Black Tuesday - The Bruery

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Chocolate, coffee, bourbon, booziness. More bourbon than I care for, more chocolate than I require, and the coffee was OK. Black, small head, a ring of lace. Lots of coconut flavour, not unpleasant. All of the above are liked more by others. Some vanilla, it is very rich and smooth, I am highly preferential to Kate TG and even other imperial stouts in the ratings race.Thanks Tom for hooking me up with a 2010.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 15:09:16 | More by northyorksammy

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.97/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Well it certainly took me long enough to find the time to crack this one open! I figured christmas night would be just the right time to split this one among the family, though I have to admit I ended up drinking half the bottle myself. Served at around fifty degrees and poured into several tasting glasses, this one was consumed on 12/25/2009.

The pour was brilliant and menacing. Rich and dark as night, no light could penetrate this one at all. Sinister looking with a huge tan head that rose up out of the depths and settled over the top with huge amounts of lacing. At this point I am scared, but I push on.

Aroma is brilliant and huge. Rich bourbon notes are immediatly felt. Just larger then life from the get go. Huge notes of booziness, rich vanilla soaked touches, tons of chocolate and rich molasses like notes, the aroma is soo thick you could drown in it. As I take the first sip I am blown away by how big this is. Decadence is defined in this beer. It is so viscous and huge, it almost defies words. Huge flavor of rich chocolate and huge vanilla and bourbon flavors. For 19.5 percent there was no way at all to tell. Maybe 10 percent or so, but wow. Soo smooth and complex I am completely in awe of this creation.

Overall I am really left rather speechless by this. I had my hopes dampened coming into this one as people have said it was not worthy of the hype, but I beg to differ, it was worth every bit of it. This is quite simply the biggest, baddest, strongest RIS I have ever come across and it deserves its title. Still in awe of this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2009 23:06:24 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I feel like such a homer and a feeder of the hype-machine by giving this beer such an amazing review, but I cannot help it. It deserves it.

A: Black Tuesday is jet black and has one of the best heads I've seen. A finger or so of mocha colored foam that has incredible staying power. If it didn't taste so good, it would be great to just look at it in the glass.

S: As one might expect from a beer as big and bold as this, there are great aromas of bourbon, chocolate, roasted malt, vanilla, sugar, and surprisingly mild alcohol.

T: The flavor is strikingly similar to the aroma (no shock there). The huge chocolate and bourbon barrel flavors are the first to knock your socks off. As you continue to enjoy the beer, you pick up on some dark fruits and licorice, along with some sweeter flavors of vanilla and brown sugar. Eventually the alcohol burn starts to creep in as the beer warms.

M: The carbonation on this beer is low, but the bubbles help to keep it from being too heavy and overwhelming. I find it to be a great match for the flavors and the enormous body of Black Tuesday.

D: Well, this could do well to sit in a cellar for about 5 years. But, it's still so wonderful now that I would not turn a serving down. This is one beer that truly has lived up to its hype (for me, anyway) and I look forward to sharing my bottles and my friends bottles whenever we feel so moved. An absolutely world class beverage!

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2009 07:30:58 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served on tap at the Bruery on August 9, 2009 in a "Bruery" tulip glass.

A: Very dark and thick with a thin tan head that stayed that way throughout. Nice legs on the sides of the glass.

S: Deep notes of coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, oak, bourbon, some dark fruits, and hints of brown sugar sweetness.

T: Very similar to the nose and very, very strong-tasting. The alcohol is present, but is certainly not overpowering, blending in quite well.

M: Quite smooth and medium-full bodied. My only complaint at all about this beer is that it could have been a little more fuller-bodied with a more creamy texture.

D: Exceedingly drinkable. A four-ounce pour is not nearly enough. It's too bad the pre-orders were all filled up, but I'm incredibly happy that I ended up in Orange County at just the right time!

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2009 05:38:47 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.28/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours out a foreboding black body with a wispy, wild, beige head.

