Bourbon Barrel Stout (Clay Street Series) - Bluegrass Brewing Co. - East St. Matthew's

FanofHefe

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served on-tap at the brew house in a fluted pilsner glass (not sure about the bartender's choice of glassware here). Deep black body and a small tan head. Not much lacing.

The aroma is weak overall, maybe due to the glass (snifter or tulip may have been better). Some define bourbon aroma and only a small amount of roasted malt.

The flavor is a little better. Heavy bourbon and vanilla flavors dominate the taste. Roasted malt and oak come along for the ride but in minor roles.

The mouthfeel is very thin for a stout. Overall, I find this beer to be too sweet and thin to compete in the -bal aged category. Decent try but not great.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2012 21:36:43 | More by FanofHefe

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

1.78/5  rDev -45.7%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12oz bottle to snifter. No indication of ABV. Bottled July 2010 and sampled on 10/16/11.

A: Four fingers of frothy fluffy head erupt on the 3/4-of-a-bottle-pour. The light brown head slowly fades into an uneven wavy cap. Long lasting film over the black body. Lacing coats the glass entirely but quickly slides back down.

S: A big oaky component and artificial vanilla stand out. Chocolate, caramel and grain roasted to a near acrid degree. Soily and musky. The hops impart notes of grass and pine.

T: Follows the nose closely. Adds cardboard. The base beer lacks depth of flavor – and the bourbon barrel character is very faint – if surface level only. Flavor duration is short, but vanilla lingers long.

M: Thin and over-carbonated for the style. Finishes chalky somehow?

O: Not a very good beer unfortunately.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 12:55:36 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottled September 2011, served at around cellar temperature.

Pours very dark brown to black with a one finger brown head that leaves some spotty lacing and recedes to a ring and wispy cap.

Aroma features a lot of oak, some bourbon and vanilla, roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, some dark fruits. Quite oaky. Good to very good strength.

Flavor is some bourbon, vanilla and oak, good roasted malt, chocolate and coffee components, a fair bit of dark fruits, fairly sweet as well. A bit of alcohol but well integrated, and less than expected for 9%.

Mouthfeel is a bit thin for the style but still medium bodied in the grand scheme of things, somewhat creamy, somewhat sticky, moderate carbonation.

I found this to be pretty good stuff and better than the BA score here indicates. I had only modest expectations going in but was pleasantly surprised. Not up to the level of the big barrel aged heavy hitters out there but I would put this on par with something like Weyerbacher’s Heresy.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 02:32:15 | More by elgiacomo

4thelvofbeer

Virginia

1.6/5  rDev -51.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Disappointing. This is the example of a brewery that has jumped on the "barrel aged" bandwagon. This is a watered-down example of a barrel aged stout and is frankly a disgrace to carry the name barrel aged stout. Black in color with a weakly colored brown head. Taste is weak, with light notes of chocolate that fade as quick as you can begin to taste them. Watery and light for a barrel aged beer. Mouthfeel is like drinking water. Save your money....extreme disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 00:30:55 | More by 4thelvofbeer

BrewBre

Tennessee

2.68/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Look = dark dark brown with slight amber edges and some tan head.

Smell = roasted, oak, and coffee are three distinct notes that come to mind. Almost has a hint of burnt/char to it.

Taste = a great deal of chocolate and roasted malt.

Feel = thin to medium body with very little carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 12:50:00 | More by BrewBre

musicforairports

New York

2.38/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Black color. Light brown head leaves no real lacing.

Smells of char, chocolate and an off-putting note of butter.

Flavor has some char, vanilla and wood notes, but they ride atop a watery, acidic beer that doesn't taste much like a stout at all.

Thin-medium mouthfeel. This doesn't feel like a 5.5 percent ABV stout, let alone one of 8.6 percent ABV.

This is neither a good stout nor a good bourbon-barrel beer. It's not pricey, but I guess I know why.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 03:22:53 | More by musicforairports

jonsarts

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +28%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is essentially an ordinary stout with extraordinary vanilla oakey, splashing of bourbon finish. Great on a cold evening with a nice steaming bowl of stew.

There is a hint of that char from the inside of a barrel that penetrates the brew. I don't care for that flavor in a wine, but it works well with a stout so long as it is subtle.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 00:01:00 | More by jonsarts

smakawhat

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a large snifter.

