Anderson Valley Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout - Anderson Valley Brewing Company

Akuma35

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

02-04-2013 03:51:07 | More by Akuma35

KiMiRaiK

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +18.1%

05-19-2013 03:48:39 | More by KiMiRaiK

Gmann

New York

3.61/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a near black color with a dense creamy tan head that settles into a solid cap.

The aroma is subtle but has a nice aroma of chocolate and sweet whiskey. Mild vanilla notes as well.

The flavor is of a powdery chocolate, smooth caramel and a hint of vanilla. Not much from the whiskey. There is a light booze flavor nothing really specific

The feel is moderate with soft carbonation. Sweet on the palate but not syrupy.

A rather boring barrel aged brew but it drinks nice and has a nice flavor.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 02:45:15 | More by Gmann

DangerDawg

Ohio

4/5  rDev +5%

05-19-2013 02:35:26 | More by DangerDawg

nyrblue2

New York

4/5  rDev +5%

05-19-2013 01:30:18 | More by nyrblue2

acurtis

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

05-18-2013 23:11:43 | More by acurtis

djrn2

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -21.3%

05-18-2013 22:51:18 | More by djrn2

Kreko7

California

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

05-18-2013 17:25:02 | More by Kreko7

argock

Virginia

3.11/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a 22 oz brown bomber into a clear glass snifter. No freshness date evident. Purchased at Wine Warehouse (Charlottesville, VA).

A: Not quite opaque dark brown with 1 finger of light-beige head with below-average retention and minimal lacing.

S: The aroma is not strong with only some hints of whiskey and nothing that really resembles Wild Turkey. The stout base is not very characterful with some caramel malt notes.

T: The flavor is a big letdown with some caramel malt sweetness. There are some dark malt qualities, but they are weak. The body is so light that it seems like the flavors are diluted. The bourbon whiskey flavor is there but very muted. A big disappointment.

M: The mouthfeel is all wrong for a bourbon barrel aged stout -- too thin.

O: This was one of the more boring beers I have had in the last couple of years. One of AV's poorer beers -- I think this is an attempt to lighten up a beer that I don't think really can be light -- it needs the big imperial stout dark maltiness to work with the whiskey character. Without it, they both feel off. I would definitely skip this one, especially at the unbelievable price point.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 03:21:41 | More by argock

brotherloco

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-18-2013 00:44:22 | More by brotherloco

Greywulfken

New York

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not real sure about the details of this brewer or this beer - I just saw "bourbon barrel" and "stout" and figured it'd be my cup o' tea. Apparently, the base stout is an oatmeal stout, and the bourbon barrel is of the Wild Turkey sort. So let's give it a go.

A: not quite pitch black, finger of beige head that slimmed into some wispiness, faint mote traces inside my snifter

S: got some bourbon, dry style, and some dark maltiness reminiscent of cocoa powder and iced coffee

T: dry-tasting chocolate and dark malts, tones of Wild Turkey - not particularly complex or rich; slight smokiness

M: thin on the palate - not what I expected, smooth, though, with a mellow bitterness

O: guess I expected more than what I got - a little too thin feeling and not a very strongly flavored beer - felt closer to a porter than a stout - and the bourbon barrel aging dried it out a bit too much for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 23:46:27 | More by Greywulfken

AOShabaz

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

05-17-2013 23:17:40 | More by AOShabaz

AlexChillton

Arizona

4/5  rDev +5%

05-17-2013 23:05:19 | More by AlexChillton

PriorDoubleDark

Maine

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

05-16-2013 19:10:58 | More by PriorDoubleDark

enelson

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-16-2013 01:45:35 | More by enelson

zonker17

Illinois

4/5  rDev +5%

05-15-2013 03:04:45 | More by zonker17

pin

Australia

3/5  rDev -21.3%

05-15-2013 01:15:12 | More by pin

Kevincredible

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

05-15-2013 01:08:58 | More by Kevincredible

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

05-14-2013 19:31:27 | More by BostonHops

skaboom420

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

05-13-2013 23:44:18 | More by skaboom420

MacQ32

South Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours an incredibly dark brown, near black. Nearly 2 fingers of dark khaki colored head, nice retention, 1/4" remains after about 5 minutes, lacing is great.

S - Smells fantastic. Very sweet, lots of chocolate malts, caramel, vanilla, and sweet bourbon. Raisin or dark cherry is also very present.

T - Initially I'm getting mostly sweetish dark fruits and some light bourbon flavors. The bourbon lingers a bit as the vanilla, and a bit of chocolate/coffee like malts come into play. The finish is slightly dry, chocolaty sweet, and mild bourbon. Definitely not going to make many people flinch, mild but very good.

M - Incredibly drinkable. A little light but very smooth - I could down this pretty quickly in great comfort. Definitely a rarity for the style, a huge plus

O - Definitely the lowest ABV if seen on a Bourbon Barrel Aged brew. Is it the most flavorful smack in the face? No, not at all. But its still got great, balanced flavor, an incredibly smooth drinkability and a hint of that bourbony deliciousness we all know and love.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 23:17:48 | More by MacQ32

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

22oz bottle poured into a shaped pint glass.

Appearance
Black with 3 fingers of tan head. Nice retention with no light penetration.

Nose
Dark fruits, chocolate and espresso with a light bourbon character.

Taste
Rum raisin, cherry and black grapes. Semi-sweet chocolate with splashes of milk. Caramel and oatmeal. A hint of espresso. Very light essence of Wild Turkey bourbon with no real barrel character.

Mouthfeel
Medium-full bodied, silky and smooth.

Overall
Much lighter than most Bourbon Barrel Stouts, this makes an easy drinker. However, at $13 a bottle the quality is surely questionable.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 22:36:39 | More by justintcoons

SHODriver

California

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: pours black with a finger and a half of tan head that fades to a collar around the edge of the snifter
S: smells of chocolate, coffee, roast malt a bit of vanilla and some bourbon aromas
T: oaky up front with a bit of caramel and vanilla with some bourbon flavors, chocolate and coffee as well as some roast malt on the back end but very chocolatey. swallow brings a good amount of bourbon flavor, some roasted malt and a bit more coffee and chocolate
M: fuller side of medium on the palate with soft and slightly prickly carbonation.
O: good flavors and a decent balance, not a lot of barrel character but it allows the other flavors to shine a bit more. it's more of a supporting role than dominant flavor. inoffensive and quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 03:29:42 | More by SHODriver

thegodfather2701

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A-nearly pitch black with a thin tan head that dissipates quickly. No lacing or cascading.

S-bourbon, coconut, leather, and a hint of smoke

T-Much like the nose with bourbon and coconut standing out with some roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate, and a hint of leather

M-thin and slightly syrupy

D-the bourbon, coconut, and leather kind of cut into the drinkability for me, but overall it is a flavorful American Stout

Overall, this is a good stout, not my personal favorite, but complex. Fans of bourbon barrel aged stouts should give this a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 03:06:26 | More by thegodfather2701

KevSal

California

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

05-13-2013 03:03:36 | More by KevSal