Smell: Heavy concentrated, sweet-smelling aroma of dark malts with an equally strong, entrancing scent of quality bourbon. Mm-mmm!

Taste: Starts sharply, arrestingly sweet, then in rolls some dark fruits lusciously coated in creamy bittersweet chocolate ganache, brown sugar, and blackstrap molasses and spiced with some star anise. Even doses of vanilla and zesty, charred oak character. Additional dribble of prune juice and a chilled cup of Americano. Warming (though thankfully not boozy or harsh), sweet-tasting (but not cloying) finish.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied. Medium carbonation. Particularly velvety mouthfeel.

Drinkability: A phenomenal, fierce brew! It's about as easily drinkable as something of this magnitude or degree of sweetness can be. Take it slow, bring some friends, and enjoy yourself.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2010 02:06:19 | More by ChainGangGuy

UCLABrewN84

California

4.7/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bottle pour at the Bruery Reserve Society initiation party at The Phoenix Club in Anaheim, CA.

2011 vintage.

Pours an opaque super dark brown with a tan head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. No lacing on this one. Smell is of dark roasted malt, vanilla, wood, and bourbon aromas. Taste is amazing and is of dark roasted malt, dark fruits, vanilla, wood, and bourbon. This beer has a light level of carbonation with a medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is an exceptional stout with a fantastic barrel aged presence.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2012 23:12:26 | More by UCLABrewN84

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Served in a snifter.

Big thanks to VDubb86 for sharing his winnings with me!

And the elusive Black Tuesday sits in my glass. Nice. it pours a straight obsidian topped by a half-finger of light ecru foam. The nose comprises rich bourbon, chocolate syrup, roasted malts, molasses, and oak. Smells like the hype might ring true. The taste, though, ensures that it does not. The bourbon is far too hot, the chocolate is just a step too sweet, and these combined with a hefty dose of roasted malts produce an unnerving prickle on the tongue. It's clear there was a damn good idea in place for this beer, but it doesn't seem as though it was carried out very well. Perhaps some age would have done it some good, but I'm not sure I'll find that out. As it stands, the flavors are just too all over the place to work properly. The body is a hefty-ish medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a semi-chewy feel. Overall, though disappointing, I was very glad to have been able to try this brew. I can see why many would love it, but it's just not working for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 02:58:35 | More by TMoney2591

WesWes

New York

4.83/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The beer pours a pitch black color with a 1/4" brown head that fades to lacing. The aroma is out of this world. It's warm and dark with excellent bourbon barrel character. The black and roasted malts are present and accounted for. The taste is perfect in my opinion. It's a strong black, earthy, roasted beer with a thick rich flavor that goes down warm and finishes the same with a nice bourbon character. The bourbon really compliments the overall experience. The mouthfeel is exceptional. It is a full bodied beer with near perfect carbonation. This is my new favorite beer in the world. It has everything I'm looking for in a drinking experience.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2010 10:14:40 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

4.53/5  rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

20 malts! Wow. I was annoyed with all the hype surrounding this beer but given the opportunity to try it, I was seriously blown away by it and I'm really glad I got the opportunity.

Beer is black (shocking) and forms a thin brown head that leaves some lacing on the glass. Carbonation is moderate to low. When I swirl the beer it coats the glass and leaves legs on the walls of the glass like a fine wine would do.

This is a seriously big beer, I was expecting alcohol in the nose but no...it smells sweet and there's some bourbon smell in there but no straight alcohol. I can pick up some roast as well. Really nicely balanced, seriously.

Beer is sweet up front but has a good body to it, medium. I'm definitely not drinking rubbing alcohol but I'm also not chewing it. There is some bitterness in the back but again, the alcohol is completely masked. I'm knocking it down on drinkability because I honestly don't think I could drink a lot of it, its builds on me in both sweetness and bitterness but its a great beer. Think Bourbon County on steriods.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2010 03:21:23 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.43/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to GregSVT for sharing this bottle. I was beginning to doubt whether I would ever get to try this one.

