Dark Hollow Artisanal Ale - Blue Mountain Brewery

MrOH

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Batch #10, so its at least a couple years old at this point.

Pours black with big foamy brown head. Lots of lace.

Smell: Bourbon, candied fruits (cherry, figs), slightly oxided, but in a good way (sherry). Very much like a fruitcake. Touch of chocolate.

Taste: Very similar to the aroma. A touch more chocolate than the aroma. Cherry is more pronounced as well. There is some tartness that tastes somewhat lactic, but could just be low pH from the dark malts.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, low carbonation. Fairly hefty body, with is to be expected, but the tartness keeps it somewhat light.

Almost more like a bourbon barrel aged black barleywine. Roast character has aged out, but it's turned into a very enjoyable beer that goes down easy, is warming and satisfying, and has plenty of nuance. Kinda want to pick up a fresh bottle just to see the difference.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 01:52:15 | More by MrOH

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.14/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Had this bottled and on tap at Capital Ale House in Fredricksburg. Notes are from draught. From notes.

A - Black pour, one finger mocha head, spotty lace, film retention.

S - Roasty, really chocolatey. Leather, licorice, a little wood and some whisky.

T - Roast and chocolate balance between sweet and roasty bitterness. Sweet chocolate. Lot's of nice whisky and wood notes. Warms up becoming nice and smooth.

M - Quite smooth. Mild carbonation, full body. Nice mildly boozy/whisky finish with some dry bitterness.

O/D - Nice tasty barrel aged stout. Complex sipper for sure. Enjoyable with a good feel and tasty flavour. GOod copmlexity with the barrel, roast, and sweetness all well integrated. Could have a few.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2013 15:46:02 | More by tbeckett

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.96/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

This one had a nice 'pop' when uncorked, best by June 2014 written on cork, served in a snifter at cellar temperature

A- pours pitch black with a foamy dark-tan head about 2inches thick, quickly reduces to just a ring around the edges

S- dark roasted malt, dark fruit notes of fig and maybe cherry, sweet yeasty bread, raw bourbon notes with vanilla highlights, a touch of chocokate and a bit of alcohol burn at the end. Aromas seem to open up the longer it sits

T- the base beer is dark, sweet and fruity, by mid-palate the bourbon notes begin to come out subtly, the black-end brings out the toasted oak flavors which provide vanilla and toasted coconut flavors, the finish is dry with chocolate and toasted oak flavors still lingering on the palate

M- medium-heavy body with low carbonation, foamy mouthfeel that goes down smooth, just a slight alcohol burn lingers on the palate

O- some nice flavors coming out, however I would have preferred just a bit more bourbon. The oak characteristics provide some complex flavors on the finish. Not the top of the ladder in this style, but definitely worthy a try

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 01:52:18 | More by Treyliff

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Best by June 2014

Pours an opaque dark chestnut brown color with a 1.5 finger beige head that very slowly settles into a thick, lasting ring. Very nice retention for the style and high ABV. Streaks of soapy lacing left behind.

The aroma has a great barrel presence that is nicely integrated info the stout characteristics of the base beer. Lots of toasted oak, vanilla, coconut and just enough sweet, spicy bourbon that makes itself know without overpowering everything else. Underneath, there is some smokey, roast and sweet malt notes balancing things out. Hints of toast, oatmeal, coffee bean and dark chocolate compliment the charred oak but the aroma could use some more bourbon for my preference.

Full bodied with a slight creamy texture and a prominent dry, spicy barrel character that lingers over the roasted malt and sweeter notes into a bone dry finish. The barrel dominates with lots of burnt oak and spicy whiskey flavor. The vanilla and toasted coconut as well as the sweeter bourbon notes from the aroma are hard to pick up. This renders the barrel flavor a bit one dimensional with an overly dry/acrid and spicy presence. The malt profile is still pretty interesting however, with deeply roasted and sweeter chocolate malt notes. Hints of burnt toast, spent coffee grinds, oatmeal and very dark cacao countered by subtle lactic cream, baker's chocolate and toffee. Some boozy heat and warmth in the finish but the 10% ABV is considerably well masked. Still, it's a bit heavy on the roast and burnt oak making it a bit tough to drink. I finished the whole bottles but four or five ounces would have been fine.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 07:49:36 | More by corby112

stephenjmoore

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- More of a dark brown than a pitch black imperial stout. Pours almost a deep caramel color and settles in slightly darker. Thin, bubbly tan head that disappears and leaves a trace layer of bubbles.

