Bell's Black Note Stout - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

Mscarpen

Tennessee

5/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Was lucky to find this gem while traveling through MI on my first beer tour with my buddy Ben. Enjoyed it so much, we had to come back a second time later in the day. At 6.75 for 16 unholy ounces, how could you pass up on a second glass?

Appearance: Black,, black, black. It was fun to watch the bartender pour this one as it looked just like she was draining used motor oil from an old Chevy. Zero head and not. Hint of lacing.

Smell: Refined/smooth chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, and dark fruits.

Taste: Wow! The best beer Ive ever had. Complex and refined with flavors of sweet chocolate chips, almost like a chocolate souffle. Super smooth bourbon for sure.

Mouthfeel: zero carbonation makes it very drinkable brew. In fact, that makes this on a bit dangerous as its smoothness can make you forget the quality (and alcohol content) of beer you are enjoying.

Without a doubt, this lives up to the hype. If you ever get the chance, make sure to get a taste of this one.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2011 13:58:18 | More by Mscarpen

DankB33R

North Carolina

5/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A. Motor oil black. Slight lacing around the edges of the snifter. Dark tan foam.

S. Dark fruit chocolate and bourbon.

T. Dark fruit, loads of chocolate, espresso like bitterness, and of course a bourbon and oak finish.

M. Very heavy on the palate. The cream ale stands in here lending a very creamy texture to this blended imperial stout.

O. This is an excellent blended imperial bourbon barrel stout. The chocolate malts and bourbon play together very well. All aspects of this stout are on point. Do yourself a favor and try this out.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2012 00:34:16 | More by DankB33R

josephwa

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - thin line of head, mostly opaque, very dark brown, good lacing.
S - caramel, molasses, bourbon, chocolate. Alluring indeed!
T - well balance bourbon flavor-the aging was perfect on this beer, molasses, chocolate. Really well done in the bottle. Even better than tap in my opinion.
M - perfect carbonation, perfect body - medium to heavy body.
O - overall I've found this to be a notch above the draft version, so polished and well done. So glad these are released in 12 oz bottles for distribution.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 03:20:54 | More by josephwa

SportsandJorts

Michigan

5/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Type: Bottle 2012
Glass: Snifter
From: Bell's General Store
Price: $24 a 4-pack

Appearance- Pitch black and opaque. Small tan head the faded pretty quickly and only left a lacing along the side.

Smell- Chocolate, molasses and bourbon, and a touch of sweetness

Taste- Chocolate, brown sugar, bourbon and molasses, with a finish of bitter roasted malts. Perfectly balanced and not lacking in any way.

Mouthfeel- Creamy and thick. Low carbonation and a warming finish. Exactly what it should be.

Overall- This beer is exactly what I want it to be. It is a stout no doubt with the perfect addition of bourbon. Most BBA stouts are taken over by the bourbon, while this is not a terrible thing, it still takes away from the beer. The use of Expedition and Special Double Cream gives it both a smoothness in the body but a slightly bitter finish that is perfect for the style. I couldn't and wouldn't as for anything different in a bourbon barrel aged stout. At $6 a bottle it is definitely a treat but one that I would buy a 4-pack at any opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 23:31:31 | More by SportsandJorts

watsonmd

Georgia

5/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

appearance: pours thick and dark, with a dense, dark brown head

smell: unbelievable chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and bourbon

taste: sweet, coffee, bourbon, vanilla, oak, chocolate

mouthfeel: smooth, thick, full... awesome. Sipped it for over an hour.

overall: one of the best beers I have had, and do believe that the hype probably had some effect in my interpretation, but I feel it lived up to the hype.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 16:14:17 | More by watsonmd

4amepiphany

Illinois

4.99/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served a la Mikey at DLD '13.

Wow. I thought BCS set the precedence for me, but this blew it away. Dark, dark color. Little head with respectable lacing. Sweet bourbon, where's the booze? To me, this was perfectly balanced and complex with each flavor joining hand in hand rather than going to combat. A peacemaker, if you will. Only thing, I wish this was as available as BCS. I could drink this all day, anyday. Then shower in it. Probably drinking the bathwater after. Just kidding. No, I'm not. FIND THIS!

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2013 09:46:41 | More by 4amepiphany

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.98/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bam-BAM! Heavy hitter!! Served at a good temperature with a large, thick, fine, creamy, tan head and lots of lace. Aroma is mostly cocoa, dark ripe fruit, old leather, coffee, a little of the classic stout roast, malt. Color is an opaque black brown. Flavor is a curious blend of expansive and yet slightly conservative - similar to nose, excellent balance between bitter, sweet, and tang, the bourbon is there, not overdone. Body is perfect, ditto for carbonation. Finish is like flavor, yet the whiskey lingers a bit longer. Very easy drinking with only a hint of the alcohol at the end. Fabulous!

