BORIS Royale - Hoppin' Frog Brewery

nrbw23

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a pitch black color with a nice dense brown head. Head has pretty solid retention and leaves some nice layered lacing.

S- I'm picking up darker fruits, quite a bit of booze, wood, and vanilla. Seems like a normal Boris with quite a big kick.

T- Taste is really good. Tons of whiskey action here, with vanilla, dark fruits, coffee and a solid booze to it.

M- Full in body and low carbonation.

O- I'm pretty impressed with this one and this is my favorite of all the Boris brews by far.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 10:56:00 | More by nrbw23

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to my brother from another mother JM03!

I poured the fuck out of this. However, the barrel has stripped the robust BORIS head. Not that that's a bad thing. There's a bit of a filmy dark brown"thing" there, produced with due diligence.

Light woody, slight whiskey, chocolate and intense roasted notes.

Vanilla, light wood, oak, mild whiskey, roast, chocolate. Not hugely forward for the BORIS, but hard to not find this delicious.

Thick, chewy, full bodied and lingering.

While a nice dynamic to the BORIS, I'd be hard pressed to call it necessary. Again, it's still delicious!

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 04:45:12 | More by EgadBananas

adamette

Ohio

4.68/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Live Review. Poured from the 22 oz. bomber that I bought at World Wines & LIquor a few weeks ago into a clean, clear pint glass. I recall the price being $12.99 but it might have been as high as $14.99. No observed “best by” date but a silver sticker with “Cleveland Beer Week Special Release” printed on it indicates that it is probably about a month old. That means that it likely has about another 5 years (or more) on it.

A Actually dark brown (!) head over an absolutely oil black body that refuses to allow any light through. I have to give this look high marks. I simply love it! 4.5

S Well, some of the darkest roast malt with whiskey notes. I expected that but I have always appreciated B.O.R.I.S.’s soft, rounded edges to the smell, taste and it looks like I will not be disappointed here. 4.5

T Simply love the taste of the dark roast malt, whiskey caramel notes and again, the smoothness that is not common in this style. This is a great, great beer that I cannot think of how I would improve it. 5.0

M Smooth as could be expected for such a big beer with the elevated ABV %. Really, it slips past your mouth so easily. I cannot think of how I might improve the feel and maintain the taste. 5.0

D/O Drinkability is where the beer suffers a bit since it is so huge, such elevated ABV but it really was soooo easy to drink, believe me! Overall this is a world class beer in my opinion. 4.0

Notes: I am proud to assign an A+ to this beer. Recommended to anyone reading this review!

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 02:41:29 | More by adamette

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured into a Darkness tulip on 8/20/11; shared by schwaeh

Really dark brown; close to black all the way around. Pours a thin head, hot chocolate brown; doesn't last long. Thin ring of retention.

Smells young, fresh and hot. Sweet whiskey and a lot of wood, the latter being more prominent that the former. Roasted coffee with chocolate notes worked in. Vanilla as it warms.

Tastes pretty hot, too. Whiskey is more appreciable than the oak, though. Thick swaths of sweet chocolate; tends to be more burnt than roasted. Faint vanilla. Finishes with a lingering heat and some residual burnt sugar flavors. Lots of deep chocolate.

Full body with a good bit of viscosity. Not overly carbonation, but enough to keep it moving and frisky. Tames over time, becoming smoother.

Overall impression - not bad, but really hot and rough around the edges.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 03:11:04 | More by Ryan011235

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.23/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this a while back from boatshoes. Thanks for the trade!

From a bomber into a snifter
Drunk right after a batch two regular BA BORIS from '09

APPEARANCE: Pours really thick and dark out of the bottle. Otherwise, very similar to the barrel aged BORIS. An aggressive pour yields a cascading 1+ finger, medium looking dark mocha head that quickly fades to a splotchy wisp and ring. Jet black body and zero carbonation evident. A ring and splotchy wisp remains until the end leaving some faint lacing down the glass.

SMELL: Medium strength nose of oak, wood, vanilla and sweet cream. Roasted and smoked malts are there, with dark baker’s chocolate and oats as well. A note of caramel and toffee sets it apart from the aged regular BA version. This one is fresher and the barrel is more apparent.

TASTE: Lots of whisky here, with oak, vanilla and a touch of milk chocolate as well. Toffee and caramel sweetness through the middle, making this version sweeter than the batch two regular BA version. A big aftertaste of barrel flavors, oak, vanilla and sweet cream, caramel and toffee, as well as some bitter dark chocolate and oat notes is very persistent. Somewhat boozy as well. A bigger barrel than the batch 2 barrel aged version at this point.

