Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout - Goose Island Beer Co.

Ego

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

stoked when I saw this on tap for take out at joe canals here in jersey... 32oz only but I am sure that will do...

eyes...
dark black depth, dark cocoa head is smallish and fades quickly, there is a visible film on the sides of the glass, like year old cola it just slurs down the sides, this looks mean...

nose...
booza-palooza, like whiskey with coffee notes, some prunes, damn dark prunes, a touch of vanilla note in the back, definite wood tones in there as well, blindfolded I might think this was whiskey... woah boy this sucker packs a punch to the nose. letting this breathe for a few minutes i really get more of the roasty toasty coffee smell, it almost smells like candied coffee if that makes any sense...

taste etc...
thick and heavy as you might expect, boozy of course, the coffee kind of lends a chocolate-sweet note to it, at first it is almost too sugary/syrupy but mellows out a touch (and I do mean a touch), every sip lasts a long time, the after taste has many different levels, at first you get the oily thick slick feel, then sweetness, some booze tone, then it melts into coffee notes and some lingering bitterness all the while... tasty! definite sipper...

verdict ?
this is smooth for the abv... but yet you sense the ABV the whole time... this is so big but yet so refined, a pure myriad of big flavors all in balance. get it when you can.

Serving type: growler

03-31-2013 04:34:56 | More by Ego

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

opaque black pour with no visible sign of carbonation, no head. smells of vanilla, coffee beans, sweet molasses, sugary pecans. the taste is VERY rich. this must be my fourth different taste of this growler in the past few days and i can't do more than half a glass. lots of sugary sweet flavors - nutty, vanilla, coffee, molasses. the flavors are so sweet you really only get the vanilla flavors from the bourbon without the burn you got in regular bcbs. full body, low carbonation.

this is a very nice stout but a little bit TOO sweet for me. it makes sense since i always take my coffee black with no sugar. a nice effort at least, but i've had way better coffee stouts leaning more towards my liking.

Serving type: growler

03-17-2013 09:48:37 | More by facundoCNB

Kanebanger

Indiana

5/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22 oz. Bomber poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a pitch black (dark as night) with a very, very thin mocha/tan colored head. Lacing is very minimal. Overall very pleasing to the eye.

S: Heavy bourbon smell with a small amount of what I can only describe as a very crisp and clean coffee smell, along with a very faint hint of oak and vanilla. As a side note... very similar to to regular Bourbon County Stouts except for the very pleasing hint of coffee. As it warms the coffee begins to come out a little bit more.

T: All I can say is wow. I will start off by saying that it is alot like regular BCS except much, much smoother. Due to the smell I thought there would be a huge bourbon bite in the front but this is not the case at all. The coffee is present but not overpowering. It still has the great oak taste and what also seems to be a very faint hint of vanilla, but all of the flavors combine to go down smooth as silk. It is both rich and complex. It definately lives up to the hype.

M: Very smooth, thick and creamy, with a small amount of carbonation. Again, the bourbon bite was no where near what I expected it to be.

D: Right now I am praying to the beer gods that Goose Island will make this a year round brew. If it weren't for the limited availability there would be almost nothing else in my cellar after tasting this.

Serving type: growler

05-05-2010 01:30:41 | More by Kanebanger

SHerninko

Pennsylvania

4.59/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

From Craft Ale House - PA
S-poured from bomber bottles
A-Very dark, tan head, lacing
S-As it warms it goes from slight bitter coffee to a full, nice, fresh coffee smell
T-Base stout is there and creamy, but fresh coffee taste dominates once it warms up. Very good. Not bitter, not sweet, just all the qualities of a fresh cup of quality coffee. Very good and may be the best coffee I've had in terms of balance.
M-not as creamy as some other Goosse stout variations, but no complaints. Just about zero carbonation in mine.
O-Excellent coffee stout, top notch, seek it out!

