Bourbon Barrel Stout - Odell Brewing Company

gatornation

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

on tap in a 10 oz pour

A- pours a black thick color with a tan,cherry head and good lacing

S- was bourbon, cocoa,vanilla,roasted malts, chocolate

T- was pretty good with oak and vanilla mixed with roasted malts coffee,chocolate,bourbon in the finish

M- was thick and full but not creamy or silky smooth, the bourboun was there but was not aged or smooth

O - a good BB stout but 2nd tier IMO, but will drink this anytime i see it on tap,probably wont buy a bottle of it though

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2011 01:10:48 | More by gatornation

Rayek

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at City O' City in Denver. Served in a snifter. The deep chocolate hue borders on black. A small nougat cap slowly falls to a patchwork film. Leaves bits of lace.

This beer is fairly light for this much alcohol. Baking chocolate, espresso, burnt wood and a bit of vanilla do the bulk of the work. The bourbon barrel here is more subdued than in other barrel aged beers I've had. It adds a woodsy presence that doesn't get in the way of the rest of the proceedings. Even with the high ABV, the alcohol is well masked. It adds a touch of warmth going down. Overall balance is exemplary. The medium body is syrupy and has the right amount of fizz.

Overall, I liked this a lot. It has a good balance that many members of this style lack. As an added bonus, the bourbon barrel isn't overpowering. Instead, it lends a nice compliment to the other flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2011 02:01:09 | More by Rayek

birchstick

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a black color with a 1 finger head into a 10oz snifter. The nose consists of molasses and oak with some bourbon and coffee. The taste is similar. Opens with spicy bourbon which seems to never really go away. A little bit of chocolate comes into the mix through the middle. Tones of vanilla and molasses show up toward the back and are kept in check by the spicy bourbon. Wow, this one is pretty hot. Leaves with vanilla and almost a spicy rum flavor on tap, This could use more age to mellow out a bit as it seems like the bourbon was overpowering everything else in its midst. I t is a solid beer nonetheless and Definitely recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2011 01:45:24 | More by birchstick

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Draft. Served at ABR. Pours a dark brown black color with a fluffy tan head. Aroma is bourbon and oak all the way with a touch of dark chocolate, vanilla, and some roast. Medium mouthfeel, lighter than I really want. Everything seems pretty balanced here but something for me is lacking here and I can’t quite put a finger on it. I find myself liking it but not as much as I want to. One sample was good for me.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2011 16:20:29 | More by kbutler1

claytong

Vermont

4.3/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

2011 vintage on tap, pretty fresh

appearance - chocolate brown that is almost black, mocha head, sticky and great lacing

smell - milk chocolate, caramel, bourbon, and a bit of mocha

taste - repeat, and all is quite well balanced. simple but delicious, cant argue.

mouthfeel - thick bodied, highly drinkable, lightly carbonated goodness.

this competes with the greats of the style

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2011 14:13:23 | More by claytong

Tone

Missouri

3.33/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a black color. 1/3 inch head of a tan color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of liquor, slight roasted malt, slight sweet malt, and a hint of hops. Fits the style of an American Double / Imperial Stout. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of liquor, roasted malt, and slight sweet malt. Overall, great appearance, decent aroma, and decent body.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2011 15:34:24 | More by Tone

TenHornsProud

Colorado

4.3/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a solid black with a big, tan lacing head.

Smells of oak, bourbon, coffee, and roasted malt.

Tastes of roasted malt with notes of bourbon, vanilla, oak, and coffee. Surprinsigly well-hidden alcohol. Intense and satisfying flavor.

The creamy mouthfeel really adds a lot to this beer. It is also low in carbonation, which works well.

This is an amazing beer IF you like bourbon and oak character because those are the two main notes of the beer that become almost totally dominant it warms.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2011 13:26:22 | More by TenHornsProud

Spider889

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewery, notes from 9/27. I really wanted to take a bottle of this or Woodcut No. 5 home, but they were $25 a bottle, which seemed steep imo.

This year's was listed as being aged in Stranahan's whiskey barrels, and the abv as 11.5%.

Black as night, no real head on her, though a small ring of bubbles topped the pour.

Smells really roasty, full of charcoal at first. Then some enticingly heavy bourbon aromas kicked into high gear. Lots of coconut and booze, backed by mild vanilla and some dense chocolate.

The taste was very smooth for the alcohol. Nice vanilla and oak notes; the bourbon, while deliciously well integrated, was nowhere near as strong as it seemed on the nose.

A bit thin for my tastes, though carbonation was appropriately low.

Overall a very solid BA stout.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2011 23:48:54 | More by Spider889

tito42

Missouri

4.55/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

100th Review. Served at O'Dell Brewery, today was the tapping for the 2011 edition of this brew.

