Bourbon GBS (Gingerbread Stout) - Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

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BA SCORE
94
outstanding
-
111 Ratings

rAvg: 4.27
pDev: 11.24%
Reviews: 25
Hads: 86

Ratings Help

Brewed by:
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Virginia, United States

Style | ABV
Milk / Sweet Stout | 10.60% ABV

Availability: Limited (brewed once). bottle (25).

Notes:
Hardywood Gingerbread Stout, described by BeerAdvocate as “freagin’ Christmas in a bottle,” is an imperial milk stout brewed with vanilla beans, cinnamon, fresh Casselmonte Farm baby ginger and Bearer Farms wildflower honey. Gingerbread Stout is then matured in Virginia bourbon barrels, where it adapts an incredibly mellow character with oak, caramel and bourbon undertones, and emerges 12 weeks later as Bourbon GBS. A festive blend of spice character laces this rich, chocolatey stout, which warms the palate and the soul.

55 IBU

View: Beers (25) | Reviews (0) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by metalgdog:

metalgdog

New York

4.25/5 rDev -0.5%

01-06-2013 04:58:42 | More by metalgdog

More User Reviews:

KaslD

California

4.75/5 rDev +11.2%

06-19-2013 01:49:45 | More by KaslD

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.73/5 rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Black body that looks dark brown at the edges. Not much of a head. Thin off white collar.

Smell - Graham cracker and chocolate. Cinnamon. No real barrel. Slightest hint of bourbon among the booze.

Taste - Still no barrel, even less than the nose. Maybe some oak and vanilla. A really tasty graham cracker and cinnamon flavor. Some chocolate but it's mostly adjunct.

Mouthfeel - Medium body. Kinda boozy. No real barrel.

Overall - The slighest of barrel characters. Wish there were more, but it's still very good.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 00:08:55 | More by Alieniloquium

ehammond1

California

3.89/5 rDev -8.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Bottle (2012)

Thanks for opening this with me, VaTechHopHead!

Dark brown body with a small light brown head. Leaves the glass slightly spotted and oily on the way down. Pretty enough and appropriate for the style. Doesn't look particularly thick, heavy, or viscous, however.

Very nice Christmas aroma. There is definite gingerbread house, Christmas spices, molasses, and brown sugar here. A tiny bit of alcohol emerges in the aroma, especially as the beer warms. Definite caramel and baked, crispy brownie crust as well. Everything comes together nicely. This is a great smelling beer.

The flavor is similar to the aroma. There is a wonderful combination of gingerbread cookies, molasses and slightly burnt brown sugar, bread crusts, and a little bit of chocolate. A little bit of oak, but very little, if any, bourbon character.

This would be where the beer disappoints, if it disappoint anywhere. A fairly thin mouthfeel, even for the style, with very low carbonation.

Very tasty, and a beer I never thought I'd get a chance to taste. Much appreciated, and quite tasty.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 15:13:56 | More by ehammond1

Schlais

Minnesota

4/5 rDev -6.3%

06-08-2013 15:21:25 | More by Schlais

SocalKicks

California

4.25/5 rDev -0.5%

06-07-2013 15:27:01 | More by SocalKicks

rvajohn

Virginia

4.5/5 rDev +5.4%

05-29-2013 00:03:16 | More by rvajohn

KohlbeckM

Virginia

4.75/5 rDev +11.2%

05-27-2013 21:56:51 | More by KohlbeckM

SpecialN32

Virginia

4.75/5 rDev +11.2%

05-23-2013 22:22:01 | More by SpecialN32

josephwa

Minnesota

4/5 rDev -6.3%

05-20-2013 15:11:20 | More by josephwa

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4.5/5 rDev +5.4%

05-18-2013 22:18:01 | More by Photekut

mkirkland80

Virginia

4.75/5 rDev +11.2%

05-18-2013 02:19:53 | More by mkirkland80

beernads

Florida

4.5/5 rDev +5.4%

05-09-2013 06:14:24 | More by beernads

yamar68

Minnesota

4.44/5 rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to scalzo for this one!

Great looking stout. Dark chocolate brown body with minimal clarity. A fat pillow of khaki head retains well, creating a fresh set of lace after each sip.

All types of inviting aromas coming off the glass... sweet bourbon layered with chocolate, fresh ginger, a touch of nutmeg/cinnamon spice, fudge... as was the case with regz GBS, I'm amazed by how non-Christmas-y this stuff smells... which is awesome. It's not dominated by spice of ginger root. Everything is thoughtfully integrated... brown sugar and vanilla, maple syrup... very dynamic but still approachable.

The taste delivers as well. Rich, bittersweet milk chocolate, coffee and a touch of ginger. The sweet, mellow bourbon character makes for a delicious addition. The finish is probably my favorite thing about the whole beer. It's dry with a subtle sweetness that allows each flavor to evolve and mingle with the rest of the beer.

This is absolutely fantastic. My favorite offering from Hardywood to date.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 19:58:50 | More by yamar68

FullObs

Illinois

3/5 rDev -29.7%

04-30-2013 15:22:26 | More by FullObs

tobelerone

New Jersey

4/5 rDev -6.3%

04-28-2013 21:45:55 | More by tobelerone

dirtylou

Washington

4.09/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

750ml bottle, thanks @blackie

Was quite dissapointed by the standard version - upon popping the cork, you can immediately tell that overcarbonation wont' be an issue here. Not a particularly robust aroma - hints of ginger cookie, bourbon, spice. The flavor profile opens up a bit with clear defined notes of ginger, molasses, chocolate, coconut, bourbon and the like. To me, the intended flavor profile works a lot better in this version. Not without its flaws though - a bit thin, and 12 weeks in a barrel seems a little rushed.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 23:43:17 | More by dirtylou

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4/5 rDev -6.3%

04-25-2013 21:37:48 | More by starrdogg

mtrog313

Michigan

4.5/5 rDev +5.4%

04-21-2013 14:47:28 | More by mtrog313

drgonzo2k2

California

4.5/5 rDev +5.4%

04-21-2013 14:10:07 | More by drgonzo2k2

billab914

Virginia

4.25/5 rDev -0.5%

04-21-2013 00:49:06 | More by billab914

Beejay

Virginia

4.35/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

My 31st Birthday, birthday beer.

A: Deep brown as it pours, dark black in the glass. The head is rich, full and a beautiful medium tan in color.

S: Vanilla, oak and chocolate come out right away. The next bit smells like raisons that have been given a candy crust, with a hint of spice. Almost like the candy coated almonds. The second whiff and you get the ginger starting to come out, the 3rd smell and the ginger is in your face. It smells like chocolate, and ginger, and Christmas morning.

T: The bourbon and ginger fight each other in am epic battle, for what dominates the tongue.. followed closely by chocolate and dark malts. The ginger goes really well with the bourbon's vanilla and oak character.

M: Somewhat lighter than I would have expected, although certainly in the medium thick area.. Nice. Carbonation works for the brew.

O: Overall a damn fine brew.. I like the addition of the bourbon, and I like the subtlety of the bourbon as it plays with the ginger, and dances around the chocolate. Fine work.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 23:15:15 | More by Beejay