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 13:42:37 | More by SHerninko

timc100

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

La Tortuga

A: Pours a little lighter than the regular bourbon county. Leaves a very minimal, fizzing head that dissipates almost instantly. Looks like a heavy spirit swirling in the glass

S: A harmonious combination of flavors. They all work together really well - and the coffee is very forward, a little over played and dominate. Fresh heavy, dark roast oily acidic coffee beans. Has the aroma of a very big beer - the bourbon caramel booziness comes through, slighter oak and vanilla. Incredibly rich milk chocolate and bitter bakers chocolate. There is an interesting dark fruit note that comes in as it warms.

T: Huge taste - coats the mouth and lingers a long while. Big, bitter dark chocolate and heavily roasted coffee. There is a lot of sweetness to combat the bitterness - milk chocolate, vanilla, oak, slight hazelnut. The bourbon kicks at the end. Incredibly delicious beer

P: Great. Incredibly smooth - velvety full mouthfeel with soft-enough carbonation as to not notice it. Coats your mouth leaving almost a syrupy film, but it works because its such a big beer.

O: Fantastic beer all around. The coffee is strong in the aroma and could benefit with some age to balance things out - that is being critical. It's outstanding and better than the original

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 03:39:07 | More by timc100

Claytonbrewsby

Virginia

5/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer is awesome! If you love coffee and bourbon, this is your beer. The BCBCS is a strong one for sure. It's aroma is the perfect blend of black coffee and a good bourbon. Very thick, really sweet to the taste. Bourbon dominates the coffee in flavor but there's still enough there to make it the perfect combination.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 21:32:42 | More by Claytonbrewsby

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.74/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Got to try this on tap during abq beer week at Billy's Long Bar

A - oily black, completely opaque, small ring of khaki foam.

S - boatloads of coffee, chocolate, more coffee, definitely some bourbon. Smells awesome,

T - incredible stout. Coffee and smooth bourbon lead, then dark and milk chocolate notes. Not incredibly complex, but awesome nonetheless.

M - super thick. Low carb. Rich, great.

O - best coffee beer I've had. All the flavors are huge, but still have balance.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2013 14:10:06 | More by Beerandboards

Belgianbeerbunny

Illinois

4.99/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I got a keg of this dark beauty in my home bar. I am very lucky.

A - A 1/2 inch sandy-brown head. Receded quickly, leaving no lacing.

S - Wow. A shot of Bourbon in coffee.

T - A shot of Bourbon in coffee. The two flavors predominate and blend together perfectly like a cappuccino.

M - Milky, thick and silky.

O - Fabulous. I'm so thrilled that my hometown brewer can create a brew this rich and luscious.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2013 23:57:18 | More by Belgianbeerbunny

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

***2010 Vintage***

Big thanks to Masterski for giving me my first taste of the Bourbon County line.

Poured from a 650ml. bottle, bottled 03/26/10.

Appearance: Very thick and dark black/brown body. 2 finger head that disappears pretty quickly but probably normal due to ABV.

Smell: Some of the best bourbon notes i've smelled in a beer. Wafts of vanilla atop bourbon, light on the oak, deep rich robust espresso, images of coffee beans. Unending.

Taste: A seamless intertwining of strong coffee, woody bourbon, alcoholic vanilla, and oak. After a few sips though, i'm left slightly wanting.

Mouthfeel: Very low carbonation, slick feel, remarkably smooth.

Overall: I understand the hype on this one. While i was expecting a bit more expansive flavor, this still is very good for me. Send more the other variants Alex ;)

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 13:26:04 | More by papat444

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

4.95/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Been looking forward to trying BCBCS for some time now, finally cracked one of my two bottles. This review is from my first experience with the beer, something I do not normally do. Hopefully this is not looked down upon.

Vintage 2012, poured into a snifter. Pours almost black, with a very thin dark mocha head. Thin layer dissipates rather quickly, leaving absolutely nothing behind. There is no "lacing" but the legs on this babe are incredible, staining the glass a caramel brown color.