S- Barrel aromas come through with some oak, caramel, candied sugar, chocolate and roasty malts.

T- The flavors are somewhat disjointed and do not really blend well together. The boozy bourbon flavors come through, but they sort of separate from the rich, chocolatey, roasty stout base. Overall the flavors are pretty good, with the exception of the harsh booze, but it just does not come together that well.

M- Not all that smooth, medium carbonation, boozy flavors. Not the worst, but not great for the style.

O- Glad I tried this one, but pretty disappointed. There is potential here though.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 23:37:12 | More by stephenjmoore

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

3.28/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Presentation: Corked and caged 750 mL bottled chilled and poured into a Cigar City tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a pretty aggresive, light beige head of about an inch and a half. Settles into a nice lacing.

Aroma: Dark fruits, caramel, vanilla and a light splash of bourbon. A touch boozy but the bourbon and the sweetness from the base beer come through well. Pretty nice balance and complexity from the barrels.

Taste: Really bitter coffee and charred oak. The complexity from the bourbon and sweetness from the base beer is not here as it was in the aroma. Instead there is just a lot of bitterness and burnt flavors. Really disappointing. On the upside, very little bourbon burn.

Mouthfeel: Really light bodied and highly carbonated for a barrel aged stout.

Overall, I was pretty disappointed by this beer. The aroma is nice, but the flavors are dominated by too much bitterness and burnt character so that the barrel and bourbon don't really come through. The mouthfeel also doesn't really help as it is really light and carbonated for an imperial stout. This really just doesn't do it for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 02:10:17 | More by Gosox8787

BeerZack

North Carolina

3.09/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

375ml bottle. Pours a not-so-thick black that's brown around the edges. A fizzy khaki colored head dies down quickly to a thin covering. Smells of sweet fruits initially remind me more of wine barrel than bourbon influence. Spicy, somewhat phenolic notes underneath remind me of cinnamon red hots, black cherry soda, faux leather, a bit of new shoes and some garden center (fertilizer). The flavor is equally odd. Bland sugary flavors hint at dark fruit, but never really differentiates. I do get some of the charred bourbon barrel flavor on the finish. The thin appearance on the pour also translates in the mouthfeel, coming off thin and fizzy, almost soda-like.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 01:39:00 | More by BeerZack

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This poured out as a black color, not overly thick looking... Kind of watery looking. The head forms and then rapidly fades. There is a very thin retention with no lacing. The smell of the beer is a little on the boozy side, there is a pretty good amount of oak on the nose as well. Not much bourbon, definitely more of the fresh oak. The taste of the beer has a roasted vanilla note with more oak. In the finding I pick up some spicy rye as well as some raisin like flavors. The mouthfeel is thinner than I expected. Good carbonation. Overall this is decent, it's not quite as big as I was hoping for but it's not bad. Unique enough to give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 22:38:07 | More by Knapp85

templar316

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Corked, caged to duval tulip. Pours with moderate darkness and khaki head, that lingers. Deep fruit notes; plums and blackberry, dance with the thick bourbon heat. Roasty, purpley, malt notes ride into a maple sugar finish with bright cherry sour hop echo fading into the middle distance. it's smooth! Sugar plum darkness, to cotton candy moutain the truth will set you free. A dark, dank, slow creeper, I couldn't find a flaw. World class from the Blue Mountain!

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 03:45:15 | More by templar316

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.94/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served on-tap at Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, VA

A: Pours a clear dark brown in color (not quite as dark a black but there is a certain amount of opacity to it) with moderate to heavy amounts of visible carbonation and some very dark amber highlights. The beer has a finger tall dense frothy light tan head that reduces to a thick film covering about half of the surface of the beer, a very thin film covering the remainder of the surface of the beer, and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to heavy amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of roasted malts with much stronger aroma of bourbon, vanilla, and oak. There are lighter notes of coffee and toasted coconut. Very light hints of chocolate.

T: Upfront there are moderate flavors of roasted malts with some light to moderate notes of dark chocolate and coffee. Beyond the malts, the flavors are really dominated by moderate to heavy presence of bourbon, vanilla, oak, and just a hint of toasted coconut. Light to moderate amounts of bitterness in the finish.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Slightly thin/watery with a light amount of alcohol warming.

