Damon (Blanton's Barrel Aged) - Hill Farmstead Brewery

ehammond1

California

4.33/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle (2012)

Thanks for opening this one with me, Callemcoon!

(Aged for 1 year)

Bottle #8/864

Near black in color with a small, very dark brown head of small and moderately-sized bubbles. Leaves the glass oily and spotted on the way down. This looks moderately thick, though not quite as impressive in appearance as, say, a Speedway Stout or any stout from Cigar City. Pretty and appropriate.

Well-rounded, and balanced aroma of chocolate, mild roast character, complementary but not overpowering bourbon, and chocolate-covered cherry. What I'm calling cherry is most likely a bit of oxidation that's crept in over the last year. It all comes together quite nice, without being overpowering or overbearing.

This is unlike most big, bourbon-barrel aged stouts. This is a drinkable, well-rounded, well-executed, even delicate version of an often bold, expressive, in-your-face style. Well integrated layers of chocolate, mild bourbon, a bit of roast and oak, and again, just a tiny peek of a chocolate-covered cherry note. It all comes together quite nicely.

The hallmark of this beer, personally, is it's mouthfeel. Without being terribly thick, it's creamy, coating, and nearly full.

Excellent, and I'm very glad I had the opportunity to try it. Strangely...I prefer BCBS (fresh or aged).

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 06:48:16 | More by ehammond1

Luk13

Quebec (Canada)

4.11/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle. Pour a dark brown-black, with mocha lacing. Aroma is decadent fudge, almonds, dates and prunes. Not your usual bourbon barrel imperial stout as it isn’t overly bourbony and leans more towards dark fruits and conforting alcohol heat. Not very roasted and coffee either. some dark chocolate and a slight roastiness. Very subtle and refine. Oily mouthfeel and low carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 03:26:08 | More by Luk13

corby112

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to sideshowe for sharing. Bottle 281.

Pours a dark chestnut brown color that appears black and opaque in the glass.  Half finger dark mocha head that quickly settles into a lasting ring leaving spotty lacing behind.

Smokey, roasted malt aroma with subtle barrel integration.  Some toasted oak and subtle booziness with more of an oak and peaty scotch presence than sweet, boozy bourbon.  There a faint malt backbone with some smoke, dark chocolate, coffee bean and oatmeal but the oak and peat notes overpower things a bit.

Medium bodied with a nice smokey barrel presence that's nicely integrated into the dark malts of the base beer.  Smokey, peaty scotch flavor with toasted oak, ash, smoked meat and burnt malt along with subtle vanilla and dry oak.  This is countered by a balance of sweet and roasted dark malt flavors with hints of dark chocolate, toast, coffee bean and oatmeal.  Well balanced with a nicely integrated barrel presence, however, I'm getting more of a dry oak than bourbon flavor.  Complex with a well masked ABV that makes it easy to drink but there's something a touch off that i cant put mu finger on.  Still, an enjoyable beer that I'm glad to have tried.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 23:51:40 | More by corby112

jeonseh

Indiana

4.6/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 1 bottle poured into a GI tulip. Part of NWI new year day's tasting

A - Dark chocolate brown with a syrup body. A light mocha colored head.

S - Light nose comprised of vanilla, bourbon, and light milk chocolate

T - Tons more flavor than you'd expect in the nose. Sweet bourbon upfront with vanilla, chocolate, and maple syrup. There is a light chocolate malt in the middle. The finish is bourbony sweetness that lingers on in the finish.

MF - Silky smooth beer with barely any carbonation. Lightly astringent in the finish as well There is also a slight oak presence that lingers in the finish

O - Amazing flavor in this one which makes you want to keep on sipping it. There is a lot of bourbony presence and sweet vanilla in this one. Additionally, it has a great mouthfeel as well as it was nice and creamy. I do wish it had a bit of a better nose as it was not too fragrant. This is definitely good but I'm not sure it is worth giving up a lot to get a bottle

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 20:34:41 | More by jeonseh

cfrances33

Illinois

4.83/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle #142/864, poured into a Hill Farmstead stem. Enjoyed on November 9, 2012.