Very sweet aromas are most obvious. Behind those I find typical BC smells of vanilla and caramel. Coffee plays a huge role as well, obviously.

Taste is infused with flavors of vanilla, roasted malt, light chocolate, and a decent dose of Intelligentsia coffee. It's delicious, to be sure. Plenty of bourbon as well, perhaps more so than BCBS, odd given slightly less ABV.

Feel is not quite as smooth, perhaps due to the coffee. I do get a bit of coffee texture/acidity on the end. It's excellent nonetheless. The lack of lacing/presence of "legs" renders this, much like the base variety, similar to a wine. It drinks slow, but well (I took the whole 22oz. down myself). Overall tough choice for me which I like better. Coffee and regular are the only two I've had. BCBCS is really sticky and sweet, with tons of sugar.

Very very good. Glad I am finally trying this. I have not had it fresh, so I am not sure where the coffee character should be, but if I believe the critics, fresher is better. I'd say coffee was less prominent than I anticipated. Overall, excellent beer. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 03:13:08 | More by rodlavers

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.63/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by Liam. Vintage 2012

Jet black, ring of tan head, no lace and fairly thick bodied. Smell is a mix of roast and fresh coffee beans, bourbon, vanilla, oak and chocolate, big fudge cake notes as well, milky chocolate mixed with bakers, just outstanding. Taste is like the nose great mix of bourbon, coffee and roast, chocolate, fudge, vanilla, bitter coffee finish, oak in aftertaste with chocolate and coffee. Lightly carbonated, full chewy body, big thick mouth coating feel. Absolutely incredible stuff here, such a delight to drink, takes BA coffee stouts to a whole new level, very impressive stuff here.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 19:50:45 | More by peensteen

BobZ

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

22oz Bottle 2012 Vintage (Bottled 11-12-12) poured into a Huna snifter.

Appearance: Deep dark brown pouring out with richness leaving only a small tan cap even after an aggressive pour. The beer hangs on the glass with legs like fine Cabernet.

Smell: As expected, bourbon first with mostly oaky vanilla in the nose then the coffee and malty chocolate coming through underneath.

Taste: Surprisingly the first flavors are not at all coffee forward to me, what announces itself first is the incredible oaky vanilla from the barrel, then the coffee, then the chocolate. All three flavors working together in excellent balance.

Mouthfeel: This finish on this beer is one attribute that sets it apart both from regular BCBS and other barrel aged stouts. It is exceptionally clean no coating or cloying aspects whatsoever. This is very pleasing given how creamy this beer taste on the palate.

Overall: My favorite Goose Island Beer to date, a truly excellent example of a bourbon barrel coffee stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 16:02:02 | More by BobZ

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.95/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bomber poured into a snifter
2012 Vintage. 14.3% ABV .Bottled 11-12-12
Review #450 and a birthday present to myself.

A- Pours like you expect from bourbon county. Black as they come. Intense alcohol legs. A smal brown head, very little retention. An intense looking beer.

S- A big bourbon leaks out of this beer. A massive sour mash note and a nice charred oak. A lot of roasted malts and a touch of caramel sweetness. Some vanilla, a touch of coffee bitterness and dryness. Sweet and syrupy liquid of the gods.

T- A big bitterness at first. A coffee bitterness and a roasted malt dryness to start things off. It turns very sweet and thick. A smooth roasted malt profile with a dry and semi smokeyness to it, a slight char from the barrel. A touch of vanilla and a bit of caramel. The bourbon is most present on the back end of this beer. A big grainy sour mash flavor with a touch of dark fruits as well. The coffee in this beer may have faded at tad over 5 months but is still present and compliments the beer very well. 14.3%, where?

M- Very much on the sweet side. A thick and syrupy concoction. Very warming on the way down. Bitter coffee aftertaste.