A: Opaque, nearly black with a slight coffee hue. Cocoa head, nice lacing, and OK retention.

S: Musty oak barrels, chocolate, smoked barley.

T: Roasted barley and malt, chocolate milk, bourbon, brown sugar, and grassy hops. A lot going on here, and it all comes together beautifully.

M: Smooth and creamy, a bit chunky in the middle, a nice hops bitterness at the finish.

O: Wonderful beer. The brewery was really hopping in anticipation of GABF 2011. This is a very enjoyable imperial stout. I love the blend of flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2011 06:52:47 | More by tito42

JayS2629

Alabama

4.08/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Nice body on this. Creamy but not too thick. Dark brown, almost black. Thick, creamy off white head, nice retention and creamy walls of lace. The smell is of cocoa, milk chocolate, hints of coffee and some notes of oak. Taste has a slight burn and hint of soft oak, vanilla, and bourbon. Not overpowering bourbon taste though, just enough to add a faint burn and some sweet notes. Cocoa and roasted barley dominate with some nice toffee and caramel notes. Some earthy, grassy hints. Overall, very nice and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2011 04:09:32 | More by JayS2629

thatsfine

Arizona

3.95/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

10 oz pour into a snifter.

The appearance is black, black, black. The head is minimal but what is there is dark brown, which may have been a result of the pour. A thing ring of head remains at the top of the brew throughout the glass.

Bourbon smell comes first, naturally. After I dug deeper I found chocolate and roasted malts. A somewhat sweet smell but not nearly as sweet as other stouts.

The taste is quite bourbony and roasty but as it warms the coffee flavors become more evident and the brew becomes much smoother and pleasurable to drink. A nice brew.

This has a medium, dry finish that warms as well. The mouthfeel doesn't stand out as much as the rest of beer but it really doesn't concern me too much.

Definitely a sipper, but is something I wouldn't mind sipping on all night.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2011 03:58:24 | More by thatsfine

mosrite

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pleased to see this on tap at one of my favorite local haunts.

l - Dark bar, dark beer. (It looked pretty black.)

s - Not too much to smell, but the blow can throw that off. (I hear).

t - Nice. Not great, but really nice. The bourbon smooths out over the 1st few sips.

f -Medium light, like I like my women.

d -Ernie Banks could do 2.

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2011 05:01:09 | More by mosrite

TheSteiny

Nebraska

4.83/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A- Pours very dark brown to black. Looks a little thick, but very nice. Head is thick and creamy. It does stick around for most of the brew before becoming a film.

S- I smell quite a few spices, some maltiness and can tell a higher alcohol content is ahead. I detected some signs of woodiness and bourbon as the cask-aging would suggest.

T- Malt roasting is present, though not overly strong. The cask remnants are much stronger, lending to tones of wood and bourbon. There is a hint of sweetness, as if there is some dark chocolaty tones I'm not quite picking up on. Very good taste overall.

M- Carbonation is kept low, the beer is kept smooth. This is an excellent combination for this style, and gets high marks from me. No lingering "residue" that makes some beer loose points.

D- NOT a session beer. Alcohol content is 10.5%. One solid pint, and most people will start feeling the effects and be unable to properly enjoy it. I get this on tap whenever and wherever I see it. Definitely worth grabbing. Only complaint I can think of is the bottled form is a 750ml, and not multiple 12oz bottles. It's a preference thing. For wine/beer tastings, the big bottle would be great, but I rarely take part in them.

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2010 05:41:21 | More by TheSteiny

codewarrior

New York

4.53/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This beer has been contaminated to the point where all the bottles from batch 1 and batch 2 have been pulled, and I've now let down a number of traders, and well ... shit. This beer, has really pissed me off this year.

Having gone to the brewery to rectify things on behalf of myself, and 2 trading partners who I sent lactomyces infected brews to, I noticed they had this on tap, and got a taster as part of the co-pilot flight.

Everything in my being wants me to revolt against this beer, to hate it. But alas, it's f***ing good, and as such, this infection is so much the more depressing. Goddammit Odell.

:: sigh ::

Here we go ...

L: Darkest beer I've seen in a while. Good head, looks thick.

S: Bourbony, but not overpoweringly so. Fades quickly into a bittersweet.

T: Phenomenal balance. Seriously. It's a toss-up between this and Silva from Green Flash as to which is better balanced. Beer stands up tremendously well to the bourbon. Good mellow bourbon-sweet finish, big malty middle, and good tower of bourbon up front. This is how Odell makes a BA Stout, subtly ... to contrast this with FBS or Avery BA stuff demonstrates what I mean perfectly ... if you know what I mean.

F: Thick and perfectly carbonated. Perfection, seriously.

D: Yay for my mouth, and sadness for the world, SmokePot23, and Handle (my trading buddies).