PALATE: Medium-full body, lower end carbonation, and creamy smooth on the palate. Goes down smooth, very soft and easy, not bite at all, and finishes slightly mouth-coating. Slightly warming after the swallow. Exactly the same as the regular BA version. Solid.

OVERALL: No question that Hoppin’ Frog’s BORIS is a quality barrel aged imperial stout. Just goes to show that a beer doesn’t have to be some kind of limited, brewery-only release to be of awesome quality. This Royale version was slightly sweeter and more barrel heavy than the older batch two regular BA version we tried it next to, but that’s not to say that it would be all that much different than a fresh BA BORIS. Better than many of the hard to get and highly sought after imperial stouts out there. Thanks again boatshoes. Highly recommended.

As a final note, the regular b.2 BA BORIS from '09 has definitely mellowed out. The barrel is much milder at this point, though the base beer is still holding up strong. The roasted and bitter flavors are quite nice at this point.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 19:12:26 | More by Jeffo

MbpBugeye

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Hoppin' Frog Brewery's Barrel-Aged Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout Royale, or BORIS Royale for us nerds, or just Royale for us with no life. This is an introduction to a beer that, by now, needs no further introduction. Aged in Crown Royal barrels with obnoxiously overdone Pulp Fiction references added.

Purchased on my behalf by Proxy889. Poured into a Jackie O's snifter, just to keep it Ohio.

Appearance
Boris always pours velveteen. His foam always rises slowly to a dense cap. A few rings of lace are always left, clinging to the side of your favorite snifter. His blackened body is always as welcoming as it is foreboding. It seems Boris retains his class, even when speaking with a northern accent, eh?

Aroma
I've never known a Canadian who could sweet talk me like Boris's cousin. Candied stanzas of cordial cherries waft forth, like an aphrodisiac. Things only get hotter as the beer gets warmer. Long draws of whiskey worn oak soften an alcoholic blow. Indeed a whiskey-forward aroma, but quite the dessert of a presentation.

Taste
Having been wined by an admittedly corny, denim-clad Boris, I'm ready to be dined. Generous with the alcohol, Boris is lookin' for some action tonight. The sweetness of the aroma leads in nicely to the flavor, however. We skip right to the final course, coffee with cherry-chocolate torte. A rich black forest mousse builds a platform, hoisting maraschino cherries to taste buds. Things end with an after dinner cocktail, based on a stiff whiskey.

Mouthfeel
Uhh, I think the date analogies should end before I get to the category titled "Mouthfeel", for everyone's sake. And I can't handle anymore "that's what she said" BMs than I already get, so let's bring this review to a happy ending, before I make a mess of things. I mean I don't want to open anything I can't handle. And let's face it, I've already made this thing too long already. Soooo...
The mouthfeel remains very Hoppin' Frog. Big, buff, studly and stout. A mouthfeel as silken as the flavor and aroma, and maybe even more so. Carbonation is low, and I can even say fleeting. I'm nearing the end of my first glass and its at about nil. So as tempted you might be to swirl up this amazing aroma, tread lightly, lest you wind up with an under carbonated second half. The finish is fertile, supple and nowhere near dry, allowing for the creamy feel to linger as long as the boozy, chocolate laden aftertaste.

Overall
I don't know why, but I had low expectations for this beer. I guess, despite being proven wrong many times, that I think aging a beer in a different barrel won't yield interesting results. Well this will be the last time I reside in that opinion. This one is stunningly unique and miles apart from Boris and his cousin from Kentucky. Whooda thunk, the canook is the most resolved of the family tree.

Seek this out! I'm not just saying that because I'm and Ohioan, I don't have any for trade and I'm sad.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 04:25:21 | More by MbpBugeye

birchstick

Missouri

3.78/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black without much of a head. Smell is toasted caramel with some bourbony vanilla. Taste opens up with caramel malts. These are mixed nicely together with some vanilla from the barrel aging. These fade to a bit of coffee through middle and toward the back. Bourbon shows up on the end and finishes it nicely. This is good, but not as good as expected. Worth a shot for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 20:47:51 | More by birchstick

Dope

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pitch black pour with a medium sized but very dense mocha colored head. Retention is quite good and there's a decent amount of thick lacing on the glass.

S: Dark fruit like cherries, raisins and plums. Toffee, molasses and caramel. Oatmeal. Roasted malt shows up as it warms up.