O: I enjoyed this beer quite a bit and it really has the bourbon aspects well represented, I think the only real comment I have about it overall is I wish it had more of the traditional body/mouthfeel for a stout (feels more like a combination stout and old ale). This is a big beer with rich and complex flavors and aromas, I would recommend sipping this one slowly.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2013 19:11:24 | More by dbrauneis

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.33/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3

We crack the cage and yank the stubborn cork for a brew of the darkest cola brown. The coloring lets a bit of light around the edges, but shows no real haze to the clarity. It holds a one finger head of soft, creamy light brown bubbles. This leaves spots and wisps of lacing as it recedes at a medium pace. Carbonation appears active. The aroma is hot with boozy bourbon from the start, but warmth gives way to the hearty malt background of toffees, caramels, and roasted chocolate. The oak in and of itself is warming, adding depth, along with strawberry licorice, black cherry syrupiness, white sugar chalkiness, lactic tartness, and cooling vanilla cake batter. Our first impression is that the flavoring is very sweet, but with an initial puckering bitterness of oak and booziness. As we sip, fusel booze, tootsie roll sugars, charred chocolate malts, toffee sweetness, and soured oak start things off. The peak comes with more heavy booze, thick and musky woody dryness, and syrupy sugars of dark cherry. The finish is very drying, with an even more enhanced punch to the barreling that really overpowers the deep roasty maltiness, and makes way for the bright sweetness of cherry and apple fruitiness, and cooked caramel sugars. The final notes to leave the palate are black pepper spice of booze, mild but genuine bourbon flavoring, cola syrups, light diacetyls, and echoes of that dark fruitiness. The aftertaste flames of bourbon, chalky chocolate malts, juicy yeast, raw fig, massively dry woodiness, raw coffee malts, and thorough metallics. The body is full, and the carbonation is solidly medium. There is nice slurp, smack, cream, froth, and pop, with great softness on the front of the sip. The mouth is initially coated through the swallow, but dries to a bone almost instantly thereafter, with fiery prickle and coolness as the residual alcohol evaporates off. The abv is appropriate, and the beer sips rather easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was the feel of it. The big sugariness gave stickiness around the mouth, while the fullness of body helped give nice pop and glug on the sip. This all coupled with soft creaminess, helping them to execute a highly desirable mouthfeel. The other components, however, were disappointing. The aroma felt cheap and overly sweet, while the flavoring was lopsided with sugars of its own, and all the drying characteristics of wood without much of its inherent warmth of flavoring. This is a decent effort, but without a solid base beer it is hard to build complexity.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 01:32:31 | More by TheBrewo

maximum12

Minnesota

2.33/5  rDev -39.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Thanks to AtlCarl for an excellent trade: this is the last bottle standing, having slipped into the upstairs fridge & dropped behind some arugula. 750ML bottle split with my wife.

Pour is black & very, very frothy. I have to stop halfway through the pour & hand off the glasses...I find this a bit sinister. Nose isn't all that active, Roast, not much else.

Dark Hollow doesn't impress at first blush. Over-carbonation aggravates the palate & distracts from the tastes. Getting past that, there's an almost lactose sweetness, malt sweetness, There's an undercurrent of currants, not quite dark fruit, but the breeze of a suggestion. Smooth to the point that the barrel is undetectable. Roast, but in a thin, cheap coffee sort of way. Very thin. Looking at my mostly full glass, I'm wondering if I'm going to waste kidney space on this.

I'm not. This is simply not a very good beer. My first taste of this brewery, & it's left me thinking I don't really need another. Or the rest of this one, for that matter.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 05:16:33 | More by maximum12

farrago

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Average pour yields a thinnish half finger of deep brown foam, loose with an uneven surface and somewhat poor retention, the lacing comes in a razor thin yet very wide sheet down the glass side. While the liquid is standard issue black near the top it turns to a more yellowish hue and you can see some bubbles dispersed throughout. The nose has a gentle persistence, more smooth and creamy than roasted, caramel, butterscotch, vanilla fudge more than the chocolate, gains tone from licorice and flowers, adding in some rum cake, scone and plums but without any booziness, good balance. In the mouth it’s medium-bodied and surprisingly graceful and fluid, glides right along. The carbonation is tight but unobtrusive, stops it from getting glued to the tongue. Here there’s more roast, focus on toasted coconut, café au lait, dark chocolate and then caramel and molasses. Again you get licorice and perhaps cola bean, at times you’d say it’s minty. Plum, blueberry fruit, touch of fig, a pleasing interplay of sweet and sour. Overall, this is very toned down for the style and within its idiom borderline sessionable. (Cork stated best by March 2013 (beat it by a day even though BA time stamp says 3/1!))