Pour: Completely pitch black body. Straight up midnight. Perhaps the darkest beer I've ever had. Forms a half of an inch of deep khaki head, that leaves a nice rim. Slight lacing, but Damon leaves the glass with a brown sludge.

Smell: Bourbon vanilla up front, followed by some milk chocolate. Dark fruits take over the nose from here, with a nice combo of raisins and figs.

Taste: Wow. Smooth bourbon toffee up front, that gives way to chewy chocolate fudge. A nice vanilla moves in, and characterizes the majority of the sweetness. The dark fruits complement flawlessly, and while I can normally do without them, they really work here. Finishes chewy with a brownie batter like lingering taste on the palate.

Mouthfeel: So incredibly smooth. Bourbon provides all the amazing toffee and vanilla flavors, with no heat. Nearly velvety, and walks the fine line between being light and thick. Awesome.

Overall: Amazing beer. Absolutely blew me away. I cannot wait to try future releases of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 20:43:04 | More by cfrances33

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.08/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500 mL bottle poured into a Hunahpu snifter. Bottle # 723/864.

Appearance - Small khaki head. Not quite inky. Wispy lacing.

Smell - Tons of black patent malt. Light bourbon. A big oaky presence, more than the bourbon and vanilla.

Taste - Lots more barrel blends into the flavor. Bourbon is still light, but vanilla and caramel come out. Dark fruit flavor right at the front, which might be a byproduct of the alcohol and black patent malt. Lots of molasses. Gives it a bitter flavor in the back.

Mouthfeel - Bitter. Not really chewy, but easy to drink at this ABV. The molasses gives it a sweet flavor that implies viscosity, without it actually being there.

Overall - Second time having this it was significantly better than the first. I was also smashed the first time. It would be really good with more barrel presence.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 01:59:50 | More by Alieniloquium

Arbitrator

California

4.4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Lightly chilled bottle into a glass. Split with Nanoslug.

Thanks!

A: Pours pitch black in the center, with some edge translucence. The body has a small mocha-colored head.

S: Fudgy brownies, vanilla, caramel, smoke, bourbon. While this is clearly barrel-aged, the bourbon and oak presence is relatively muted (compared to something like Bourbon County), and the smoke is an interesting touch.

T: Brown sugar, fudge/chocolate, vanilla, caramel -- this is an imperial stout first and barrel-aged second. Smoke, bourbon, oak, and dark cherries accentuate the flavor in the mid-taste, with the oak pulling into the finish for a slightly tannic, as well as boozy, finish. Smoke carries into the exhalation. Quite nice.

M: Medium-plus bodied; this doesn't have the full richness of something like Black Tuesday or Bourbon County, and I don't necessarily want that. I think Hill Farmstead angles for beers that are more balanced and ready to drink out of the gate, and that is reflected here. The one drawback is that it's slightly boozy.

O: Another entry in my series of "Why is Hill Farmstead ruining my grading average?" series. I had a sip of this once, a long time ago, and it didn't make an impression. Sampling a bottle in a quieter setting over an hour was a much more enjoyable experience. This is outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 05:06:22 | More by Arbitrator

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

pour is pitch black with a dark brown head and some large bubbles in the middle. Nose has a fair amount of wood and some sweet bourbon notes. Chocolate cake is rich with a faint ashy, roast coffee bean note. The taste is very big, a bit sweet but not sugary with notes of vanilla and chocolate, the wood isn't as strong but the bourbon seems to add a very nice balance and some heat in the finish. The body is thick, soft, and smooth. Semi dry finish that lingers for a bit as more rich chocolate continues to stay on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 17:45:11 | More by cpetrone84

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the same bottle as the previous reviewer. (#178/864) Thanks to Deuane for the trade and to Kegatron for assisting in making an event out of opening up some Farmstead offerings. The brew poure black in color with a skimpy head. A few bubbles make their way to the surface and collapse quickly. When held to the light, some brown clarity is seen through the edges. Faint spotty lace sticks to the glass along with legs of alcohol.