O- All in all, im very glad I saved this one several months to enjoy on my birthday. But having had it, I don't think my willpower will be the same next year. Having just had an extremely comparable beer, KBS, the other day, I can attest to this beers superiority all though they are both world class. This is the best in the business.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 23:57:26 | More by TwelveOunces

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle from chanokokoro (thanks Brian!). Bottled 11/12/12. Served in a Three Floyds teku.

Pours oil black with a quarter finger capuccino head that leaves only a few cursory fleks of lace.

Smells very similar to it's non-coffee cousin. Sweet, inviting bourbon, vanilla and some coffee.

Taste bursts with that sweet oaky, vanilla, bourbon with roasty chocolate malts and a nice strong coffee that creeps in towards the finish. The booze is apparent but not near what expected for 14%+. Smooth and delicious.

Oily, medium-ish body with light carbonation. Thinner than expected. Long, sweet bourboned coffee finish.

The coffee was a bit more subtle than I expected but this is still a very tasty beer. Definately glad to try it and hopefully I'll be able to get more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 23:56:43 | More by ThickNStout

williamjbauer

West Virginia

5/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottled, 22 oz bomber, served in a weizen glass with good friend Eric. Shared a few shots of bcbcs with friends at baby shower as well. 2012 vintage.

Black with brown thin head sticky lacing, moderate retention

Rich earth sweet coffeeb, I feel like I am in the rain forest. Dank sweet espresso notes with floods of bourbon vanilla warm notes. Tastes like the notes with the sweet warming flavors first, vanilla, the rich, robust coffee, and that amazing bourbon warm finish, chewy, no carbonation.

One of my favorites beers yet! Shared with great friends for the celebration of my first child's birth.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 19:22:03 | More by williamjbauer

vinny21bal

Illinois

5/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This my favorite of all the BCS. I did notice on this I had that the coffee is starting to fade which I wasn't to happy about. But at the same time it was subtle. And whats the worst thing when the coffee fades. It just turns into regular BCS which isn't the worst thing in the world. But fresh is best with this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 19:20:05 | More by vinny21bal

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.91/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

22oz bottle from JMRSN. Reviewed from notes.

A: Fizzing pour yields an obsidian black body with a geyser turbulating the middle of the surface. There's an acceptable ring of dark mocha colored head, and legs leave a brown stain on the glass.

N: Loads of vanilla and caramel. Bourbon and wood are pronounced. Chocolate cake with a touch of soy sauce. There's a touch of espresso. Alcohol soaked raisins.

T: Raisins, vanilla, chocolate, and a coffee acidity. Some roast, but this is mostly sweet with a little spice like that of rye whiskey. Some salt.

M: Coating and yet some wateriness at the end. Lots of alcohol.

O: I expected more coffee out of this vintage. This also has a quality I don't recall from the 2010 vintage, and as such, it's good, but it's not the best of the lineup. Still worthy.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 04:31:10 | More by writerLJBerg

dar482

New York

4.99/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

The color is just black with little to no head.

The aroma is of sweet vanilla coffee. Just big and complex. You definitely get some bitter chocolate too, but the sugary sweetness really does come through to mask the bitterness of that chocolate.

The flavor is so darn complex. It’s sweeter and smoother than BCBS. It coats the mouth nicely. The roasted malt, coffee, vanilla, and bitter chocolate hides the booze quite well. It does this job better than the BCBS with taming the booze and dealing with the sweetness because of the coffee bitterness. Then again, having for the third time on tap, it still is quite a "hot" beer. The alcohol quickly hit my nose set my back a bit in my seat. I would love to have a bottle of this and give it a year to die down.

It’s a wonderful sipping beer. I love this so much more than BCBS.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2013 03:08:04 | More by dar482

Pecan

California

4.63/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Black pour, dark dark brown on the edges. I can't even see through this beer when holding it up to the light. There is a thick, tan head that lingers.

The smell presents a strong bourbon smell mixed with vanilla and molasses. I am getting some espresso/coffee aromas, but it is not as pronounced as I would have expected. I think it may be because they are mixing into the bourbon and vanilla and producing an overall smell that I would describe as decadent, rich, and chocolate-like.