2011 vintage.

The beer pours a very dark brown to black color with a few brown bubbles but no real head.

The aroma is awesome. I get a ton of bourbon and molasses notes, as well as some raisins, chocolate and roasted malt. The other barrel-aged notes also come through and contribute quite a bit of maple and oak.

The flavor is just as good, if not better than the aroma. The first notes are some sweet chocolate, which is quickly followed by a heavy amount of bourbon. I also get some great maple, oak and vanilla notes from the barrel-aging process, as well as some coffee and brown sugar. The alcohol is very present and the beer is extremely sweet.

Medium to thick mouthfeel and low carbonation. Thanks again Greg for sharing this bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 03:00:24 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks to given2flybrewing for sharing this.

A - Poured out an opaque, jet black color. Viscous and thick with a small, tan head of foam that left sudsy trails of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of bourbon, vanilla, oak, chocolate and rich roastiness.

T - Such great balance - chocolate, toffee, burnt molasses, vanilla and bourbon. Its got some boozy heat, too.

M - It was crisp and smooth. A full bodied ale with a clean finish.

O - This is so fantastic. It lived up to the hype. Simply amazing!

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 02:03:03 | More by zeff80

MasterSki

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 vintage opened at Joe & Julie's place. Served in a badass Batman Forever stein, back when McDonald's actually had cool giveaway items.

A - A nice finger of tan foam settles to a thick collar but minimal lacework. Black body with a glint of brown at the edges of the glass. Pretty impressive at 18.2%.

S - Huge bourbon barrel presence, with plenty of dry wood, whiskey, vanilla, and dark chocolate. Only mild roast and coffee flavors in the periphery. Intensely rich, with well-hidden alcohol - most people who tried this would have never guessed it was over 18%.

T - Taste is quite similar, with massive amounts of chocolate, vanilla, and lighter touch of bourbon, barrel, and caramel. Again, there's minimal roast character, resulting in this being very sweet. Still it was quite easy to drink and never became cloying.

M - Viscous and shake-like full body, with enough carbonation to get things from getting too heavy or sludge-like. Some alcohol warmth, but nothing untoward. Pretty creamy, with only mild barrel tannin presence. I expected a slightly heavier beer at 18.2%, but I appreciate that this drinks like it has an ABV in the low teens.

D - Really enjoyable stuff - the 2011 seems to be developing nicely as I thought it was a bit boozy last time I had it just before Christmas. I know there's been backlash against the hype on this beer, but it's really excellent and among the Bruery's best offerings. Just make sure you have friends on hand, as drinking more than 6oz will put you in the fast lane to incomprehensibility.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 18:17:04 | More by MasterSki

emerge077

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks Jared & Kevin for making this review possible... An appropriately sinny rapturebeer™ if ever there was one. Review from written notes.

Into a small tulip glass it pours an imposing black with blood red ruby edges that glint in the light. Slim amount of foam, tan ring around the edge, surprising there was any foam considering the abv. The glassy obsidian surface reminds me of the oily black pool at Glastonbury Grove in Twin Peaks.

Toasted marshmallows, melted milk chocolate bars, deep roasty char.

Rich and fudgy (understatement), caramel toffee, almond fudge, fried plantains, warm chocolate syrup. Mucho dry roast and bitter bakers chocolate in the aftertaste. So decadent. Impossibly dense, fudgy and chewy to the nth degree, a perfect liquid dessert. About 4 oz. is enough for one sitting, although I could certainly drink more if I forced myself.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 02:31:55 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

4.97/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On-tap at The Bruery itself, 8oz.,

A: Pours pitch black with a light brown head, spots of lace.

S: Robust smell full of chocolate syrup, coffee and licorice.

T: Big flavours, heavy on the dark chocolate, molasses, licorice, anise and mocha. Bourbon barrels come in and add touch of vanilla, wood and cinnamon spice. Pretty much perfect for what an imperial stout should taste like.