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2012 02:31:30 | More by drpimento

pwoods

Ohio

4.97/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Sampled at The Comet in Cincinnati during Hopnosis and at South Park Tavern in Dayton during their Bell's event. Notes from both.

Pours deep black with a touch thinner viscosity than I'd expect. Pretty short head, I'd assume from the barrels but it leaves nice wisps of lacing. Great barrel aroma. Vanilla is very present, accentuated by the double cream but not too sweet, very pleasant(the expo has definitely handled DC's sweetness). Woody and earthy notes in the back. The DC and barrel has rounded out the Expo's huge hop profile though it still lingers. Great mixture of the two beers. Very chocolately, just enough sweetness and hops, great bourbon snap with the fantastic barrel to round things out. Body is full but not thick or chewy. Carbonation is pretty low but still maintains a fantastic smoothness. This beer is too fucking tasty to not be drinkable. You could literally drink this until you passed out before you were sick of it. Stellar.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2009 23:07:48 | More by pwoods

joshuaseresse

Minnesota

4.97/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had this on-tap at the Bell's Fermented Eclipse Party at Stub's and Herbs - June 26, 2010. Had about 18oz total and decided to jot down a few notes on the top of my to-go box. Each served in a 6 oz glass...one at a time:

A- Black as night, cannot see through it at all. Hardly any lacing, very little head if any. Toward the middle and end of this beer it appears brownish around the edges, slightly transparent with a light ring of foam.

S- Bourbon Barrel with hints of cream, sweet vanilla, bits of chocolate but mostly vanilla. When its cold, its very clean smelling...biting the nostrils. Very nice.

T- Very smooth, caramel, brown sugar, bourbon barrel, cream the whole way through, slight boozy at first then calms down and vanilla toward the end. A bit of a coffee after taste.

M- Lovely, awesome, very smooth, perfect carbonation, satin and silk. All you could ask for in a beer.

D- Does not feel like a 10.5% at all - way too easy and probably very dangerous. I could have drank this all night and for breakfast in the morning. Very happy I was able to try this and would very much like some more. Good job, Bell's...now make some more!

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2010 17:09:36 | More by joshuaseresse

Stevedore

Wisconsin

4.95/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2012 vintage 12oz bottle dated 12/28/2012, poured into a Bell's snifter today and quaffed 4/13/2013. This review is also based on the four times I've had this now- twice on tap, and twice in the bottle. This is the first time I've had a chance to sit down, relax and write a review. And I am thoroughly enjoying this just like all the other times.

Aroma: Smells delicious, like a dessert port. Decadent chocolate accompanied by vanilla, bourbon and oak. And it actually smells thick and creamy, like how I would imagine liquid Ritter Sport (German) chocolate would smell like. I mean, I've had my share of BA beers including the recent vintage of KBS and last year's BCBS and this definitely has them beat in the nose. (5)

Colour: Pours like a thick, viscous motor oil. Jet black body, illuminates with just a tiny hint of dark, dark cola brown at the surface. Not a ton of head, it pours with a brief, less than 1 cm dark brown head that is ephemeral. It leaves no traces, not even a collar. You get spots of lacing here and there but for the most part it's this viscous liquid dark chocolate. Nice. (4)

Flavour: Very, very complex and I really love this beer. Up front, and especially early on while it's still at cellar temperature, there is quite a bit of straight up bourbon, vanilla and oak wood. This quickly gives way to this pure chocolate sweetness, with a bit of molasses and fire-roasted marshmallows, just like the ones you make s'mores with. As the temperature warms up, I start to get a little bit of dark fruits- figs in particular, which actually reminded me of Expedition Stout the first time I had this beer before knowing what the components were. The finish is smooth and creamy, a little bit of espresso and cream like a cappuccino- but I want to say something more like macchiato- less cream, more bitter espresso yet smooth. This beer drinks like a dessert drink and there's nothing like this beer that I've had the privilege to drink. Even as it gets close to room temperature, the heat is pretty indistinct and covered up by all the complex flavours and smells of this beer. tl;dr- this is an incredibly complex beer that somehow melds all the flavours together well while hiding its 11.5% ABV very well. (5)

Mouthfeel: Initially, I would have guessed they had to have some contribution from Double Cream Stout, because the mouthfeel reminds me a lot of that particular Bell's offering. It's a very thick bodied, very smooth and creamy beer that is actually well carbonated based on how my tongue perceives the beer. It fizzes quickly as I swish it around, coating my palate in a thick and viscous chocolatey heaven. The aftertaste is sweet, bitter and creamy all at once- like if I made a macchiato and put a block of dark Belgian chocolate in it. Simply sublime. (5)