I would like it on the record that I tried to get growlers of this, and they don't allow it. So sorry to everyone outside of the extremely limited keg distribution radius of this beer, this thing is phenomenal this year.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2010 04:07:49 | More by codewarrior

bigbelcher

Arizona

4.8/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

New review:
This is a beer that is not for beginers. Color is jet black with a small tan head. Aroma was that of vanilla and oak with some alcohol esters. Flavor was rich, creamy with wonderful boubon notes, possibly a little bit of licorice mixed with some vanilla. Mouthfeel was full. A great beer for sure. Drink a couple of glasses and you are in store for one heck of a hangover.

On tap at The Arizona Strong Beer festival. One of the few beers that I thought were outstanding. Color was very dark and black, not much head but that could have been from the plastic glass. Aroma was full of bourbon and burnt coffee malt. Taste was extremely smooth with a nice alcohol burn. Bourbon was most definently present. Body was full with a nice smooth rich aftertaste. The rep said they would be sending some more of it to Arizona in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2010 05:19:31 | More by bigbelcher

CrossFitAlex

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this at The Muddy Pig in Saint Paul, MN.

Chocolate colored ale.

Tasting notes: chocolate, coffee, alcohol and dark fruits on the nose. Alcohol over balances the flavor profile. Chocolate, coffee and dark fruits dominate. Cherry, whisky, oak notes. "Bold" mouthfeel.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2010 23:53:39 | More by CrossFitAlex

emmasdad

Colorado

4.28/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice dark black color, almost opaque, with a nice collar of light brown foam. Huge aromas jump from the glass here--bourbon, vanilla, roasted malt, dark chocolate and oak. Nicely balanced flavors make this a very enjoyable sipper. The bourbon nicely complements the roasted malt and chocolate, leading up to a very nice, sweet finish, with a bit of warming alcohol. Excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2010 02:14:53 | More by emmasdad

dbossman

Nebraska

3.98/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer was accidentally served in a pint glass (it was supposed to be in a 8oz snifter but the waitress was new and I didn't complain)

A: Black and opaque; 1 finger head that is dark tan--it dissipates to a minuscule film but overall there is fairly good retention, especially for the style; lacing is decent for a while but that eventually begins to fade

S: Strong bourbon and alcohol up front; there is a woody quality as well as subtle chocolate malts; not as complex as I would hope; as I continue drinking raisins seem to be present in the aroma

T: Obviously the bourbon is strong up front; it is a bit thinner than I expected; there are nice subtle hop undertones; alcohol is actually very well masked; despite its thinness, it is quite smooth

F:A bit thin for what it is; mouth coat is decent but thinness is wearing

D: Although I'm bothered by the thinness, there is a beautiful warming quality that this beer provides and I appreciate how subtle the alcohol and even bourbon is

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2010 17:26:10 | More by dbossman

rhinos00

Colorado

4.22/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at the Falling Rock. Notes from the phone.

A- Pours a dark chocolate with a nice mocha head.

S- Lots of coffee malts and some vanilla. Bourbon slightly accents the scent.

T- Much like the aroma, the bourbon plays a secondary role, which is a good thing in this beer. Lots of roasted coffee beans and chocolate malts. Overall a nicely balanced taste.

M- Somewhat creamy and great mouthfeel. Coats the palate well.

D- I could have easily had two of these as they were served in a smaller glass. Alcohol was not really detectable making it pretty enjoyable.

Overall I really like the fact that this beer was not made into an RIS. I think the bourbon paired with a stout is great combination because it makes it more sessionable. More brewers should be doing this.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2009 21:16:45 | More by rhinos00

BeerZack

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Really dark, black with mahogany edges when held to the light. Small but dense head, khaki colored.

Strong sweeet bourbony vanilla jumps right up my nose. Roasted malt, cocoa and dark plum flavors. Sweet, bitter and hot alcohol sensations all at once.

Chocolate, marshmallows, dark fruit (plum, raisin) with nice bitterness showing up after the initial bourbon/vanilla sweetness up front.

Pretty damn drinkable. Most all of the flavor of a BBA Impy, but much more safe to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2009 17:03:21 | More by BeerZack

Kemmerlin

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Sampled at Odell's Brewery actually called Buffalo Bourbon Aged Stout. In reviewing this beer I had to really focus on the style and what the brewer was trying to obtain when crafting it. Just so you all know, I did not like this beer specifically because I do not like the taste of hard liquor. I tried to not let that destroy the review.

A: Color was black with a thick frothy brown head that had substantial retainability and lacing.

S: The bourbon oak barrel really came through in the smell with light vanilla and strong alcohol bourbon. This smell was so over whelming to me I could not smell anything else.

T: The taste was strong of bourbon whisky with hints of toasted oak vanilla, yeast, and charred cigar tobacco.

