Jester King / Mikkeller Whiskey Barrel Rodeo - Jester King Craft Brewery

H0rnedFr0gs

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%

08-24-2012 14:36:53 | More by H0rnedFr0gs

DRyan

Texas

3.94/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bought this bottle 9/1/2012, popped it today for Father's Day (gift to myself).
Served at 50 degrees in a Jester King tulip.

A: Deep black with a khaki head that is pretty vigorous and sticks around for a while. This then fades to a halo around the edges of the glass that laces a bit.
S: Smells very similar to Black Metal, but there is a kick behind it. I can get a touch of the peppers, and more so of the whiskey, but overall it is very similar to BM.
T: Again, BM-like, and very restrained for being a pepper beer. I am not a fan of a lot of pepper beers, but this one does it right. The pepper is there, but not excessive or burning, just a touch on the aftertaste to let you know it was in the batch. Also, the whiskey is a lot more mild flavored than I expected, but that may be from the 9 months of aging.
M: Smooth, velvety, thick and oily, but not TOO thick. Pretty nice for a stout, about what I would ask for.
D: For such a strong beer, and for being a beer with whiskey and peppers, this goes down too easily.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 23:38:35 | More by DRyan

elNopalero

Texas

4.36/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is the second of three collaboration brews between Jester King and Mikkeller. This is not a sweet stout nor is it a heavy one, which is somewhat of a surprise when compared to Jester King’s Black Metal. It’s barrel-aged, with some of that weasel coffee—the real deal.

From the bottle this pours pitch black. It has low carbonation and hardly any foam. It looks thick, black, and oily—unctuous, even. Recycle at your nearest auto service station…

On the aroma I get a lot of coffee notes along with a kiss of vanilla and some bourbon rounding it out. The flavor follows suit, with an intense taste of coffee perhaps the most dominant feature—tannic, slightly astringent, and full-bodied—followed by a real smoothness and a dry finish. Think of dark roast mixing with dark and bitter chocolates in an earthy sort of way—it manages to be delightful, deeply intense and somehow delicate, all at once.

Absolutely fantastic.

Update (6/13):
My bottle of Whiskey Rodeo mellowed out with a year on it. The appearance is still ridiculously amazing, with this luscious cocoa-colored foam atop a jet-black brew. However, the coffee notes on the aroma and the coffee-forward flavor profile have taken on an unfortunate astringency. It’s more of a sharp roast, with an acidic, astringent finish. Thickly rich, with perhaps a tad more carbonation than it needs. This beer makes a great sipper. But I had to dial back my initial enthusiasm for it.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 07:43:42 | More by elNopalero

zac16125

South Carolina

4.33/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle into a snifter
2012 Vintage (which puts it at about 9 months old I believe)

A big thanks to fatbeats18 for sending this one over in a trade!

A: Pour is opaque jet black. 1.5 fingers width of dark mocha colored head is dense and dissipates down fairly slowly. Leaves a trace amount of lacing.

S: The first aromas I get are sweet chocolate and roasted malt. This is followed by a somewhat acrid dark fruit character. Then the barrel comes out with oak and bourbony-vanilla. A hint of coffee but its surprisingly subtle. Bakers chocolate and fudge become more prominent at it warms. I also get a very faint hint of booze. Quite complex, and really a great aroma.

T: Roast malts, coffee, and heavy cream are the first flavors I get with nice black coffee notes lingering for a long time in the aftertaste. The coffee is certainly more prominent on the tongue than the nose. I also get roasted malts, raw oak, bakers chocolate, some bourbon notes (although they are fairly tame), faint pepper heat comes out about midway through the first glass (and is the first hint of the chipotle chiles used, as I got no pepper notes on the aroma) and slowly builds as I continue to drink. By the end the pepper heat is fairly prominent and adds a nice touch to the beer. Really nice palate profile, and again a good deal of complexity. I do wish the bourbon notes were stronger though.

M/D: Carbonation is on the higher end of the spectrum for the style, but its a pleasant carbonation not a harsh one, and even with the higher carbonation it still remains quite smooth. It gives a nice whole body warming effect. Barely any hint of the ABV and drinkability is great.

O: A really, really good beer here. I wonder how this one was fresh? I bet with stronger pepper and bourbon notes this could have been incredible. But as is, I really enjoyed this one. Thanks again fatbeats for sending this one my way!

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2013 23:52:07 | More by zac16125

drummermattie02

Texas

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-26-2013 15:17:22 | More by drummermattie02

ferrari29

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%

05-12-2013 23:35:36 | More by ferrari29

Auror

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +3%

05-03-2013 18:03:30 | More by Auror

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

05-03-2013 11:45:14 | More by jaasen64

bsuedekum

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

04-27-2013 03:19:57 | More by bsuedekum

jaylib

California

4/5  rDev -8.5%

04-23-2013 03:53:38 | More by jaylib

ThirdEyePA

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%

04-18-2013 14:32:22 | More by ThirdEyePA

MIA4IPA

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%

04-12-2013 16:52:23 | More by MIA4IPA

JayAre46

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +3%

04-12-2013 04:23:38 | More by JayAre46

BrutalSusan

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%

03-28-2013 16:43:57 | More by BrutalSusan

DarthKostrizer

California

4.5/5  rDev +3%

03-27-2013 08:11:09 | More by DarthKostrizer

duff247

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%

02-25-2013 01:17:15 | More by duff247

raffy313

Texas

4.25/5  rDev -2.7%

02-24-2013 18:44:59 | More by raffy313

mhksuccess

California

4.43/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

served from a bottle into a stone old guardian glass
1st smell is slightly boozy with hints of coffee
the taste is chocolate, caramel and that beautiful coffee taste not acidity
at 12% it is extremely smooth very easy to drink
not overly sweet
as it warms up it becomes even smoother
not as boozy and the chocolate really come out with a slight hint of the pepper in the back
before the coffee flavor hits hard
really a nice mix
overall a really good brew would try again

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 20:50:48 | More by mhksuccess

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4/5  rDev -8.5%

02-16-2013 15:11:28 | More by EgadBananas

brentk56

North Carolina

4.29/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Pours an engine oil black with a thick tan head that leaves a very nice lacing pattern around the chalice

Smell: Chocolate and whiskey, with undertones of coffee and chipotle

Taste: Chocolate, dark fruit and grassy hops, up front, with the chipotle and coffee flavors developing in the middle; after the swallow, the heat builds, blending with the chocolate and coffee in the finish

Mouthfeel: Thick and viscous, but a tad over-carbonated - more like a Belgian than an American double stout

Overall: A really interesting beer, with a range of flavors that coalesce nicely

Thanks, Phoenix2443, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 00:29:18 | More by brentk56

Azzy

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +8.7%

02-10-2013 06:57:50 | More by Azzy

TXhomebrewer

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +3%

02-09-2013 01:34:31 | More by TXhomebrewer

gpawned

Ohio

3/5  rDev -31.4%

02-04-2013 05:17:30 | More by gpawned

Gonzoillini

Illinois

4/5  rDev -8.5%

02-02-2013 02:54:02 | More by Gonzoillini

UHCougar12

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +3%

01-30-2013 15:33:21 | More by UHCougar12