Against The Grain / De Molen Bo & Luke - Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse

kevanb

Illinois

4.46/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a snifter on tap at Local Option in Chicago. For those that don't know, this was aged in Pappy van Winkle barrels.

The beer pours a wonderful deep black color, hues of dark brown are certainly apparent, intensely opaque. A mocha colored head with tight knit bubbles rises to the top of the glass, easily a finger high that has fantastic retention and leaves behind a great web of lace as well as a significant amount of film atop the beer once the head does recede completely. The aroma is wonderful, lots of roasted coffee and charred wood, the smoke is such a great layer that plays well with the dark chocolate malt, but is still a bit abrasive, the bourbon is smooth and rich, no astringency with sweet chocolate and alcohol at the finish. The flavors are even more complex, lots of roasted coffee, charred wood like the nose led on, but the smoke is much less abrasive, plays so well with the chocolate, toasted malt. The bourbon is perfect, smooth, rich, brings out hints of vanilla and toffee sweetness that counterbalances the harsher roast elements. The body is wonderful, big and rich, coats the mouth very well, borderline creamy, a slightly drier finish than I'd like, but it's just about perfect.

Verdict: Wonderful stout that only got more complex and flavorful as it warmed. The PvW treatment is just as good as any high profile beer I've tried be it Rare, BA Dark Lord or King Henry and the smokiness is just as great as a beer like Barfly. This was a real treat to enjoy and I hope to have the chance to enjoy it again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2012 19:32:30 | More by kevanb

Sparky44

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%

05-24-2013 00:23:06 | More by Sparky44

RichH55

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +9.7%

05-23-2013 14:12:42 | More by RichH55

sweemzander

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%

05-22-2013 13:44:29 | More by sweemzander

Rogorama

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%

05-21-2013 13:42:13 | More by Rogorama

PHBoiler

Illinois

4.89/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On draft at Local Option in Chicago.

Jet black with a deep purple head that is maybe 1/4 inch. Lots of scents on the nose including coffee, dark chocolate, some bourbon, and fruitiness. The taste is sinful. So deep and smooth with sweetness that is apparent but not cloying. You get the vanilla from the bourbon and it enhances the sweetness. Only light coffee and limited dark chocolate on the finish. The front end has more of a dark/dried fruitiness. This is the 2nd beer I've had aged in Pappy barrels, and they've both been home runs. I had this beer after Baudonia, and this was just as good if not better. If you have the chance, make it a priority to taste this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2013 14:17:22 | More by PHBoiler

Drucifer

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%

05-18-2013 18:49:13 | More by Drucifer

anhigdon

Kentucky

4.75/5  rDev +9.7%

05-10-2013 19:24:17 | More by anhigdon

cadaugherty

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%

05-08-2013 00:20:24 | More by cadaugherty

KevinmusPrime

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -7.6%

05-04-2013 16:03:54 | More by KevinmusPrime

HopsMatt

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%

04-30-2013 05:24:39 | More by HopsMatt

lilnicky068

Kentucky

4.75/5  rDev +9.7%

04-29-2013 19:40:28 | More by lilnicky068

craftbrew502

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%

04-29-2013 19:39:40 | More by craftbrew502

ADTaber

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%

04-27-2013 04:08:12 | More by ADTaber

Quackus

New York

3.75/5  rDev -13.4%

04-01-2013 19:39:53 | More by Quackus

RockAZ

Arizona

3.61/5  rDev -16.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

OMG! I thought I had just tasted bacon grease pressed through an espresso coffee machine! On the first sip... I warmed to it. The beer demands food that can fight back, which I did not have available. Still - Highly recommend you try this beer if you ever get the chance, it is so unique and others have described it better, you owe it to yourself to take it on.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2013 04:55:23 | More by RockAZ

AngusOg

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%

03-08-2013 20:58:48 | More by AngusOg

jmgrub

California

4.75/5  rDev +9.7%

03-08-2013 05:30:59 | More by jmgrub

magictacosinus

California

4.39/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

When I heard they were tapping this at Trappist Provisions the other night, I knew I HAD to check this out. My ultimate goal is to add a bottle of 20yr Pappy Van Winkel to my aspiring collection of spirits, so this would be the closest that I'd get so far to trying something that had some of its flavor. (Although, how long this spent in such barrels, I've no clue. My guess is a year, give or take.) Poured in a 6oz tumbler.

Contains, as expected, an opaque, blackened color with an off-khaki head that makes the beer resemble a glass of thick espresso over being an actual beer. Ridiculously monstrous alcohol legs on this thing, with such strength that nothing sticks to the sides of the glass. The head sticks around for a while, which is rather surprising. Perhaps the tap provides forced carbonation? I would have gladly had this served in a tulip glass instead, but it still looks rather intimidating even in the small tumbler.

The aroma is definitely everything I was expecting, and more - lots of candied notes resembling toffee, butterscotch, dark chocolate, and soaked woody vanilla flavors. Dark fruits, especially cherries, come out as this warms up. The barrels definitely did their job in enhancing the beer's complexity, perhaps to the point of overriding so many of the stout's flavors, such as the roasted malts and grains. I barely get any zest to speak of, but there is an undeniable stinging feeling on the nostrils, no doubt imparted by the large ABV. This definitely opens up as it warms, but as first it's definitely a dark chocolate coated bourbon aged drink to the max.

The flavor is a little bit more intense, in which the dark cocoa and woody soaked alcohol dryness really comes to full fruition. Lots of a vanilla in the finish, which is very much expected from the bourbon. The alcohol is pretty well concealed overall, and flavor eventually turns from woody to candied, to slightly bitter and roasted at the finish. Definitely the amount of high quality bourbon in this thing makes a lot of the beer's aspects slightly muted, but it's still pretty delicious. Lots of heat comes up at the finish from the alcohol, and I definitely had to have a glass of water alongside this in order to dispel the bone-dryness.

Very intense and intriguing take on the imperial stout style for once, although this is definitely on its road to being a hybrid. It isn't difficult to finish and I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though it did take me some time. Not sure how easy it is to come by, but I recommend this as a must try to bourbon and stout fans from all over. A good way to end a long day, for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2013 06:49:52 | More by magictacosinus

MSandahl23

Indiana

4.75/5  rDev +9.7%

03-03-2013 20:49:39 | More by MSandahl23

duceswild

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev +9.7%

03-01-2013 18:44:44 | More by duceswild

marlinsfan4

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%

03-01-2013 04:13:31 | More by marlinsfan4

Rado

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%

02-26-2013 21:58:34 | More by Rado

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.14/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Imperial smoked stout aged in Pappy barrels? Yes please.

Appearance: midnight black, minimal dark brown head.

Aroma: light smoke and charred barrel, bourbon, vanilla, booze, chocolate, coffee hints.

Taste: vanilla and chocolate, burnt toast, smoke, ash, alcohol, bourbon, molasses.

***Thick and chewy, full bodied, and it isn't too busy for the ABV. Never heard of this brewery before, but I'm not disappointed to see em.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2013 00:19:44 | More by EgadBananas

injuredreserve

Louisiana

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%

02-24-2013 19:00:35 | More by injuredreserve