T: Lots of whiskey up front with toffee, molasses, caramel, oaky vanilla and some dark fruit. Bourbon fades, leaving a wonderful roasted malt and oatmeal dream. Bitter char, coffee and even chocolate lingers in the aftertaste. Oatmeal throughout, giving it a smooth and creamy taste.

M: Pretty heavy, smooth and creamy.

O: Lengthy flavor profile; it develops for a few seconds with each sip. Quite complex and balanced. Whiskey flavors aren't that great but are acceptable. Melds well with the normal BORISness.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 06:39:54 | More by Dope

Alieniloquium

Florida

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

650 mL bottle poured into an Allagash chalice. No bottle date.

Appearance - Viscous black body. Inky with a decent khaki head. Settles to a few islands of bubbles and a collar of deep khaki foam.

Smell - The whiskey aroma reminds me of scotch, strangely. Tons of oatmeal. Deep chocolate aroma. No booze, impressively.

Taste - Whiskey is more prominent. Vanilla comes out. Not a lot of oak, but still it's a nice barrel component. Booze is more prevalent, too. Chocolate. Oatmeal is more subdued, but the viscosity is apparent.

Mouthfeel - Nice thickness, if the oatmeal is a little too overt. Nothing like the booze of regular BORIS. Just a little sweet in the finish.

Overall - Pretty nice without being really spectacular. Been a while since I've had regular BORIS, but I remember it being a pretty good stout. This is good without being really smoothed out.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 02:10:35 | More by Alieniloquium

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

4.28/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

pricey bottle, but hey I bought it. 16.99 from Nikki's. Into nonic glass.

A- Pour is not very lively. There's a thin layer of tan bubbles that settle out to the outer ring rather quickly.

S- The whiskey is pretty noticeable. Deep dark malts, very intoxicating aroma.

T- Lots of milk chocolate.. very sweet and creamy. Whiskey is smooth, not much peat, a lot of caramel/toffee, alcohol heat is welcomed because the beer is so tasty.

M- This beer is incredibly velvety and soft on the tongue. As soon as I take a sip I want to take another.

O- Smooth, tasty beer. Very nice coming-together of flavors. Warming but oh-so enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 02:53:06 | More by ShogoKawada

russwbeck

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a motor oil thick black into my 22oz CBS snifter. Small, but impressive, brown head rises and falls quickly, leaving only minimal lacing.

S: AHHH now I get the BORIS Royale name, it was aged in Crown Royale barrels! Sorry about my slowness. Tons of whisky up front, vanilla, hints of oak and booze. Underneath is a lot of dark chocolate, roasted malts, and other typical stout characteristics. The smell is so balanced, way more so than BA BORIS.

T: The taste has a lot of smooth Crown Royale, deep dark chocolate, booze, vanilla, and wood. Not as big a flavor as I was expecting. I like the smooth, balanced taste more than the bigger flavors of BA BORIS, however.

MF: A bit thin, a decent amount of booze comes through. Dry finish.

O: This was really tasty, the drinkability waned after a while. Love everything Hoppin Frog is doing lately.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 02:55:08 | More by russwbeck

jampics2

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into a snifter. You can tell it's my snifter because it's the one that says "bad mother-shut-yo-mouth" on it. Purchased at the brewery for $14.99 on release day.

At 9.4% ABV, this isn't on the extreme high end for BA Stouts, but I always admire how the Frogs are able to produce a brew with such awesome creamy head and lace. The dark black body is the color of a hit man's sunglasses but even more effective in blocking any light from passing through. Simply put, this is a stunning looking beer.

As I first explore the nose on the beer, I’m intrigued with the smooth integration of the wood and the whiskey. This is by no means a bruiser of a beer, but has some nice expression and a nice evolution as it warms. The base provides notes of chocolate and sweet caramel and toffee. The special barrels have added a nice kick of whiskey and a touch of oak and vanilla. There’s even a bit of the flowery essence this particular whiskey is regarded for. There is a touch of booze, but it’s not reminiscent of raw acetone nor is it solvent, it's simply a big Canadian whiskey notorious for it's brash qualities.

The taste is much less subtle and balanced than the smell, but still unique in the world of barrel-aged beers. The first sip shocked my palate just a bit with the amount of whiskey and booziness, but I got used to the warmth as I proceeded through the glass. It’s as if the whiskey fired off a shot then asked me if it broke my concentration. As for the actual flavors, the BORIS base is present and accounted for, with some nice sweetness and lingering roast, going from a caramel to chocolate to coffee. The whiskey dominates the middle of the flavor with big boozy notes, peaking concurrently with the bitterness of the beer. As it sits, the beer pulls together and gets better as it nears room temp. In fact, it come together nicely and makes me think this is one to pull out and consume at cellar temp.