The aromatics are straight up brownie batter: cocoa, fudge, vanilla and caramel all come together to formulate this rich sticky quality to the nose. Trace amounts of bourbon spiked alcohol emit from the glass as it warms up.

The taste is a bit more boozy than the aroma leads on. There is a spiit reinforcement of alcohol bite overtop of a plehora of barrel aging characteristics. Coconut, caramel, oak, vanilla and a bit boozy but it is masterfully integrated with a slight bitter roast inclusion across the back. The aftertaste is again a throwback to the aromatics: cocoa, coffee and fudgy with a hint of must.

This is a medium to fuller bodied brew with a very light hint of carbonation. This brew displays awesome barrel aging character and is a real treat to sip on almost more as a dessert than anything. I cant gloat about nothing but the good here... being nitpicky id say that just a slight bit more carbonation would have been nice but id certainly take it again in a heartbeat if offered.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 15:33:52 | More by stakem

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

500 ml black wax topped bottle into a couple of snifters. Bottle # 178/864. Huge thanks go to Stakem for sharing this bottle with a couple of us.

Pours black as night in the glass, with a think bubbly head of dark mocha froth. This maintains some rich edges, which just coats the sides of the glass with spotty lacing and gooey brown oils. The aroma smells of burnt bourbon character up front, with is quickly followed by notes of chocolate cake, coffee, molasses, brown sugar and spicy alcohol. Man, this has a nice booze soaked sweetness to it in the nose.

The taste is chocolate fudge, roasted coffee, burnt molasses, brown sugars, and more spicy alcohol which leads into a charred bourbon finish. This is just so burnt, sticky and rich feeling on the palate. I’m in love. The mouthfeel is full bodied, with a thick and chewy carbonation that is undercut by a good amount of tannic slickness that helps this drink way smoother than it should considering the alcohol and assertive barrel character here.

This a great BA Imperial Stout from Hill Farmstead and I especially loved how it didn’t hide its brashness but instead complimented it with a host of delicious sticky sweetness that kept this accessible and a joy to sip on. I drank a bunch of this at the last EBF and it was a pleasure to be able to sit down with it again. Thanks again Adam!

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 13:54:22 | More by Kegatron

s1ckboy

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 bottle, thanks phingdong! About 6 months of age, maybe? Not sure.

A - Black body, dark brown head, uneven bubbles.

S - Oak, bourbon, brown sugar.

T - Oak, Bourbon, bit of vanilla(?), small amount of chocolate, toasted marshmellow, molasses. A lot of wood in the finish.

M - Not a lot of carbonation which works very well. Very smooth.

Great beer, incredibly smooth! The base beer takes a slight backseat to the bourbon barrels but it works quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 23:25:31 | More by s1ckboy

Chico1985

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 vintage, bottle 32/864. Much thanks to Cam for sharing this.

Poured into a Hill Farmstead stemmed glass, proper! Color is pitch black, a small tan head turns to a ring pretty quickly leaving some spots of lace.

Solid, enticing scent. Lots of chocolate, dark fruit (cherries), caramel, strong bourbon.

Taste is also very solid and balanced. Milk chocolate is maybe most prominent with some dark chocolate there as well, deep caramel, some dark fruit but tame compared to the scent. Good amount of bourbon presence, definitely there but well balanced. Not much oak or roast, comes off as pretty dessert-y.

Very smooth+oily, lowish carbonation, a bit of alcohol heat but drinks pretty easy for the ABV.

Quite delicious, not mind-blowing and on the simple side, but if you like well-balanced yet big cocoa/bourbon/caramel goodness this should satisfy.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 16:30:26 | More by Chico1985

jethrodium

California

4/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle generously shared by scottfrie. Thanks Scott. Pours a dark black with just a bit of light coming through at the edges. A small tan head settles to a ring and leaves some light lacing on the glass. The aroma is lots of bourbon, vanilla, oak, quite a bit of chocolate, and some light coffee. The taste is sweet with quite a bit of bourbon, some vanilla, a bit of oak, and lots of rich chocolate. There is also a light nuttiness. The finish is sweet with more rich chocolate and some oak and a light alcohol presence. Medium body. Low carbonation. Solid beer. Really rich.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 21:08:01 | More by jethrodium

scottfrie

California

4.05/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle, #419/864. Thanks a ton for sending this, SneezyAchew.