M/D: The brew was heavy and seemed to burn my mouth with the high alcohol content although this could have been my own reaction to the bourboness of the beer. The was not able to finish so I would have to say it is not very drinkable but that is my own issues and should not reflect poorly on the achievement.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2008 00:51:41 | More by Kemmerlin

Oxymoron

Colorado

4.55/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I believe the technical name is Buffalo Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout as the barrels the used are from Buffalo bourbon whiskey casks. Sampled at Odell's, the appearance is a rich midnight black color. A frothy darker tan head with great retention and lacing throughout the tasting.

The nose is rich with malt and bourbon notes. Some really nice malt sweetness backing and noticeable chocolate and a hint of roast. A creamy almost oatmeal in aroma. The bourbon is subtle but easily detectable. Some noticeable yeasty notes that I get with all Odells beers, but in addition some alcohol notes but everything is blended nicely.

In the taste, the malt really takes over as the bourbon/cask notes are limited. To start a big malty backing comes out on par with a Imp Stout. The chocolate notes come out first but is balance then buy some roast and kettle melanodian notes. The chocolate malt flavor really lingers into the finish, but not strong in astringency. Some minor spicy notes and textures that I associate with oats. There are some nice wood notes and every once in a while a nice bourbon note really comes out but subtle mostly. Would like to have more of the wood/whiskey notes come out overall. Very clean in yeast though.

The body is on par with a Imp Stout as well. Big malt flavors with some minor alcohol heat notes. Some very nice smooth textures with only a minor astringent kick. The carbonation has a almost nitro effect which helps smooth everything out.

Overall a very tasty and savory beer. This is one of those beers you sit and enjoy for a long time.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2008 22:51:06 | More by Oxymoron

mkorpal

Wyoming

4.47/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled at Choice City Butcher and Deli in beautiful downtown Fort Collins on a perfect fall day (no wind, no clouds, 70 degrees).

Served in a standard pint glass. Beer was a very, very dark brown with only a hint of amber at the edges. A 2 finger head in a very appetizing brownish wight color. Pretty much your standard Imp. Stout look.

The smell was very nice. Lots of roasted coffee and chocolate with a good background of bourbon. My smell isn't perfect, so please don't quote me on this.

The Taste was excellent. It started out with chocolate and coffee notes with just a hint of bourbon while the beer was still cold. But after a half hour of sips, the beer really opened up with a strong taste of bourbon and hints of coffee and chocolate. I loved this gradual shift in taste. That is why I rated it so high.

Mouthfeel was decent. it had a nice body to it and was pretty smooth. It was what you would expect from a imp. stout.

Drinkability was also very good. There was pretty much no hint of alcohol in this beer, even when it was warmer (for better or worse, I would really like to know the true ABV of this beer). I could have (and would have if it wasn't for class) had another or three. Also, this beer was very nice on my wallet. The pint cost me 4 bucks. Thank you Odells and Choice city for what was a very wonderful afternoon.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2008 02:02:31 | More by mkorpal

thagr81us

South Carolina

2.5/5  rDev -36.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Big thanks goes out to the BA who sent me this one as an extra in a past trade (BM me if it was you) so that I could share it at one of our random Sunday tastings! Served from bottle into a Sweetwater 15th Anniversary snifter. Poured pitch black with a half finger light tan head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, earth, earth hop, wood, sweet alcohol, and metallic. The flavor was of sweet malt, earth, wood, metallic, oxidized, and roasted malt. It had a light feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a less than average brew. I’m not really sure what went down here, but this brew was not happy about sitting in my fridge for awhile before getting to open it. There was a pop when cork was pulled, but this one was definitely oxidized. Really hated to see this happen if I am honest. There was some nice notes going on in the nose, but in the flavor it was completely dominated by the oxidation. Such a shame.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 13:12:19 | More by thagr81us

billab914

Virginia

2.75/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

750ml bottle poured into my Flying Mouflan glass. I believe this is a 2009 vintage, but it could be 2010. Dark brown in color with a thin tan head scattered around the top and concentrating around the edges.

The aroma has some sharper dark fruit notes to it. I get some brown sugar sweetness and a little bourbon but the imperial stout flavors are pretty well hidden. The sharp, tart dark fruits definitely hint at something being off in it, but it doesn't completely ruin it.

The sharp, tart, moderately acidic fruit flavors come through even more in the taste. It definitely has more in common with an American wild than an imperial stout at this point. The bourbon barrel comes through a little and adds an interesting twist to the tart fruits.

The mouthfeel is thin for the style and carbonation is above average. Overall, it wasn't what I expected or probably what was intended but it wasn't terrible. It was a drinkable American wild but not a good bourbon imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 00:25:18 | More by billab914