Overall: I've just been so impressed with this beer. It's one for the ages. I say the same for BCBS, but in the realm of subjective preferences, I'm going to take Black Note over BCBS if I were ever offered the choice (which is probably going to be very rare). It's exceptionally smooth, creamy sweet and such a decadent pleasure to quaff. The heat, even when it gets close to room temperature, is relatively minimal. It's truly a joy to drink and I treasure each opportunity I have to be able to drink this beer. (5)

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 23:50:16 | More by Stevedore

AlMarzo

Michigan

4.95/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Poured from a bottle into a Dogfish Head Specialty glass / snifter
A: Thick and dark, this beer allowed no dark to shine through. Not much of a head however of what was there the color was a dark brown; it vanished to the sides quickly. Some great lacing followed.
S: Amazing aroma of dried fruit, dark chocolate, a hint of bourbon / oaky, a lot of raisin, hints of a floral aroma came through, along with some spice.

T: Sweet raisins, hints of Carmel, followed by a lot of dark fruit dipped in rich dark chocolate. a nice thick to medium body with a sweet mocha finish. Not too much bourbon present in the initial taste, but it became prominent in the after taste. Almost like a great cookie with the roasted malt, chocolate and hint of vanilla. Some dryness crept in toward the finish, but the sweetness won out. Some heat from the alcohol developed in the finish and aftertaste.

O: A great beer, I expected more bourbon, but it was a very dynamic stout with a great flavor profile. The appearance made me have my doubts but the aroma and taste won me back immediately. It only got better as it warmed. Nicely done!

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 11:22:24 | More by AlMarzo

mjohnson17

Illinois

4.94/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2012 12 oz bottle

A: Pours jet black, slight head that instantaneously dissipates. Some alcohol legs

S: Balances, a bit muted but well rounded charred oak, fig, roasted malt

T: roast, oak, charred wood, fig, a bit of chocolate and coffee. More of an earthy dry taste than a caramel/toffee sweetness that's sometimes seen in other BB stouts.

M: Very well balanced stout. Coats mouth nicely but not sticky. Full body.

Overall: Fantastic beer. One of the best stouts I've had, let alone bourbon barrel stout. This and BCBS are a near tie for perfection. I also really love the 12 oz format of the 2012 batch. If you have a chance to try this stout do not pass it up!

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 20:01:50 | More by mjohnson17

MuenchenerKindl

Germany

4.93/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from the tap at Birreria Paradiso into a very generous snifter, Happy Hour price $4. LOL I would have paid... well never mind. The liquid was dark too black had a cool looking one finger mocha head with a bit of lace.

The smell was just oh so good, big bourbon on that great Bell's stout. Lots of coffee and chocolate noted dancing with the vanilla and alcohol, truly a master piece.

The taste followed the aroma, lots of bourbon, mild vanilla working with all the great flavors of the cream stout.

The mouthfeel was good to very good thick and creamy but the carbonation could have been a bit better to make the body just right.

The drinkability was A1A, man did I enjoy this brew. This is a must try beer. Thanks Larry! Prosit und Zum Wohl. MK

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2008 06:27:37 | More by MuenchenerKindl

tpd975

Florida

4.93/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Hand bottle provided by gunhaver.

A: Pours a very dark shade of flat black, no head.

S: Wonderful earthy aromas up front. Lots of wood, like fresh cut trees in a forest. There were hints of char, bourbon, vanilla and dark fruit.

T: Barrel flavors right from the start. Fresh oak, vanilla, and bourbon. Chocolate and dark fruit are there along with light cream and a touch of ash.

M: Full bodied, low carbonation

D: Awesome. Really tasty complex beer. Not the most tasty of the stouts we tasted tonight, but was the most complex.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2009 13:17:39 | More by tpd975

adnielsen

Colorado

4.93/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I had two snifters of this on tap at Bells back in November. It has a deep black appearance with a light brown head. The aroma was fantastic with smooth, sweet bourbon, toffee, dark chocolate, and oak. The flavor was even tastier and was quite smooth for the abv. Tons of caramel, dark chocolate, toffee, and vanilla to go along with the oaky, bourbon elements. I couldn't believe how smooth this was. Excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2012 21:02:15 | More by adnielsen

ralflord

Connecticut

4.9/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoying this with a buddy. Holy moly! Unbeliveably black with no head. The smell was creamy, vanilla, and bourbony. It made me think of what heaven would be like. The mixture was perfect, the blended beers complimenting each other like a great rythym section. Coltrane's Impulse years comes to mind. The beer finished incredibly strong, with a sublime taste that will rest on my palate for a long time. This is an all-time great beer. If you have the means I highly suggest you try it. It is so choice.