The beer feels just a bit thinner than regular BORIS, but the oats really give the beer silkiness. The carbonation tickles just a touch at the end. I already mentioned the booze but it really is a nice feeling beer.

Overall, this is a nice addition to the Hoppin’ Frog portfolio, and I love the spirit of experimentation this beer represents. If you’re a fan of Canadian whiskey, meet your new best friend. If you’re a fan of the intricate subtleties of wood-aging, like vanillin and oak tannin, you may feel like this is a bit one-dimensional. I’m somewhere in between but glad I got to try the beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2011 19:44:23 | More by jampics2

Treebs

Illinois

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled shared by someone at the UFC tasting. Big thanks to whoever brought this as it was a big want. Bomber poured into a Deschutes snifter.

A: Pours a straight, viscous black. No head present. Just a few bubbles. Looks like your typical motor oil RIS.

S: You can really smell the barrel, and I like it. The whiskey has a unique scent and while it doesn't smell like crown, you can tell it's something different. There is nice chocolate in the nose as well, sort of like a brownie.

T: Nice roasted malts with a good fudge and chocolate combination. The barrel is very present again and really shines with a nice oaky wood flavor and subtle vanilla sweetness. The whiskey is integrated nicely with a little heat at the backend. It is just very interesting in flavor with the Crown.

M: Very heavy, but creamy with little carbonation. Chocolate brownie is left on the palate.

O: The Crown barrels imparted some interesting flavors and while I didn't love them, it was interesting enough for me to keep coming back. I would like to see more Crown BA beers to see how other breweries integrate the flavors.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 20:58:35 | More by Treebs

Spider889

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Very dark, like DORIS. The head was tall, dark, and dense - a mocha/coffee color. Spotty lace on a thick beer.

-- Thick?

-Yeah.

-- I've seen thicker.

S - Smells boozy and full of astringent alcohol heat. Vanilla and gobs of coconut. Dry charred oak is in there, as is an odd mustiness which I found out of place. Not sure it that is from the Canadian whiskey, or the oak/barrel, or what. Overall a sweet aroma full of young and brash booze.

T - Roasty, as it should be. The coconut reappears - this must be a big flavor component of the base whiskey... Bitter leads to char. Dark cacao. Finishes dry.

M - Thick, sticky, and the whiskey lingers on the palate.

O - Very different from the regular BA BORIS. I found this to be vastly inferior to its older cousin, but I really appreciate the effort from Hoppin' Frog and the use of a virtually unheard of barrel type for beer aging so far. Keep experimenting, I love it.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 10:45:20 | More by Spider889

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.9/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep black pour with no head or lacing. The nose has a smooth chocolaty appeal with rich sweetness. The taste is just as sweet with its rich malty, chocolaty base. There is very little indication this beer spent any time in barrels, except for a slightly boozy finish. It's very smooth and drinkable regardless, leaving a sweet and roasty aftertaste to help balance out the booze. This is definitely a tasty beer with a stout base big enough to earn its time barrel aging. Worth trying, but doesn't have characteristics that would definitively indicate crown royal barrels were used.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 20:55:50 | More by ThePorterSorter

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Massive thanks to Goblinmunkey7 for acquiring this for my birthday. This has been a top want since the beer was announced. My_body_is_ready.jpg

10/13/12

Appearance: Pours black, perhaps even a bit heavier than other iterations of Boris - decent size brown head, fades to a decent ring and some spots of lacing

Smell: Burnt malts and a lovely undercurrent of Crown Royal - dark chocolate, baker's chocolate, with some burnt and roasty coffee - characteristic Crown Royal barrel woodiness and whiskey

Taste: What's this, Crown Royal in my stout? (What? SAY "WHAT" AGAIN) - Dark, roasty, and burnt chocolate malts - dark chocolate, chocolate chips, and burnt coffee - a moderate level of burnt bitterness -burnt brownies and some toffee - the Crown Royal is very obvious and works very well - lots of whiskey, woody, lightly smoky

Mouthfeel: On the light side of heavy, slick and oily, with a woody finish

Overall: Best served with Big Kahuna Burgers

This is what I wanted. I'm not entirely sure why, but I am a fan of Canadian whiskey. I've grown oddly tired of bourbon barrel aged stouts, and I love this novelty of Crown Royal barrels. This wins.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 17:25:15 | More by angrybabboon

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Split the bottle with angrybabboon.