Starts with a big hit of fantastic, boozy bourbon and quickly transitions into a dark malty flavor with vanilla, caramel, and dark chocolate (assuming the coffee added to the bitterness factor here). I get a ever so slight fruit flavor for a fleeting moment. Finishes bourbon and roasted coffee with faded but lingering vanilla. The taste of coffee sticks around well after the sweetness has completely faded resulting in enhancement of the still biting alcohol, possibly the only unpleasing portion of the taste for me.

The mouthfeel is thick and oily. Very inviting and enjoyable. Also a bit more carbonation than I prefer, but only by a little.

Overall, this is a fantastic brew. This one could have probably aged a bit longer to suit my personal tastes, but without a doubt is impressive at any age. I think in it's current state, the coffee tends to move the alcohol flavor too forward for me. That being said, I don't think I'd pass up a chance to drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 05:36:01 | More by Pecan

thedoubler55

New Jersey

4.39/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: A nice pitch black pour and looks the same in the glass, about a one finger off white head at the top that leaves a little lacing around the glass as you drink.

S: Exactly what the bottle says, lots of coffee up front with the tail end consisting of vanilla, caramel and Bourbon.

T: Follows the nose basically to a tee, lots of coffee, felt like I was drinking an expresso. Good amount of bourbon at the end with hints of vanilla and nice roasted malts.

M: Full bodied, moderate carbonation, creamy and smooth

O: A great tasting Stout from Goose Island, Im loving these guys more and more each time I try one of their brews.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 19:57:29 | More by thedoubler55

vfgccp

New York

4.6/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A - Deep black body with dark brown highlights. Razor thin halo of off-white head. Poor retention and lace.

S - Espresso, molasses, chipotle peppers, dry coffee, vanilla bean.

T - Chocolate covered coffee beans, booze, crumb cake, espresso, touch of cinnamon, vanilla, cream.

M - Rich, full body. Dry finish. Super smooth.

O - An outstanding barrel aged stout. Definitely lives up to the hype. Exceptional balance and dryness for the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 00:52:19 | More by vfgccp

tectactoe

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Thanks to Ataraxia for this one, saving me the trouble of ever having to scour the ends of southeast Michigan to get my greasy paws on one. I love BCS and I love coffee so it stands to reason that I will bust my nut over this stuff, right? 2012 La Tortuga coffee edition. The pour is an incredibly deep shade of brown that it could easily be mistaken for completely black. The perfectly tan and grey tinted head is slow to form and bubbles up seconds after I'm finished pouring. A very still and menacing looking beer.

Wow, BCBCS has one of the deepest coffee aromas I've ever smelled. What exactly do I mean by "deep"? It's hard to explain, but I'll try - it's so dense, dark, roasted, grainy, raw, and pure with oily, thick, and robust coffee beans that it will immediately send any coffee-lover into an orgasmic coma. The bourbon is light on the nose at first, but comes out much more as the beer starts to warm up. The oak barrel flavors are much heavier than the bourbon itself and work very nicely with the coffee. Light vanilla and roasted cocoa powder outlines the edges of the aroma profile. So smooth, complex, deep, robust, and elegant, all at once. I think I need a cigarette.

The first thing I notice as I take a sip is that the mouth feel is nearly impeccable. So creamy, smooth, and silky on the palate - like a dream in liquid form. Big coffee and bourbon flavors up front - it's nice to see the bourbon come out strong in the flavor profile. After all, this IS bourbon county, right? One of the things I love about the original BCS and something that's proving to carry over to the coffee variant, too, is that the bourbon is so commanding and powerful, yet remains so smooth, mellow, and warming, without ever being too abrasive or hot. Goose Island has perfected the art of bourbon barrel aging a stout, I am completely convinced of that.