M: Full-bodied, thick and viscous, but incredibly smooth and balanced. No heat from the alcohol is astonishing, but something I've come to expect from The Bruery's big beers. Dark Lord is the only beer I can recall having a comparably big mouthfeel.

D: Aside from Partridge in a Spice Tree this is my favourite beer ever from The Bruery, and it will actually be available for more than a weekend. I can't really find a fault with this beer. So easy to drink for its style, it should be illegal. It's hard to say $25 or $1/oz. for a bottle of beer is even a good deal, but for this one it's a steal.

Serving type: on-tap

07-18-2009 17:13:23 | More by Halcyondays

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to hopderek for a pour of this bottle.

A: The stout is black, still as night and under siege. An off-white head comes along for the ride but doesn't amount to much.

S: The nose is punctuated by sweet bourbon. Darker stout aromas are present but take a backseat to the barrel.

T: The sweetness of the barrel, vanilla and dark fruits, along with the boozy strength stand out. Along side the barrel, the stout seems to be laiden with dark sugars and molasses, sweet but not cloying. The strength is hard to miss, rich and overpowering in every sip. The darker flavors, roasted as they are, fit in well amongst the sweet barrel flavors.

M: The mouthfeel is sweet, vanilla and stout flavors run strong through the ale. There is plenty of sweetness beyond the barrel, enough to border on Belgian stout territory.

D: Strong? Indeed. A good stout that makes use of its barrel provenance. It's big though, too big to really dig into.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2011 01:47:53 | More by akorsak

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.6/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to my homies rhertan and RJ for my first BT, most recently again tried with youradhere

A:Poured a big jet black with good carbonation and a brown head.

S: Nose is booze, cocoa, black liquorice, hint of vanila and coffee.

T: Up, down, round and round. Every time I sipped it I picked a new note. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, toasted grains, liquorice, vanilla, coffee, wood. End is sharp, bitter and dry but complex. Booze is well masked.

M: Big feel, well carbonated, lots of taste.
Creamy and hot..pervert..
O: Drinkability is well, good. For the style it is awesome but man is it hot n heavy by the numbers.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 13:25:55 | More by barleywinefiend

mdfb79

New York

4.68/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

From 12/12/10 notes. Got to try this at a local tasting thanks to drabmuh. Big thanks Matt, this was my biggest want!

a - Pours a jet black color with two to three inches of fluffy tan head that stays throughout drinking and light carbonation evident. Leaves a tiny bit of lacing on the glass, looks perfect.

s - Smells of bourbon, oak, chocolate, roasted malts, dark fruit, and vanilla. Also a little sweet brown sugar or molasses. Very enjoyable; it's complex and balanced.

t - Tastes of bourbon, oak, chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla, and molasses. Also a little bit of raisin or dark fruit. Taste is a bit hot but still great to me, as I love bourbon.

m - Medium to full body and low carbonation. The body is really smooth and creamy and the ABV is very well hidden. It I didn't know this was 18-19% ABV, I would have guessed it was 9%. Love the mouthfeel.

d - Overall I thought this was an amazing beer; one of the best barrel aged stouts I've ever had. While this beer is super hyped and I have been disappointed with some of their hyped beers in the past, this one lived up to the hype. I think it looks and smells great, and has a wonderful mouthfeel, but is a tiny bit hot. I think in 6-12 months this could be even better, if the heat dies down a tiny bit. Either way, if you like bourbon barrel aged stouts you'll still love this one now. Would love to get another bottle of this.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2010 00:51:20 | More by mdfb79

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Got a chance to try this awesome beast thanks to ShogoKawada's trading prowess and our "Rush Hour Tasting" of epic magnitudes. I had to back log a bunch of beers so I could write this up for my 200th review as I'm trying to do something epic for each centennial review. My review will be a little less in depth as usual as I was truing to scribble little notes into my notebook and enjoy/savor the awesomeness of the beer at the same time.

A: Super dark rich thick heavy pitch black color. Pours like molasses almost. A light head and carbonation.