A: Pours black with raisin highlights around the edges. The head is thin and deep brown.
S: Licorice comes through along with nutty and smoky notes. Caramel, roasted malts and toasted coconut come out as it warms.
T: Rich chocolate, black licorice, toasted grains, slight caramel and toffee with smoke and a bit of warming booze in the finish. Bourbon and some chocolate fudge sweetness fill the aftertaste, which lingers long after the swallow.
M: Super smooth mouthfeel, velvety carbonation that bubbles up in the finish. Full body, smooth warming booze that isn’t too hot or distracting.
O: An extremely rich sipper. One of the richest and longest lasting aftertastes I’ve had. Definitely split with some friends. Thanks again, Michael!

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 19:57:36 | More by scottfrie

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Second bottle I have consumed, getting the review in.

A- Poured into both Hill Farmstead stemware glasses, mine being the snifter looking one. Pitch black all the way with a nice dark mocha tan head. The cap forms to a finger in size with a bubbly texture, retention is good for barrel aged. A few legs and lace spots.

S- The nose is somewhat dissimilar from the flavor, which will obviously come later. Aroma mostly consists of the great whiskey barrel: smoothed out Bourbon whiskey, great vanilla and toasty oak. Some cocoa and alcohol to finish.

T- Cocoa really steps up to the plate, like luxury chocolate melting on the taste buds with some great dark cherries thrown in by the yeast. The cocoa and fruits are well off with the barrels they resided in. Notes of whiskey, vanilla, caramel and oak wood balance it all out with just a tad of alcohol.

MF- Lower end carbonation but that is very appropriate for a 10% bourbon barrel stout. The body is rich, thick and somewhat creamy. A nice alcohol warmth supports the flavor well.

The flavor ends up reminding me of a brownie made with bourbon soaked cherries. The cocoa presence is rich and really works well with the bourbon flavor present.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 02:15:28 | More by cbutova

jegross2

Illinois

4.8/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

BEER REVIEW #300!

Reviewing the infamous Damon from Hill Farmstead Brewery out of Vermont. Hill Farmstead quickly became one of my favorite breweries this year, and Damon solidified Hill Farmstead's place in my top three.
Score: 98

2011 vintage (batch 1), bottle #471/864. Black wax. Served in a snifter glass and enjoyed on 06/06/12.This beer was consumed the night before being sworn into the Wisconsin state bar as a celebratory libation.

Appearance: Pours the color of motor oil with a thin brown layer of head atop the beer that quickly settles to a mocha-colored ring around the glass. Oily lacing, minimal head and decent retention. The beer looks visually imposing enough at 10.5% ABV. 4/5

Smell: Ample notes of raisin and complex chocolate coat the nose. There's milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, dark chocolate and even some fudge as the brew warms. There is also bourbon vanilla and fig present too. Absolutely awesome nose. 4.75/5

Taste: Smooth bourbon, raisins/figs, fudge and milk chocolate throughout with a nice vanilla flavor in the middle. The vanilla sweetness yields to a fudge flavor towards the finish, though the aftertaste is more of a creamy milk chocolate flavor than fudge. Residual notes of wood. Some sweet maltiness comes out as the beer. Smooth and without booziness. The balance and integration of the flavors here is absolutely superb, almost seamless at times. The flavors are almost too complex and integrated to pin down. Needless to say, this is is a decadent digestif! 5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied, minimal carbonation. Super creamy mouthfeel. Mildly dry finish with a rich milk chocolate aftertaste. 4.5/5

Overall: One of the best beers of the year; this one truly lives up to it's hype. My only wish is that I had another.

Recommendation: A top notch barrel aged imperial stout that is absolutely worth seeking out. Even casual beer drinkers should be able to revel in the flavorful, unboozy complexities of this big brew.

Pairings: Fresh mint ice cream.