A faint head is barley made that doesn't stick around much, leaves a soapy collar. Body color is a dark walnut brown, with red and looks actually just a little see through on the edges

Bouquet is high on barrel notes, wood, cedar angles, sawdust, with some nice malt backbones. Interesting, not much going on but I do enjoy it. Very very dry.

Mild subdued barrel palate. Faint hint of the classic bourbon notes but very buried of caramel and vanilla and richness, instead the roast malt dominates primarily. Char action much like an American porter. Wet bodied a bit with some very noticeable carbonation. Dry sense on the nose doesn't come off on the taste with it's wet angle.

Overall this actually isn't a bad beer, but for slapping the bourbon barrel name on there, this is not quite pulling it off. It's more of a roasty American porter/stout to me but still enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 04:32:09 | More by smakawhat

2378GCGTG

Texas

3.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a 12oz bottle into a tulip at 43 degrees

Appearance: 2 inch brown head, excellent retention and great lacing. Black in the center and red at the edges when held to the light.

Smell: Bourbon, oak, coffee, and vanilla

Taste: Bitter coffee predominates at the front, fading into vanilla and oak with light buttery bourbon undertones

Mouthfeel: Light, almost watery, with a softness from the bourbon aging.

Overall: I am disappointed by this years offering, past years have been mush better, and in fact the Jeffersons aged beer is far superior to this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 16:11:40 | More by 2378GCGTG

homebrew311

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into New Belgium globe.

A: pours deep brownish black with a tiny bit of light barely peaking through at the edges, tannish white head, some retention and lacing

S: nose features raw oak and vanilla up front, some chocolate mixes in, but not nearly as much as I'd hope for. Really losing the stout base. Perhaps the base beer isn't hearty enough to stand up to the barrel aging.

T: thin vanilla at the front along with some sweet malts and a hint of milk chocolate. The finish is primarily creamy vanilla. The roasted malts seem to be lacking in presence,

MF: thin body for style, medium carbonation

O: not a bad beer for its price, no bad flavors, just falling a little short of its competitors

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 05:55:25 | More by homebrew311

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a 16 oz. Snifter.

A- pours black with very thin tan head. Some lacing that resides quickly.

S- roasted malts, coffe, cough syrup, faint vanilla.

T- roasted malts, very faint bourbon and vanilla, a bitter coffee taste that is slightly off but can't pin point what.

M- medium body, medium carbonation.

O- poor attempt at a BA stout. Missing the bourbon, vanilla, and oak flavors and aromas acustomed to the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 05:17:30 | More by kawilliams81

stakem

Pennsylvania

2.55/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

I could have swore I reviewed this brew before because I vividly remember the experience being below average. Here we go again, 12oz brown bottle with a bottled on date of October 2010. This brew pours a very dark brown that once held to the light displays some clarity around the edges. An initial formation of khaki head forms with more than a finger strength and slowly fades to a film that maintains across the top seemingly throughout the entire duration.

The smell of this brew initially has a pleasant character of faint, sweet milky chocolate, vanilla, oak and a bit of roast. More smells reveal some hints espresso-like coffee character that starts to turn like char. When swirled, a bit of sulfur comes out that mixes with quite a bit of mineral component. And there it is, the initial pleasing and expected character of this brew abruptly turns to quite a mineral filled scent that is slightly earthy with mixed notes of stinky cheese.

The taste is char with a bitter roasted grain element that gives way to a light amount of bitter chocolate that lasts into the aftertaste when only a small sip is taken. When larger gulps are taken, there is a tartness present that is a bit distracting and gives a chalky quality that is a bit out of place. Sulfur and mineral flavors run throughout the middle of the profile. Surprisingly this off-character gives way towards the end and leaves an aftertaste of cocoa powder on the tongue. A very strange experience for sure.

This is a medium to light bodied brew with an abundance of carbonation that is effervescent and bubbly on the tongue. I dont want to be the one that screams infection over this brew but this is a drastically different experience from the last bottle I had. The previous bottle I consumed had an abundance of dark cherry tartness and minerals that was not enjoyable at all. While this bottle was slightly better, it still tasted a bit off to me. This brew flirts with having potential but something has gone wrong. I wouldn't mind having this again when it is fresh but I would be hesitant.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 03:26:51 | More by stakem

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a shaker pint: Black body with the faintest, deep red highlights. Half-finger of tan head that drops to a thin coating.