N: Nose is loaded with chocolate up the wazzoo, and I'm talkin all kinds of chocolate, bakers chocolate, mild chocolate, dark chocolate, malted chocolate. Some bourbon and oak make their way through it's lusciousness. A little boozy on the nose, but not close to what I would expect for 19.5%. It adds some malty aromas, but not overwhelming.

T: Taste just blows it away. Is so rich and thick. Very sweet with some maple and molasses and a huge malty sweetness. Some bourbon flavor permeates, but doesn't overpower like the chocolate and sweetness. Which brings me to the chocolate. Again, just about every chocolate you can dream of coming out the taste of this. It adds a nice stoutty flavor too with more earthy charred malt flavor. Add some roasted malts to it and you got a nice mix going. Still somewhat boozy but not what you would expect for 19.5%. As it warms more alcohol comes out a bit, the sweetness lessens, your mouth gets used to the chocolate, and some fruity qualities come out. Even a touch of toasted coconut comes through, as well as some fig and plum maybe.

M: So rich and thick my mouth is partying thinking it died and went to beer heaven. It's like liquid velvet blended with the smooth skin of a baby's ass. Some warming alcohol, but not overbearing.

F: Finish is still very sweet, although it seems to lessen on sweetness as it warms but ups the boozy taste. Although I would still put this beer at 10-12% abv so this blend really hides it well. Some bitterness comes out on the finish probably a combination of some hidden hops as well as the earthiness of the starched malts and stout like qualities.

This beer basically lived up to the awesome hype. I was a little worried that it wouldn't, and we all wanted it to bomb out so we could downgrade the score. Instead it did the opposite and made is happy but sad at the same time. I would love to see how this does with a few more years under it's belt. I hope they continue to make batches of this and make higher quantities. The only difficult part of it was the sweetness that was a little overbearing at times, and it was hard to finish, even slowly, but that just pushes the sipping aspect of it, which is very thankful as it masks the 19.5% so well you could just put it back much easier otherwise.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2009 15:40:07 | More by jlindros

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Capped 750 ml bottle into several glasses on 2/3/10. Big thanks go to Deuane for busting this bad boy out on his 40th birthday as a special treat for us all to try.

The pour on this is blacker than black, with about a ½ finger of angry, burnt, reddish, and just all around mean looking, mocha colored head. The retention is this is actually pretty sturdy for a barrel-aged effort, staying foamy on the sides and then more fizzy across the middle portion of the glass. Swirling this gets a steady rise of froth, which leaves a cascade of sticky foam and brown oils, which ever so slowly creeps down the sides of the glass. The aroma is literally, like a bomb going off in the nose. Cocoa, vanilla, brown sugars, herbal hops, burnt molasses, bitter dark malts, and fried smelling sugars, are all out in full force here. The Bourbon kind of hangs half in and half out here in the nose, mingling effortlessly up front with the other flavors and then showing itself all out in the back. As you can imagine, there is a good bit of heat present that singes the nose hairs a bit but when you're dealing with flavors this huge, it only adds to the general badassness of this dark and powerful bouquet.

The taste is just as large and in charge as the aroma was and contains much of the same feel and flavors. Burned and blackened malts, espresso, green citric tones, extremely sticky and thick notes of chocolate, toffee, smoky molasses, brown sugar, plums, and black currants. Trust me, if it dark and sweet tasting, it's probably in here. Bourbon hangs over the other flavors like a hazy cloud, being prominent but still allowing the largeness of the other flavors to still shine. Understandably, the barrel character seems to get a bit lost in the shuffle at times but I can still pick up a good bit of earthy tannic dryness in the finish. The mouthfeel on this beer feels beyond full, with a massive creaminess to it that literally blows up in your mouth. All of that chewy sweetness and herbal character comes in off of the sides with a gooey slickness. I don't think that any description I can give can properly give the mouthfeel of this thing its due. The ABV on this is beyond warm. It's downright hot at times (with the Bourbon flavor adding some of that) but it's not nearly enough to make you think that this thing is pushing 20%. As a matter of fact, everything else about this beer is so huge and ridiculous, I didn't mind it one bit! Hell, throw some over-the-top alcohol in there as well! The more the merrier!