Appearance: Pours near black with some dark deep reds when held to light. Head is dark chocolate, creamy and rich. Retention is low. Drops to a creamy collar and wispy head. Minimal carbonation.

Smell: Fudge and chocolate cake dosed with whiskey. Smooth edge of vanilla and toffee. Nice oak backing. Big sweetness. Chocolate malts, milk chocolate, dark cocoa and nibs. Big sweet malts. Bitter roasted edge. Some tiny hints of char. Leather, plum, and cherry. Fudgey.

Taste: Big fudgey sweetness followed by the smooth whiskey flavors. Vanilla, some butterscotch, English toffee, and oak. Loads of vanilla. Sharp bite of alcohol on the back. Extreme dark cocoa. Nibs. Extremely dark and roasted. Outweighs the sweetness. Whiskey floats over the top and ultimately doesn't blend.

Mouthfeel: Slick and almost full body. Carbonation is higher than expected. Barrel provides smoothness, but not a ton.

Overall: Better than BA BORIS.

A better use of whiskey barrels. Smoother with a nice depth, but ultimately feels like chasing a beer with a shot of whiskey.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 16:54:16 | More by Goblinmunkey7

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle split and poured into a pint. Big thanks to thebouch01 for splitting this!

A - Pours a jet black, absolutely shrouding all light, and builds a finger's worth of dark tan, mocha head. Not a lot of retention, but a thick cap sticks around afterward. The lacing benefits from this, and it leaves some spotty clumps of foam around the edges.

S - The nose is straight and to the point: whiskey. Dominated by the barrel, the aroma brings a lot of Crown Royal, vanilla, and some charred oak. Some dark chocolate and oats round out the nose.

T - Although smooth, the taste begins with a sharp bite of whiskey and alcohol. This plays underneath the rest of the flavors for the entire drink, which is both good and bad. It tends to overshadow the rest of the flavors, which are nice in their own right, but not allowed to fully develop before being stunted by the Crown. I would've liked to have the chocolate, roast, and vanilla come out a little stronger.

M - Mouthfeel is moderately heavy-bodied with decent carbonation. Smooth and slick, this one feels nice on the palate and the alcohol heat leaves it quite warm.

D/O - Drinkability is moderate. I would love to try this again side-by-side with both normal BORIS and BA BORIS to really flesh out the progressions, but I can't help but feel I was expecting a little more from this. Nice flavors, but not very balanced.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 04:20:04 | More by nhindian

jegross2

Illinois

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewing the BORIS Royale from Hoppin' Frog Brewery.
Score: 91

Unknown vintage bottle served in a plastic cup and enjoyed the night before Dark Lord Day (04/27/12). Review is from notes.

Appearance: Pours a deep brown, black coffee-like color. 4/5

Smell: Roasted chocolate, brown sugar, coconut, sweet chocolate and a little cherry. 4/5

Taste: Sweet milk chocolate, roast, and a light amount of oak. Cherry flavor on the midpalate. A little bit of whiskey flavor on the back half. Muted coconut throughout. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus bodied, no carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel. Roasty, slightly sweet finish. 4/5

Overall: A solid beer, but easily my least favorite of all the BORIS variations. Ironically, this is the hardest to find of those variations. Stick with the BORIS and Barrel Aged BORIS.

Recommendation: Worth trying, but not worth going out of your way to seek this one out when BORIS is readily available year-round for $10.

Pairings: Chocolate ice cream.

Cost: $14.99 for a 22 oz (bomber) bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 23:51:50 | More by jegross2

seeswo

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle generously shared by levifunk (thanks Levi!)

Pours very dark brown with a small amount of off-white head. Looks about right. Smell is nice and forward with the spirits from the North. Whiskey, oak, roast and chocolate come through. It smells very similar to BA BORIS, but maybe a bit more interesting. The taste is very smooth whiskey, chocolate, oak, roasted malts. Very easy drinking. Comes together really nice even right now. A touch boozy, but it comes off in this beer like that is actually what you want. Not harsh by any means. Medium body, medium carbonation. This beer was enjoyed two weeks after having a full batch 1 - batch 5 BA BORIS vertical. Overall, I think this was the best of the BA BORIS bunch. We may have made a Cuvee that would exceed this beer, but that took a lot of blending across batches to achieve. This seems to have a smoothness to it that the newer batches of BA BORIS don't have, and in the older ones that do have it, there is something else off about it (batch 1, way to oaky, batch 2, totally different recipe - too malty, etc.). Definite winner.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 13:48:38 | More by seeswo

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown pour, small head.