Smell at first: Ah, cocoa, oak, bourbon. As it warms: kind of a musty, waxy character develops, chocolate seems kind of faky, some solventy booze emerges. It's like good smells gone slightly bad.

Taste is not bad: vanilla, some bourbon, pleasant roast character in the finish, aftertaste is a nice restrained bourbon flavor. On the mild side & kind of washed out, but not bad.

Kind of light-bodied for a bourbon barrel stout, low carbonation. Not a great combination, as I'd rather go for either full-bodied or a little more carbonated. Just comes across as flat.

Not bad overall, but really lacking in some areas. Just kind of wimped out, honestly, plus some off-notes in the aroma. Doable, & I don't think I'd pass up another one, but not real memorable.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 01:15:16 | More by OneDropSoup

avalon07

South Carolina

3.55/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a jet black color and a thick texture. There was a small amount of foamy head that quickly dissipated. Not much lacing.

S: Lots of chocolate in the aroma - much more than most stouts - with traces of malt and coffee.

T: Like the smell, the taste had a lot of chocolate, with a bit of malt and coffee. Not much of the advertised bourbon. Tastes and feels more like a porter than a stout. Not a bad flavor, but not strong enough.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a slick finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This isn't a terrible beer, but definitely not as good as others in the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 14:31:37 | More by avalon07

antoines15

Indiana

3/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Big thanks goes out to JJ for picking this one up for me. He's my sixty-four year old co-worker who bought me a 4-pack of this for no apparent reason. Now, on to the review.

A: Resembles a darker, flat coca-cola with a few bubbles around the edge. Or day old coffee, if you prefer.

S: Smells of chocolate pretty heavily. No bourbon aroma to speak of, unfortunately.

T: More chocolate. Not offensive, but not very exciting either. Still no bourbon. Cloyingly sweet, maybe? In a Dark Lord kinda way?

M: Here is where this beer loses me. It is a bit too carbonated and very thin for the style.

O: Again, this beer is not bad, but not awesome either. I'm pretty sure it is going to get a "C" from me, and I think that is a very fair assessment. Thanks again Joe!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 22:13:53 | More by antoines15

Guden

Maryland

3.7/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Deep black with just the faintest dark brown highlights at the edges. Almost no head, just a thin film of creamy off white bubbles. Not much to say, but it does leave a pretty lacing.

S - Alcohol, oak, smoke and some of the deep coffee and licorice notes I love to see in stouts.

T - The coffee flavor is certainly there with a tempered amount of alcohol and a bit of character that seems somewhere between smoke and vanilla and I can only assume comes from the char on the barrel. I like the character but it seems as though it could all be a bit more pronounced and a bit more rounded.

M - This is the weakest character to this beer in my opinion. Light on carbonation, but with only a medium heavy body and lacking the great creaminess I would love to see.

D - This isn't a hard beer to drink but it isn't one that's as complex as the name would suggest. A nice addition to my mix and match 6 pack but not something I'm going to go out of my way to enjoy again.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 22:38:11 | More by Guden

Ruger

Kentucky

3.38/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Poured hard and still only managed a half finger light brown head, minimal lacing and the body is black with a red tint that silhouettes at the top when held up to the light.

S - Tons of melted chocolate with a light booze wisp that follows up.

T - Very light bourbon couldn't get much but its there , overwhelming chocolate that is nicely counterbalanced by finishing with a slight hop bitterness that disperses.

M - A little too much carbonation for my tastes but its fine; medium bodied still really smooth.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 04:02:49 | More by Ruger

ColdPoncho

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - very thin looking and light, no real head formation. not a good start.

S - Nice big bourbon and chocolate notes. A really fine smell.

T - Sweet chocolate, roasted coffee, some almost minty alcohol...a little confusing. Some good stuff, but some not-so-good stuff as well...

M - Smooth, a bit thin.