Well after finally getting to try this, I can definitely see how just how polarizing of a beer this can be. Everything about this (OK, except maybe the look) is just outrageous and I think that one's enjoyment of this will depend on their like of these types of flavors or big Stouts in general, as they are totally taken to the nth degree here. I personally loved every drop of it! I will say that a little bit of this goes a long way. I had about 4-5 oz from the bottle and that was plenty for me. This was definitely a bottle meant to be shared by friends.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2010 20:36:20 | More by Kegatron

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle, huge thanks to ritzkiss for cracking one. At the epic Bruery tasting.

Pours a surprising clear dark blackish red, some ruby highlights in the edges, medium sized brown head forms, slowly settles to a thin ring, some lace spots stick, very oily looking.

Smell is great, very intense stuff, toffee and chocolate, big bourbon notes, vanilla, oak, brown sugar, raisin, light roast, a touch of smoke, sweet and sugary through the middle, some booze, oats, coconut, pretty crazy.

Taste is awesome too, very rich, sweet at first, toffee and bourbon, vanilla, nice and woody, lightly roast and some chocolate, biscuit, raisin, brown sugar, oats, decent amount of fruity sweetness, port, sweet and lightly spicy in the finish, real nice coconut cream aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is oily and thick, big body, low carbonation, some heat going down but drinks no where near 20%. Some hype? Of course, but in this case it deserves it, this is great stuff. Thanks Eric!!

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2010 15:42:29 | More by Viggo

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to javib458 for sending this beast to me.

2009 vintage, 20 malts, son!

Pours pitch black and completely opaque without even the slightest hint of lighter color and a half finger dark mocha head that dissapears immediately. No lacing at all.

Boozy bourbon aroma with hints of earthy oak and vanilla. slightly roasted chocolate malt as well as some hazelnut and toffee but the nose of this beer is all about the barrel. There's a nice vanilla marshmallow presence that cuts down the hot spirit character. Subtle soy sauce in the nose as well and the bourbon dominates but the malt presence becomes more evident as it warms.

Chewy medium body with a huge blast of bourbon that lingers troughout into a sweet, hot finish with plenty of warmth in the chest. Slightly viscous but a bit thinner than I expected based on the appearance. As it warms the silky chocolate malts become more apparent but overall this is kind of a one dimensional bourbon bomb. Faint hints of chocolate, toffee and licorice. Lots of alcohol sweetness and subtle soy spice flavor but this beer is actually pretty drinkable with a relatively well masked ABV. I would have never guessed that this was over 18%.

Overall this beer is pretty tasty and easier drinking than expecting considering the ABV but it's a bit one dimensional and thinner bodied than I prefer for the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 01:11:13 | More by corby112

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.8/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Well hey, BT pours out, black, but is very dark brown, you've seen blacker, so what. Very little head here, not much carbonation, plenty enough for style, immensity of this case.

The greatest meld of chocolate and bourbon for a series of beer, this one has plenty, and until I tried the chocolate rain version, I hadn't had a better example/mix of the beauty the two can do together. The vanilla and slightly charred oak feel is around, its warming, but for 18% it really is so nice. A rounded leather and tobacco blend can make you feel like you're in a Western. Every time I drink BT it burns itself into my memory. BT release night, Christmas fire etc. . .

Such a great 'base' beer for all the melanges/rain variations. Greatest cigar beer of all time. Sweetness. Every aspect is huge. It is very warming. Boozy, but never harsh.

Ended up rationalizing to write this review, I need to print a new 'my' top 1/2/300 list for my house anyways, such a completionist.

EDIT: Man, just had my first bottle of the 2011 last weekend during the Lesnar/Overeem fight. Might be the best one yet, and the appearance is just delightful.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2011 05:19:30 | More by Beerandraiderfan

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Sampled at yet another outrageous tasting over at Dyan's place the other evening. Many thanks again kind sir for cracking open this beauty the other night.