Cost: $15 for a 500 ml bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 10:26:31 | More by jegross2

iadler

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Immobilisme for bringing this to our tasting last month. I've been wanting to try this for a while. From notes. Bottle #139/864.

A- Pours a pitch black with a small mocha head that leaves minimal lacing.

S- Plenty of bourbon upfront, oak, roasted malt, burnt caramel, dark chocolate and a hint of smoke.

T- Bourbon hits right away follow by roasted malt, oak, burnt caramel, dark chocolate, smoke and a bit of ash.

M- Light to medium carbonation that finishes fairly hot.

O- Somewhat disappointed as this was just too hot at the moment and not nearly as complex as the other stout offerings I've had from HF. This definitely needs some more time to mellow. It's a bit rough around the edges right now, but with the bourbon mellowing some and letting some of the other flavors shine, I could see this being quite good.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 05:32:55 | More by iadler

womencantsail

California

4/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black in color with a small tan head. Very roasty with plenty of dark chocolate. A mild vanilla note, some bourbon, and a bit of oak. The flavor is heavy on the roast and is mildly bitter. Some bourbon, oak, and vanilla. Dark chocolate, a bit of ash, maybe some dark fruit notes as well. Good, but not amazing.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 17:46:54 | More by womencantsail

Urbancaver

Ohio

4.7/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Jesus this is an amazing beer. Tried it only a few days after RARE DOS from Peg's... the most similar beer to RARE DOS I've ever had. Amazing mouthfeel. The aroma and flavour can only be described as perfect. A masterpiece from Shaun and one I'm looking forward to having again

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 15:15:24 | More by Urbancaver

Sean9689

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared at Perennial.

A - Pours black, mocha-colored head, wisps, thin collar.

S - This is a Blanton's/bourbon bomb straight away! After the huge booze, there's roasted malts, chocolate, light bread, caramel, oak, very subtle hops, and burnt sugars. The booze flairs my nostrils...woah.

T - I think this beer needs to additional cellar time to lose some of the booze. The palate offers lots of bourbon, oak, chocolate, light vanilla, caramel, and toasted malts. The alcohol is very noticeable, which detracts from the rest of the beer. Finish is chocolate and booze with light oak. Really more like 3.75 here.

M - Medium to full body, good carbonation, rich, creamy finish.

O - While I like this beer, I want to like it more. I think another 6 months to a year of additional cellar time will do this beer some good. I will revisit then and update when I have it again. Right now, I suggest holding your bottles unless you really want a bunch of alcohol with your RIS (which some people prefer).

In summary, good now but is destined to be great in the future.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 17:04:35 | More by Sean9689

afksports

New York

3.35/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This reminded me a little of Bell's Black Note. In that they are both hyped barrel aged imperial stouts that underwhelmed. Body was slightly thinner than expected, alcohol was hot and up front, but way boozier than 10% abv should be. Cheap quality bourbon vanilla taste without rounded molasses notes. Sugars found in the middle were syrupy and wet, although there was a nice chocolate component present. Finish didn't carry the roastiness you'd expect from the middle of the taste. But probably the worst was that the booze was overwhelming and clouded by oak, ash and carbon.

Worst part, those pieces - oak, heat, bourbon, stout base, weren't integrated very well. Maybe this was sitting in a hot place before we opened the bottle? I'd tend to give the brewery the benefit of the doubt, based on the tremendous stuff they've put out before.

And that said, for all the negatives, Damon still drank as a solid beer. It did the style adequately (despite the oak), and I'd quaff it again. Especially on tap. But when there's shelf stuff like Oak Aged Yeti available that tops it, I'd only drink Damon as a local find, not as a must-seek "gem".

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 20:03:19 | More by afksports

SamuelJackson45

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a dark brown to a light black in color with small carbonation barley a finger head.

S- This baby smell of the finest bourbon in the world with fresh smell of vanilla and oak tannins even a slight of roasty scent.

T- Aww pure heaven with the flavors of good bourbon , vanilla , honey and caramel that so sticky goodness. Even had hint of light milk chocolate taste in the aftertaste.

M- This have a nice smooth to velvety goodness that just wraps around the tounge and just clinging on every minute.