The amazing flavor continues to work all corners of my mouth. Smooth and deeply roasted, bitter coffee beans just run absolutely rampant; oily, thick, and borderline burnt. At first, coffee and bourbon comprise a majority of the profile, but the barrel characteristics really start to pop as the beer gets warmer. Heavy oak and wood, vanilla, light coconut, and a deep and super-bittersweet cocoa. Though it's warm and certainly boozy, the sweetness is perfectly balancing and very nice. So much so that it's wrong to call this beer "too boozy" or "too sweet", because it's neither. More and more, I'm starting to pick up some light spices, too. Maybe even light chilies on the tail end? Can't decide if it's actual chilies or just a light burn from such a heavy roasted blend of malt and coffee beans.

Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout is simply incredible. A coffee-stout lover's wet dream in a bottle. Just a maniacal explosion of coffee beans; roasty, bitter, creamy, and sweet all at once. Crazy oak, bourbon, vanilla, and cocoa tones with a nearly perfect balance. Sweet and warming with such an amazing delicacy. Insanely drinkable for such a high ABV. I battled over and over in my mind if I liked this better than the original BCS (especially the '08 vintage) and it took me a while to decide, but I believe this is top dog. Nevertheless, if its got Bourbon County on the label, you really can't go wrong.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 16:53:51 | More by tectactoe

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.86/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout (2012 release) opens to an amazingly rich and complex nose, the bourbon barrel aging and coffee notes immediately strong, and almost viscous in their presence. The oaky, vanilla, bourbon-laced notes from the former blend perfectly with a selection of dark fruit esters, including fig, date, prune, raisin, and plum, creating a Port wine feel that mixes nicely with the bourbon. Other sugars include deep runnels of molasses and brown sugar, as well as coffee cream, caramel, and toffee. These dark sugars nicely complement the coffees, which add fresh-ground dark roast notes, like those that issue from a bag of oily Columbian beans. There’s also a thick slice of toasted heavy brown bread in here, as well as a delicious series of dark and milk chocolate candies, and undercurrents of ash and tobacco. In short, this is an amazing series of aromas, and its difficult to imagine any more complex and potent notes in a beer.

On the tongue, the beer opens with a massive shot of fresh-ground oily espresso beans, which mix quickly with heavy whipping cream, vanilla, caramel, toffee, and brown sugar to create what might be the world’s tastiest cup of coffee. Add to this layers of ash and tobacco, and a thick swath of oak and vanilla, with surprisingly delicate, but very present, bourbon overtones. Then pile on fig, raisin, date, prune, and plum fruit esters, as well as milk and dark chocolates (creating a world-class Port overtone), and put all that on a piece of toasted brown bread, and you have what five-star restaurants try to imitate in their fanciest desserts. Even the massive 14.3% ABV is fairly well hidden by the hugeness and complexity of the flavors, for while it’s obvious that there is a good bit of alcohol in here, it blends so seamlessly with the bourbons, chocolates, and fruit esters that the tongue doesn’t care. The aftertaste is a delicious continuation of the main flavors, lingering on the tongue for a very long time. Mouthfeel is a weighty medium-heavy, and carbonation is medium-light to medium.

Overall, this is an amazing bottle of beer, and remarkable for not only how flavorful, nuanced, and potent it is, but for how utterly smooth and drinkable at the same time. Many high ABV beers end up being vodka or bourbon bombs, but this is so highly polished that it slides seamlessly down the throat, and is dangerously quaffable. One of the best bourbon-barrel-and-coffee beers on the market.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 15:23:22 | More by jondeelee

CHickman

New York

4.86/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Bottled 11/12/2012 (bomber): Pours motor oil black color with a foamy 1 finger brown head that faded fast, leaving a little foamy ring around the top of the beer and minimal lacing that slid down fast and rejoined the brew; as light hits the edges it looks reddish brown.

