Pappy's Dark - Block 15 Brewery & Restaurant

maximum12

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to kscaldef for sending me my first two bottles of Block 15, maybe the brewery I most wanted to try. This brew was on my list...so let's get to it. C&C 750 ML bottle split with my wife from the 2011 bottling.

Nice label & good to see the eco-consciousness of another brewery. Pour looks like liquid caramel with redhead highlights. Smell unfolds as it warms. Great barrel notes, & enough hard malting to rival an old ale with that distinctive sweet caramel & booze. Very nice.

Pappy's Dark punches like a beer twice its ABV & makes my breath a fire hazard. Not only smells like an old ale, tastes like one too: big caramel & a brick wall of booziness warm enough to make me kick off my slippers & abandon my sweatshirt. Lovely goose of vanilla & gentle bourbon hit the bare midriff (bare because my temp is still going up). End-up is woozy boozy with a touch of toffee, slight breadiness coming in & oak causing a drought in my mouth. Could use a touch of carbonation, but hey, hairs, split, etc.

This is a low-fi bruiser that mimcs antifreeze (now I'm free of my pants, yippee!). If straight-up alcohol & complexity is your thing, you'll like this. Me? Love the complexities, very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 03:35:12 | More by maximum12

Photekut

Azerbaijan

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

05-19-2013 00:03:41 | More by Photekut

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%

05-12-2013 21:24:57 | More by AlexFields

jegross2

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Reviewing Pappy's Dark from Block 15 out of Corvallis, Oregon.

Score: 95

2013 vintage bottle served in a Portsmouth snifter and enjoyed on 02/24/13 to celebrate the Oscars. Review is from iPhone notes. Thank you Danny for the bottle!

Appearance: Pours a thin film of tan head. The body is dark reddish-brown in color, like a murky barleywine. Poor lacing, minimal retention. 4/5

Smell: Coconut, luscious vanilla, and a nice dessert-like sweetness that is reminisce of Scotty Karate. Freshly baked beer bread, cocoa powder and oak. Toffee and molasses complexities too. A little bit of alcohol is apparent. 4.5/5

Taste: Even more coconut on palate than nose! Good alcohol warmth upfront on palate, but not fusel or "boozy." Molasses, toffee and vanilla. Coconut finish. Nice sweetness upfront that mellows before the finish. If you let this beer it on the tongue, you get a nice little bourbon burn and smooth molasses flavor lingering. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, minimal but perfect carbonation. Silky and smooth. Nice level of sweetness. 4.25/5

Overall: Past batches of this beer did not have the best reputation, but the 2013 vintage hit the ball out of the park. This beer is a coconut-vanilla bomb, and had I known just how excellent this beer would be in advance, I would have surely sought more. Abandon all preconceived notions and acquire yourself a bottle from the latest release.

Cost: $15 for a 750 ml bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 15:45:49 | More by jegross2

CanisMajor

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

04-28-2013 19:21:36 | More by CanisMajor

kevwcamp

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

04-17-2013 05:04:49 | More by kevwcamp

cfrances33

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%

04-15-2013 04:52:37 | More by cfrances33

benjaminahudson

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

04-11-2013 19:51:32 | More by benjaminahudson

beernads

Florida

4/5  rDev -0.5%

04-10-2013 09:20:31 | More by beernads

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.04/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2013 bottle opened and split two ways on 4.7.13.

A - Pours a dark cola brown with a few dark tan bubbles that quickly move to the glass and leave lots of streaking lacing.

S - A bit tart, but lots of barrel notes, toffee, and wood.

T - Lots of barrel, almost a tartness, but more woody. Lots of toffee/carmel, and of course bourbon. One of the best.

D - Lower carbonation with a medium body.

O - A bit tart and woody, but a very nice bourbon influence. Pappy is always nice.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 02:57:30 | More by HuskyinPDX

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.38/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

750 mL bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Pours a flat reddish brown body. No head. The thinnest of collars going on.

Smell - Bourbon, lots of caramel, vanilla. Not as impressive as I remember it.

Taste - Richer caramel, lots of barrel and vanilla. Finishes astringent and bourbony.

Mouthfeel - Mostly flat. Slight booziness to it.