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 02:55:08 | More by farrago

ChefBogan

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured at my local pub into a tulip glass

Dark, coffee color, almost 2 fingers of caramel head, their pressure might be a little high

Aroma is smoky, chocolaty, woody

Malty taste with hints of chocolate, bourbon

Thin on the tongue, I like, not syrupy at all!

Overall a very easy drinking beer for being 10%, would recommend most things from Blue Mountain

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2013 03:32:14 | More by ChefBogan

FrankShirley

Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Finally popped the cork on this beer I received as a Christmas gift. Cork read best by March 2013 so I didn't want to wait any longer. Strong bourbon scent coming from the bottle before I even poured. Went with my large Ommegang snifter on this one, because why not. Pours a deep, deep mahogany with a nice caramel colored head.

Scent is what you'd expect from bourbon barrels- I get some of the charred wood, some notes of chocolate, even a little bit of fruit. Carbonation is good, not over the top. The taste reminds me of a toned down version of Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout. Obviously, it's not as strong at 10% but still pretty damn tasty. The mouthfeel is a little thin but I almost prefer this over some other beers that are almost syrup-like.

Overall, I'd definitely pick up another one of these if I see it. It's a solid beer from a brewery I hadn't heard of before. Can't go wrong there. Would also be interested in trying the Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Porter the bottle lists as a sister beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 22:34:23 | More by FrankShirley

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.79/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Black body with an inch of loose cinnamon colored head.

The nose is vanilla and oak, mostly. There's a light toasted marshmallow, too. The aroma is faint.

Decent flavor, but again is subdued. The bourbon barley shows up and when it does its all vanilla. There's no heat to it. Chocolate and roasted malt are in there, too.

Smooth, creamy, and heavy body.

Overall, a decent beer but in the environment of bourbon barrel stouts this one will find it tough to compete.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 03:44:47 | More by Vonerichs

Pencible

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: This poured an opaque black with thick light tan head.
S: It smelled like oak and dry roasted coffee and smoke, with some toasted coconut and dark chocolate and soy and brown sugar.
T: It tasted like oak and dry roasted coffee and toasted coconut, with some vanilla and smoke and soy and brown sugar. It had a mostly clean and bittersweet aftertaste with some alcohol.
M: It was fairly thick with some carbonation. Pretty chewy body.
D: As bourbon barrel stouts become more common, it's hard to stand out in the crowd, but this was a solid offering from a local brewery. Scent and taste were enjoyable, and body was excellent. Finish was a bit rough, so better to sip. Age might mellow, but might also steal some of the nice bourbon notes. Pretty solid fresh, but not top tier.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 21:55:56 | More by Pencible

DmanGTR

New York

4.84/5  rDev +25.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Thanks to Jeff for bringing this!

Poured inky black with chestnut hues in the light. Tan head that lasts and lasts. The nose is lighter than many big BA RIS's that I've had, but not in a bad way. A delicate bouquet of vanilla, brown malt, molasses, and biscuit melded with black currants and a touch of burnt toast. Coffee becomes more apparent as the beer warms. Medium/full bodied with a bit of dryness in the finish that I enjoy. Decently carbonated, although it could use a touch more. Very nice beer that I recommend seeking out. I think this is something that you can drink any time you feel like having something substantial, but not like a Dark Lord or Bourbon County type of bigness. It shines at tastings as something unique, yet it can make for an excellent low-key type of evening in front of the fireplace.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 19:02:41 | More by DmanGTR

smakawhat

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a large snifter glass. Best before 2013 March, long tug on the cork, but a good pop.

Out of the bottle classic mahogany pour, hits with a dark walnut brown body, hinting at black. Pretty opaque too some light just manages to escape . Barely half a finger of head, but it manages some decent staying power before settling to a light whipped milk chocolate mocha color. Wispy top and pleasant looking not filmy.