Smell was really strong as I got my first whiff of sweet bourbon as the beer was going into the glass; smells great, and as I buried my nose in the glass the aroma was a combo of bourbon, molasses, syrup, caramel, toffee, vanilla, coffee beans (the Intelligentsia La Tortuga Beans listed on the label), roasted grains, oak or red wine barrel, a smoky merlot, brown sugar, light herbs and cocoa or dark chocolate notes. The coffee was surprisingly timid, and the vanilla and sweet yet mellow bourbon were just excellent to inhale. The barrel aging, molasses and vanilla sweetness really stand out and are really intense and enjoyable. The 14.3% ABV will fool you as this nose hides it completely and just dazzles with such sweetness that it blends the booze with the many sweet baking staples, and man does the vanilla level out the bourbon masterfully.

Flavor takes off where the nose left it: heavenly. Something so strong and boozy should not be this easy to drink, but this brew pulls it off. Tastes of bourbon, molasses, syrup, caramel, toffee, vanilla, coffee, oak or red wine barrel notes, charcoal, merlot, brown sugar, roasted grains, licorice, dark rum, light herbs, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, cherry, plum or other dark fruit, butterscotch and more light booze. Again, the coffee was so minor that I wonder if the barrel aging soaked the coffee added with booze since the vanilla and sweet bourbon seem to control the taste as well. I can’t tell if the bitterness is from the hops or coffee in the mash, but either way the bittering just adds an effect to the sweet boozy dominance of the bourbon, molasses and vanilla presence. While I wish it had more coffee as advertised, I contradict myself and feel that the way it is in fact perfect: this is very smooth and drinkable, and consider the intense flavor, complexity and ABV in play, then I can conclude that this taste probably couldn’t improve all that much. More hops might be nice, but are not necessary; more coffee would be cool, but that doesn’t mean that this version was not worthy of being dubbed a world class brew.

Mouthfeel is thick and slick, like and oil spill, but still somehow easy to drink; the booze and heat are present, but not a distraction or negative aspect, and the body is very thick, chewy and viscous, like drinking blood or hot fudge that is starting to become less liquid and more fudge – I know, that’s a strange analogy, but it’s true.

So thick, so sweet, so boozy, yet amazingly sooo drinkable…this beer let me down at first because there was basically no major coffee presence, but after I got over that point I realized that this is one of the best beers that I’ve ever had. A “Top 5 Beer” for me, which is making typing this difficult because the ABV is kicking in, but this review is worth writing to boast about this unbelievably complex and tasty beer that hides the ABV perfectly and goes down easier than it should. A very high recommendation, buy a bottle of this if you can. It will be worth every penny spent.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 04:05:14 | More by CHickman

montrealbcr89

Quebec (Canada)

4.63/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

2011 vintage poured into BCBS snifter
Big thanks to an awesome BA, rutager for this one. Can't wait to share a brew in person with you, man!

*I am reviewing this as a 2 year old BA imperial coffee stout. It has aged, the coffee will have faded (as expected). I will not be docking the score for it.

A: Pours with a deep red hue. In the glass, however, it is pitch black. I am having trouble even getting the blood red notes that I did from regular BCBS. 1/4 finger of mocha brown coloured head. Dissipated very quickly.

S: A very sweet smell. Bourbon, vanilla, dark chocolate, astringent coffee. Awesome.

T: Like regular BCBS but with a slight twinge of astringent coffee. Big vanilla notes. Pretty sweet. Caramel. Dark chocolate. This beer is being consumed way to quickly for 14%. Very drinkable despite the high ABV.

O: This is a fantastic beer. Yes, the coffee has faded. But, it is still there and adds a little something. Having had this fresh on tap at Top Hops in NYC, it is a very different beer. The 2012 was hugely coffee forward, and the bourbon was even more present. It was abrasive, but in a great way. I do believe that is what the brewers intended for this beer. Having said that, the 2011, even with the faded coffee, is an awesome beer and super drinkable. I would drink this often, but for very different reasons than BCBS and fresh BCBCS. It's a different animal. Loved it. Thanks again, Brad!

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 01:41:12 | More by montrealbcr89