Vanilla and caramel is dominant on the nose. Some chocolate malt aroma.

Prominent flavor of Crown Royal. Reminds me of my greater moments in college. Dates, figs, milk chocolate with an oaky finish. Creamy mouthfeel. The beer is pretty straightforward. Not as decadent as BA BORIS though but it's interesting.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 14:46:37 | More by BearsOnAcid

domtronzero

California

4.22/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz. bottle. No dates on the bottle.

A - Very dark brown with a small, lingering ring of dense, tiny bubbles. Head is off-white. Little lacing.

S - Sweet whisky aromas (yep, without an 'e') actually reminiscent of Crown Royale. Sweet oaky character, chocolate and roasty malts. Sweet caramelly malts.

F/M - Sweet caramelly and dark chocolatey malts up front. Then the silky sweet whisky flavor. It may be a testament to the power of persuasion but it really has a Crown character. Slight vanilla character in the finish. The dark roasty malts and moderate bitterness help to dry out the finish a little. Medium full bodied with moderate carbonation. The CO2 is just right in fact.

O - Another outstanding offering from Hopping Frog. It's a great BA stout and definitely worth seeking out, especially for the whisky character that isn't found in many other beers, especially any beer I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 04:46:49 | More by domtronzero

KAP1356

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thought I missed the boat after the first release, but was lucky enough to grab several bottles at the Naked Evil release. 22 oz bottle poured into a snifter...

A - Pours an almost completely black with some dark brown highlights. A nice milk chocolate color head forms about a half of a finger thick and recedes to a collar of the same color.

S - Heavy whiskey aromas mixed with vanilla, wood, and chocolate. Molasses, dark fruits and some slight coffee come through too adding nicely.

T - Toffee, molasses, whiskey and oaky-woodiness all up front. Chocolate, vanilla, molassesand dark fruits follow next. Really nice flavors mixing together. Some brown sugar and roasted malts come through. It's a smoother whiskey flavor that I notice. Could I tell it was crown royal? No. BUT I did notice a smoother profile.

M - Full bodied beer with a medium level of carbonation. Really nice in the feel. Creamy and smooth overall.

O - Really enjoyed this one. I want to try it side to side with the regular barrel aged version. Would be interested to see the little differences. Overall, a really nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 17:08:48 | More by KAP1356

output01x

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle (no date) into a snifter glass.

A strong pour yields a 1 1/2-finger mocha-colored head that slowly recedes to a thick dusting and thick foam ring. The body is nearly perfect black with no traces of color when held to light. Thick lacing attempts to cling to the sides of the glass, but slowly falls from its own weight.

Dark, roasted malt aromas with notes of dark chocolate and burnt coffee beans. The nose is punctuated by the classic whiskey aroma that really sets this beer apart from other bourbon barrel aged stouts.

Dark malts, dark chocolate, and dark coffee. With a twist. A mellow whiskey flavor with a slight woodiness adds a whole new layer to this beer and compliments the flavors very well. The alcohol heat is far from excessive and can barely be noticed once this beer warms up a bit.

Full bodied with great carbonation, this beer has a decently creamy mouthfeel. The carbonation definitely helps to make this beer drinkable, but the heavy flavor and thick body keep it a sipper.

Unlike the regular Barrel Aged B.O.R.I.S., Royale does not need aging. This beer is most definitely ready to be enjoyed now. Of course, I would be interested to see how aging will change this beer, but it is great how it is now.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 06:56:20 | More by output01x

crusian

Texas

3.08/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle from goryshkewych, thanks man.
Pours a nice jet black with very little head. Not too carbonated at all, but looks great.
The nose is pretty empty. Almost nothing there at all. To be honest, I just get a bit of booze, and that is all.
Taste is nice and buttery. The whiskey is very mild, and well balanced, while the stout seems pretty basic. I am actually disappointed in this. The stout has nothing behind it. This took me an hour to drink as i kept letting it get warmer and warmer, hoping that it would turn into something more, or at least give me something other than just a light whiskey flavor. It didn't. This simply tasted like a mild watered down whiskey from start to finish for me. I love barrel aged beers, but this just didnt do it for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 23:45:40 | More by crusian