Nose is quite interesting. A downplayed action, not so booming, but in control, with some mild roast charring, Some minor oak depth squeeks out, but there's some fruit hiding behind here too, almost I want to say blueberry. Roast character is quite soild, giving the angle of a simple non barrel aged brew, with barrel characters taking a bit of a backseat. Slightly grainy. As the beer warms up, some licorice escapes just a bit.

Palate has a nice waffer chocolate sense. Fleeting and powdery. Going down some milk chocolate hits nicely. Mouthfeel hits ok, it senses a little papery and thin, but carries the palate and flavor nicely. Toasty grain hits also, with hints of peanut butter. Fruit angle hit on the nose is a little lost though.

Overall thought this is a pretty good example, but toned down. It's a nice sleeper to know about, with hints that there is room to even improve. I like the fact this is under the radar, and I could perhaps snag another without breaking the bank. It's nowhere near the greatness of other bourbon aged barreled brews, but I wont turn one down.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 01:14:46 | More by smakawhat

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - pitch black. Great look, nice head.

S - Pretty complex smells. Coffee, tar, leather. Potent.

T - Very boozy. The first time I had it, it seemed warm. The second time, it was overly strong in alcohol. Almost hard to get down.

M - Nothing wrong here. A good feel.

O - A good beer, albeit too powerful in the booze. Probably would be better aged.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2012 03:43:58 | More by Beer-A-Lot

metter98

New York

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with a finger high dense tan head that has very good retention properties and hardly died down and also left lots of bubbles down the sides of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of chocolate and dark malts along with hints of bourbon in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell, except that the bourbon flavors become stronger as the beer warms up and contribute flavors of oak and vanilla. The bourbon isn't that strong overall, but stands out because the underlying beer isn't that heavy-bodied.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little smooth and thin on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer feels like it could have used a fuller body to help support the bourbon barrel aging.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 02:53:45 | More by metter98

timahood32

North Carolina

3.73/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a little thinner than what i come to expect from an imperial stout beer pours brownish in color settles black in the glass with brown around the edges of the glass. Beer has a very strong bourbon smell(but not in a bad way)with hint of chocolate and touch of coffee. Taste really follows the nose on this one strong bourbon taste with slight chocolate and coffee note. Over all i really enjoyed this beer especially considering in the past i really haven't enjoyed bourbon aged stouts i would really recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 07:21:26 | More by timahood32

Dave1999

Virginia

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured pure black with a small tan coloured head.

Didn't have much smell, a little roasted malts and vanilla.

The taste was vanilla, oak, sweet bourbon and roasted malts.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied with low carbonation, very smooth.

Overall a reasonable beer but just didn't impress me very much.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2012 17:29:13 | More by Dave1999

bum732

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

S: Some bourbon and oak, touch of caramal, touch of alcohol, vanilla

L: Dark brown, not super dark, light tan head that dissipates to a ring of foam.

T: Very rum raisin like sweetness with carmelized bananas and bourbon vanilla. Roast at a very low level. Low bitterness with a slight alcohol bite. An almost rootbeer, earthy finish with some additional bourbon.

M: Medium thin body, medium carbonation, minimal alcohol.

Interesting, light, with dark demerara rum like flavors. Not much roast or coffee like flavors at all. A very different RIS that i would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 03:57:10 | More by bum732

DaveBlack

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark beer, essentially black, with a tiny bit of red showing at the edges. A moderately aggressive pour left me with a good 3+ fingers of head that has a long retention and leaves a little bit of lacing.

S: Dark fruits, caramel, dark chocolate, alcoholic phenols, a slight woody/smokiness. There is a LOT going on in this aroma, much more than the average stout.

T: Not the deep, coffee and chocolate notes that one might expect from an imperial stout. Instead the flavor is much lighter, with dark fruits, roasted malts, oak, vanilla, and a hefty shot of bourbon that comes out even more as it warms.

M: moderately heavy, but once again, not quite what the designation of "imperial stout" leads one to expect. Slightly syruppy, and very little carbonation..

O: Being that I love bourbon, and am not one to get too caught up on labels and styles, I think this beer is delicious. Lots of complexity, the bourbon plays nicely with the stout elements. Complex, malty, boozy and delicious. Worth a look for sure.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 23:13:00 | More by DaveBlack