Serving type: growler

07-14-2009 01:58:10 | More by ralflord

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.9/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at The Blue Door Pub in St. Paul, MN. Served in a 10 oz. goblet glass.

Appearance: Color is a oily jet black. Moderate amount of bubbles. About one finger of deep tan creamy head that recedes to a very thin layer. Decent amount of lacing is left on the glass.

Smell: Big scent of bourbon whiskey up front with good hints of vanilla, wood, and oak. Sweet dark malts with big hints of dark chocolate, coffee, dark toasted bread, molasses, burnt caramel, toffee, and biscuit. A fair amount of syrup and burnt sugars. Subtle hints of dark raisin, plum, fig, and cherry. A light hint of smoke and earthy hops. The bourbon and sweet chocolate stand out the most. A big and rich aroma.

Taste: Just as big and complex as the aroma leads. Nicely dark, sweet, and boozy. Big taste of bourbon whiskey up front with good notes of vanilla, oak chips, and the whiskey barrel. A little bit of smoke. Big dark roasted malts with notes of dark chocolate, bitter coffee, toasted bread and biscuit, sweet molasses and syrup, burnt caramel, and toffee. Undertones of dark fruits including dark cherry, plum, and raisin. Subtle earthy hops in the background. The bourbon and dark chocolate elements really stand out. Rich and very good taste.

Mouthfeel: A fairly heavy body with a moderate amount of carbonation. Thick, creamy, and fairly slick and syrupy. Some alcohol heat is present but its not overly hot.

Overall: A really great barrel aged imperial stout. The bourbon flavor is big and great and the dark chocolate and molasses sweetness is very good.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2012 20:38:24 | More by MattyG85

Samichlaus82

4.9/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours oily pitch black with a small dark mocha head that slowly dissipates without leaving much trace on the glass. Smell is slightly sweet and malty with roasted malts, quality dark chocolate, dark bread, burnt caramel, charred wood, black pepper, bourbon, coconut, vanilla fudge, asphalt, toffee and hints of sweet liquorice. Taste is sweet and malty with roasted malts, roasted coconut, quality dark chocolate, sweetened dark roast coffee, vanilla fudge, charred wood, lactose, bourbon, toffee, nutella and hints of alcohol. Mouthfeel is soft, creamy, smooth, balanced, silky and full bodied. Finish is slightly sweet and bitter with roasted malts, quality dark chocolate, dark roast coffee, vanilla fudge, roasted coconuts, charred wood and bourbon. Great balance and smooth silky mouthfeel adds up to a great experience.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 09:11:51 | More by Samichlaus82

SaisonRichBiere

Michigan

4.89/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served on draft, post Bell's tap-takeover at Aubree's in Northville, MI.

Appearance- Oily and dark, viscous, but a shade lighter than other BA stouts. Dark, dark espresso brown. One finger of beige head yields to a foamy veil atop the brew. As you drink, it dissipates further into a halo around the glass, leaving lots of lacing on the glass.

Smell- Caramel-coffee-toffee-creme brûlée. Big complex nose with a hint of bourbon heat. Roasty, roasty malts creep in. This smells awesome. One of the best.

Taste- Big boozy hit. Surprisingly more red wine than bourbon here. Fruity booze yields to a smooth 80 proof bourbon finish. What follows is awesome. Roasty espresso, big caramelly dark chocolate notes- think a chocolate riesen candy. Big strong Madagascar vanilla, creme brûlée and a blunt, dry roasty malt finish. Amazing.

Mouthfeel- Oily, smooth, creamy. A mouth-coating tingly whiskey burn that you really don't want to go away. Akin to the style with just a bit more.

Overall. One of the best, hands down. Extremely grateful that I was able to stumble on this (surprisingly) left over from a tap-takeover. The description does it justice, but this beer is so much more. If you have a chance to try this, try it. It will not disappoint. I thought CBS was the bar for the style, but this changes things. A shred more accessible than others of its ilk, this brings more Michigan BA stout firepower to the table. Drink this. Period. Thanks a ton Bell's!