O - This is a so-so beer. It's not terrible, but it has some off flavors and is a bit too thin. It could probably use some more bourbon on the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 21:14:13 | More by ColdPoncho

jayhawk73

Maryland

3.03/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours black with only a sliver of cocoa head. Below average lacing on my snifter glass. Very little carbonation as well. Nose is basically two things: Oak and vanilla. I really don't get anything else with this brew. Somewhat disappointing, but I don't get bourbon in the nose at all. Kind of weird for a bourbon barrel stout... I actually get a little bourbon in the taste, as well as smoke, and some hops. Feel is undercarbonated, and a little sweet for what I'd like to see. Overall, this was a bit of a disappointment. I probably won't look for this again. Cheers

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 22:48:34 | More by jayhawk73

biglite351

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - mild orange around the edges. Quickly falling off white head.

S - rich deep scent. Heavy malts, oak, vanilla and bourbon.

T - bland. Mild malt, vanilla and bourbon. Like the scent but much milder.

M - good coating with mild tingles on side of tongue.

O - better than nothing, but well down the list.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 23:41:36 | More by biglite351

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

2.63/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: midnight black with a healthy head. retention is decent with some lacing left as it goes down my gullet. pretty stout looking.

S: woody and big time vanilla bean. coffee as well. same thing on the next visit and the next. kind of dessert-like. i would rather be challenged with some other complexity.

T: boozy and oaky. the wood is a little raw. definitely a vanilla flavor in there as well. maybe some roast, but definitely a bit muted of a roast flavor. not enough body to balance out the first two flavors. leaves me wanting some oats to smooth this body out.

M: starts a bit too lively, but letting it sit allows it to drink like it should. tastes pretty medium-bodied despite the large ABV.

D: overall, this is a miss for me. the backbone just doesnt work with the wood and bourbon and like i said above it leaves me wanting something more from this brew. potential, but i think some tweaks need to be made.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 01:59:57 | More by Jimmys

superspak

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled Dec 2010. Pours pitch black color with an instant 3 finger than head with great retention that reduces to a nice lacing cap that lasts. Some moderate lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of dark fruits, roasted malt, bourbon, oak, vanilla, and some chocolate and coffee in the background. Some interesting and bourbon forward aromas here. Taste of big oak, bourbon, and roasted malts on the front, that leads to chocolate, vanilla, and light coffee on the finish. A bit of bitterness on the finish with lingering notes of chocolate, roasted malt, and a bit of bourbon. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a nice creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Overall, not too bad. This was pretty enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 02:05:01 | More by superspak

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.03/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

had some high hopes for this one, but it did not really pan out as I had hoped. Pour was uneventful, thick black oil like, with no real head. Decent lacing throughout. Smell was very full, lots of oak, and bourbon aromas, and the vanilla is unmistakable, in fact pretty much over powering. First impression was not pleasant, it was vanilla overload for me, nad what the vanilla didn't kill the oak took care of later. Not enough carbonation left it feeling utterly flat and uneventful. Really had a rough time getting all of this down as the vanilla and oak were just overdone and killing it for me. Overall nah, I am good.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 17:05:54 | More by mikesgroove

Eriktheipaman

Virginia

2.25/5  rDev -31.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Not that this beer is bad per say...just read the rest:

Pours a solid black with little to no head.

The smell is very very strange. Again not bad but very weird. At first it smelt EXACTLY like chocolate milk. Then it changed to a very sweet and of straight toffee.

The taste is similar and still strange. To me it taste just like a caramel or toffee candy. Slightly burnt brown sugar. No barrel and no usual roasty Stout.

I would recommend passing on this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 22:46:28 | More by Eriktheipaman

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.45/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a Pinocchio's (Media, PA) snifter. Bottled on April 2010.

A: Pours almost pitch black (brownish hues) with a half finger tan head. Head disappears quickly. Good lacing with some alcohol feet.

S: Definitely get the bourbon notes. It almost overpowers the roasted malts. You get some vanilla on the swirl.

T: Mild bitterness on the tip of the tongue. This one is all about the middle of the tongue. And the fairly long finish. You get some alcohol warmer in the back of the throat. Hints of bourbon and vanilla. Definitely roasted malts.

M: It's a pretty mild medium bodied stout. Not an imperial in my mind except for the booze. Not the body.

O: B- grade for this one. Nothing to write home about really. I have had much better BA stouts.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 14:54:44 | More by inlimbo77