head. Not much carbonation. Unbelievable aromas of vanilla, chocolate, and coffee. EXTREMELY drinkable. Flavors matched the aromas I described above! Amazing that you don't taste the alcohol considering it's 9.4% ABV! The ONLY downside is that it was $13.99. But I guess you get what you pay for. Can't recommend this one highly enough!

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 23:30:52 | More by badworthing

LambicLady

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

BIF from Robwestcott. The green cap warmed for about 20 minutes from the beer fridge after pouring into a 22oz into a snifter.

A-Beer was thick and black with a 1 finger brown foamy head. The lacing was light and carbonation was low.

S-It smells of raisin, vanilla, and whiskey but not too much oak. Alchohol is very noticeable.

T-Just like the smell the beer has a strong whiskey taste at the beginning with raisins and sweet molasses. Lingers with bitter chocolate toasted barley.

M- Light syrup and a creamy finish is what lingers in the mouth. Warmness on the tongue
and throat.

D- Sip slowly as it tastes every bit of the 9.4%. Nice as a nightcap on a cold blustery night. Would look for this beer again.

Would pair nice with some Vanilla wafers or vanilla bean ice cream.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 04:07:13 | More by LambicLady