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2013 19:14:54 | More by SaisonRichBiere

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

4.88/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

First off, let me say my thanks to Larry Bell for making this gem, and thanks to The Party Town for making this available for growler fills.
That being said, wow, what a treat! I’m a huge expedition fan, so this beer is what I’m all about. Pours a dark brown with a slight head that recedes quickly after pouring. This is possibly one of the best noses I’ve ever had come from a beer. I spent quite a bit of time sniffing this one. Smell is velvety bourbon, with notes of chocolate and espresso coffee. The taste is incredible. Think bourbon barrel aged Expedition with a very creamy and silky finish due to the Double Cream. This is the perfect combination, everything is working incredbily together. If bottled this would rival and give Kentucky Breakfast a run for its money. Very happy that I had the chance to enjoy this, but very sad as well, because the chances of coming across this rare gem again is small.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2007 16:41:13 | More by FtownThrowDown

Donerik

Michigan

4.88/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer if bottled would be in my fridge constantly.
I texted my friend from the bar that I was drinking the best beer ever.

A: dark, thin tan head. It looked browner than some black stouts, like it was just happy tasting great that it didn't need to be black as night.

s: rich, creamy smell, obviously bb aged.

T: So Good. Everything was in perfect balance. Rich malts make this beer sweet, the barrels have given the beer vanilla notes, and bourbon. It's perfect, it was worth 8 dollars.

M & D: This beer was so smooth, the alchohol wasn't even a thought going down. I'd drink 3 or 4 if had them at home... please mr Bell, bottle this.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2010 02:22:19 | More by Donerik

bobhits

Kentucky

4.88/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thank you beer trappe for letting me sample this master piece!

Pours black as night, truly held to multiple lights only the SLIGHTEST of brown legs throw through. Poured into a 6 zo snifter it seem to have some carbonation but hard to comment on.

The aromas is dark bakers chocolate, roasted malt, espresso and vanilla.

Wow..tastes like pie crust and bakers chocolate blended with vanilla and hints of oak. Yes as a bourbon lover a bit more oak would be ok, but the chocolate and pie crust flavors are out of control. There just isn't a possible negative comment to be head.

The double creme did the job. This is creamy and full bodied as hell. Well carbonated and sinfully rich.

Worthy of all the praise and then some!

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2011 03:25:09 | More by bobhits

ncketchum

Wisconsin

4.88/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

12 oz bottle, served cellar temp in a Tyranena tulip, split with my dad

A - pours a silky black with mocha head, leaving slight lacing

S - aroma is fantastic- bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, and coffee, very well balanced, best I've encountered in awhile

T - again, expertly balanced with chocolate,, malt, and bourbon, nothing overpowering.

M - thick, smooth as silk, minimal alcohol

O - fantastic, I feel lucky to have found a bottle, easily one of the best stouts I've come across

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 02:57:55 | More by ncketchum

Docrock

Illinois

4.86/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Served on tap at Bell's Eccentric cafe in a 12 oz snifter:

A - dark as midnight with a nice mocha colored head, nice sticky lacing and a thin cap remain

S - very complex, dark roasted malt, light coffee, nice BA note with a touch of bittersweet chocolate and burnt sugar.

T - Wow, it changes as you hold it in your mouth. Creamy and thick with the bittersweet chocolate and dark roasted malt, just a touch of coffee.

M - thick and chewy, not overly carbonated. Was served a bit on the cool side for me so I let it sit a bit and warmed with my hands.

O - what a great beer, I preferred it a bit warmer than it was served. The favors and aroma really opened up around 50F. Glad to not only have it on tap, but to get some bottles to age a bit. At least for me, this is the finest stout I have ever tasted.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2013 18:05:35 | More by Docrock

rhinos00

Colorado

4.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On-tap at South Park Tavern. Let my glass sit a while to get the beer to room temperature.

A- Dark brown, almost on the verge of being black. Very little to no head. There was an off-white, cream colored ring that left some lacing as the beer was consumed.

S- Huge notes of bourbon infiltrate the nose. Reminded me of Bourbon County Stout. In the background, there was faint hints of vanilla.

T- Wow, this was quite a pleasant surprise. After the strong aroma, I thought I was going to be dealing with a bourbon onslaught. However, the bourbon was well balanced in comparison to the other ingredients, allowing for a smoother, mellow taste. Rich notes of chocolate, vanilla, molasses and bourbon all mix together for a perfect combination.

M- This was my favorite part of the beer and what distinguished it from many similar bourbon barrel aged RIS I have had before. The double cream stout really comes into effect in this one. It had a creamy texture unparalleled to none. Quite a wonderful addition to a big, complex RIS.

D- The creamy texture and well-balanced bourbon flavors made this go down like water. I drank this until the keg went dry.

Overall, this is a fantastic blend, one that I will probably never get to try again. The creamy texture really put this beer over the top in my mind. If this beer ever crosses your path, try it. Don't hesitate.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2009 15:07:27 | More by rhinos00