Overall - Just a bland beer in a good barrel. This would be a nothing beer without the barrel.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 03:03:00 | More by Alieniloquium

johnnyboy76

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

03-17-2013 03:45:56 | More by johnnyboy76

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

03-16-2013 12:13:30 | More by Thorpe429

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.51/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer appears a murky shade of burnt copper with virtually no head. The aroma offers oak, vanilla, bourbon, sweet malt. The flavor is very malty, with tannic / vanilla notes. Perhaps a hint of citrus from excessive barrel character. Light in feel with low carbonation. Overall, this was ok.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 01:14:16 | More by Huhzubendah

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

03-15-2013 23:39:09 | More by Dreadnaught33

baybum

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

03-10-2013 00:37:20 | More by baybum

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%

02-24-2013 02:48:36 | More by yourefragile

cavemanlawyer

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2012 bottle poured into a snifter. Wanted to try this one fresh. I believe this version was aged for 12 months in Old Rip Van Winkle barrels that were used in the PVW Family Reserve 20 year.

After a somewhat vigorous pour there is very little initial head. The head does slowly form and then sticks around for the rest of the glass. Dark brown body with tan head and moderate lacing.

Smells of toasty vanilla and bourbon. Some chocolate notes as well and a lot of oak from the 20 year Pappy barrels. Very inviting.

Taste is smooth bourbon all the way. Even has a nice bite at the finish that is strongly reminiscent of the 20 year PVW we had at the bottle release party. Lots of toasted oak barrel, vanilla and some dark fruit.

I wish the beer was a bit thicker. As it was it was good for the style but felt a tiny bit thin. Carbonation was good and the flavor lingered and evolved.

I think this might be my favorite vintage of Pappy's Dark. The 2010 and 2011 are both drinking well now but Nick and crew really dialed it in with this version.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 17:20:45 | More by cavemanlawyer

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap during the Hop and Vine event.

The beer pours a tawny, cloudy brown color with good head retention and decent lacing. This beer has the look of a beer that has seen a bit of barrel aging in its time. The nose is intense and a bit unusual, as I pick up noticeable bourbon (of course), brown sugar, plum, light sour and vanilla. The bourbon does not overpower the rest of the aroma components in this beer, which I think is a good thing. On the palate, this beer is just a treat. The beer is fairly sweet and rich, but has enough bourbon and dark fruit to keep the sweetness from coming across as too much. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a long, rich, brown sugar and vanilla infused finish. This beer carries its 10% abv. very well, and is not at all heavy, hot or tiring on the finish. You can certainly tell it's up there, and I'm not sure I'd ever want more than a single glass at a sitting, but this is definitely a very nice beer that I wouldn't hesitate to order again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2013 16:23:50 | More by johnmichaelsen

funkel81

California

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

02-10-2013 17:28:05 | More by funkel81

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%

01-26-2013 20:38:47 | More by mothman

hoppymcgee

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

01-19-2013 23:27:40 | More by hoppymcgee

spycow

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.5%

01-18-2013 04:57:29 | More by spycow

dirtylou

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle, split, hill farmstead glass

PAPPY BARRELS. A difficult beer to categorize or describe - pretty big bodied, caramel and toffee are the dominant flavors - bourbon is percolating, but not particularly refined. Brown sugar and molasses contribute additional weight and sweetness. I'm not sure about this one - some nice things going on, but kind of a mish-mash and the barrel aging really was pretty sloppy in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 22:18:54 | More by dirtylou

claspada

New Jersey

4.29/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2011 edition.

Pours a semi hazy medium brown colors with a small eggshell head that recedes to leave some decent lacing.

Aromas begin with some brown sugar, caramelized sugars, light maple and candy with some emerging bourbon more and more as it warms. There is also some light oak and toasted bread which emerges as well.

The tastes follow those nose with some toasted biscuity bread, caramelized sugars and light cocoa maltiness. The bourbon and oak complements the flavors and does not assert itself too much or overpower the base beer but works in harmony. Some vanilla and maple also emerges as it warms more and more.

The mouthfeel is medium to heavy bodied with medium to light carbonation. Finish is decently sweet but no where near cloying thanks to what I assume is some Belgian yeast which adds some necessary dryness.

Overall this is a fantastic beer and probably the darkhorse highlight of our last group bottle share. It is a beast flavor-wise yet extremely balanced and drinkable compared to other offerings in this ABV level and style. Definitely worth seeking out if you ask me.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 16:40:41 | More by claspada