O- This is one hell of beer. IMO it ranks with the best and should climb the latter pretty fast. This is a must try beer. Cheers....

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 05:30:00 | More by SamuelJackson45

huskermike12

Iowa

4.88/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

500 ml bottle poured into a Duvel tulip. Thanks to Sean9689 for this one.

A- Deep brown/black with minimal carbonation.

S- Bourbon, oak, chocolate, and Vanilla. Not overpowering bourbon. Very nice.

T- Rich, slightly thick, and frankly VERY good. Tops on my list right up there with some of the best BA beers I have ever tasted.

M- Very low carbonation, but not as thick as I prefer. My only complaint is I would like it to be slightly thicker, but a minor complaint at best.

O- Amazing beer, just wish they made larger batches so it would be a little easier to get my hands on. A top 5 BA Stout for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 14:36:53 | More by huskermike12

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.85/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Was lucky enough to get a couple bottles of this, one from jedwards and the othe from jbeatty. Thanks heaps gents. I thought I'd take the HF challenge and drink them both on the same night. What a treat / mistake that was...

From a 500ml bottle into a snifter.
Vintage 2011
Bottle 451 of 864

APPEARANCE: A sludgy black, thick pour yields a small, tight, tan head with very good retention. Head fades to a good wisp and ring. Pitch black in color with no carbonation evident. A swirling wisp and ring remain until the end and leaves dots of lacing down the glass. Thick and nasty looking. This is a black, black, thick, evil looking stout beer.

SMELL: Big nose on this one for sure. Roasted malts, dark chocolate and lots of bourbon barrel. Oak, vanilla and milk chocolate in there, as well as touches of toffee and molasses. This is phenomenal, though perhaps a touch more base beer is needed for a perfect score.

TASTE: This is a perfect score. Period. Roasted and caramel malt up front, with lots of bourbon barrel at the swallow. Bourbon, oak, vanilla and milk choclate with some bitter dark chocolate and toffee sweetness as well. Big, bold and lingering aftertaste of bourbon barrel, bitter dark chocolate, sweet molasses and roasted flavors just doesn't quit. This is phenomenally ballanced and absolutely decadent. Love it.

PALATE: Full body, thick and heavy on the palate, with lower levels of carbonation. Creamy on the palate, goes down fine with a bit of a bite at the swallow, though well measured, and finishes slightly sticky. Some heat lingers. Could be a touch smoother, but it's full, heavy, and plenty dominating.

OVERALL: Well, I hate to say it, but this is perhaps the best barrel aged imperial stout to have ever crossed my lips. I can't imagine it getting any closer to perfection than this. A massive, evil look, a wonderfully bold and balanced nose, flavors to write home to your mom about, and a heavy and meanacing palate to boot, this is just a nasty beer that every BA stout lover should get to try. Actually, since I would love to get more of it, forget everything I just said about it. Nevermind. It sucks. Thanks again gents! Send more asap. I am thirsty.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 20:12:58 | More by Jeffo

brystmar

New York

3.83/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by a generous BA at our tasting last weekend.

Aroma boasts dark, strongly roasted malts (almost burnt) with subtle notes of bourbon. Hints of chocolate in the background too.

Starts off roasty but gets immediately blindsided by booze and, to a lesser extent, bourbon. Chocolate tries to save the day towards the end, but the alcohol prevents it from finishing cleanly. A touch ashy overall too.

Truly surprised at how messy this stout was. If memory serves, my two pours of it on draft at EBF were considerably better and more balanced. Booze character then wasn't the sore thumb it's become in the bottle. *Generously* rating it 4.0 on taste because 1) I recall my EBF pours being quite good, and 2) time might smooth these rough edges.

Our 9-person group's opinion on Damon was (surprisingly) unanimous: this is a hot mess. Bourbon isn't integrated well, nor is the booze character. A tremendous disappointment.

Still, Damon's a decent RIS overall, though it falls far short of my expectations from Hill Farmstead. Founders Imperial Stout truly is a better beer right now, but that could easily change in a year or so.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 19:47:47 | More by brystmar