BT pours a blackish brown color with very good head retention and lots of sticky lacing all around. The nose on this bad boy is quite profound, though at least initially, the alcohol was a bit too noticeable. However, that dissipated fairly quickly and I got dark chocolate, milk duds, leather, licorice, dark fruits and a hint of tobacco. Just so much going on with this beer. Flavors on the palate are even better IMHO, with the rich, sweet, chocolate, maple syrup and vanilla front and center. This is a very, very sweet beer, but I never felt as if it was too sweet and cloying on the palate. There's just so much flavor in this excellent beer, and that flavor profile is huge and intense. Mouthfeel is very rich and sweet, with a long, long finish. Carbonation is fairly low, which works well with this beer. Drinkability is the only area where I feel as if I have to deduct some points. This beer is so sweet and boozy, I cannot imagine drinking more then 4 or 5 ounces at a sitting. We split Dyan's bottle amoung 6 good size guys, and we could barely polish off the bottle. It's absolutely the sort of meal that I'd want to drink after a beer (weak joke there), and then only a splash in a nice size brandy snifter.

A couple of thoughts about this beer. This is an extremely impressive beer, one that was an absolute treat to sample. That being said, it really doesn't have any place in my life. Like the DFH WWS and 120 IPA, this is the sort of beer you can drink once in a blue moon, with no need for repeated applications. Not sure when, if ever, I'll want to try this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2009 21:43:12 | More by johnmichaelsen

DoubleJ

California

4.78/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

The bottles won't be released for another three months, but a keg was tapped at the source yesterday. I've known about this beer since May 2008, when me and a buddy sampled this beer when it was still fermenting! Anyways...let's keep the hype train rolling:

Polka dot tan lacing clings to the glass on top the pitch black body. A little paper-thin tan foam caps the body. The aroma...watch out! Very intense, but oh so enjoyable. Very sweet, like vanilla, bourbon, fruit, burnt sugar, and a faint roastiness.

The aroma, combined with the taste, makes this beer a winner. I was first amazed with how well masked the alcohol was. There is a little heat, but it feels more like 10-11% range of a good beer. It's chocolatey, bourbony, woody, burnt sugary, fruity, and a pinch of boozy. The alcohol had a bit of a cherry flavor. An easy mouthfeel keeps things from getting too cloying, but still heavy and lip-smacking good. Slighty boozy, and it never hangs around for too long. Damn...it's a very slow sipper, but I could sip on it awhile.

I was worried this would be like World Wide Stout or Mikkeller Black and be extremely alcoholic with limited enjoyability. Fortunately, that is not the case. Black Tuesday black out the booze and stimulates the taste buds. Indeed, this is marvelous black water. Oh, and don't fret too much if you miss out on a bottle initially, because this beer will be brewed again in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2009 03:42:44 | More by DoubleJ

glid02

Georgia

4.83/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Shared by gford217 - much obliged!

Pours black with dark brown highlights as the beer clings to the side of the glass and a thin brown head that quickly recedes into a smooth and oily top. A nice swirl leaves brown legs on the sides of the glass.

Smells of roasted malts with hints of tobacco, vanilla, bourbon, and dark chocolate, more or less in that order.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Mild roasted malt flavors up front are overtaken quickly by vanilla, bourbon, and dark chocolate. Midway through the sip hints of tobacco enter into things but stay in the backseat. The ending is mildly boozy and bitter. The alcohol is absurdly well hidden.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a very smooth thickness with soft and grainy carbonation.

Drinkability is great. I finished my glass with absolutely no problem and could have entirely too much more.

Overall I have to say that it lived up to the hype. I think the best thing about this beer is how well integrated all of the flavors are while managing to not taste overly hot. Not the best beer I've ever had but it certainly has to be part of the conversation.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2009 03:31:03 | More by glid02