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

JCaweinstein

Ohio

3.2/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

bottle dated July/11

Look: black, and a little cloudy..got some floaters, one finger off white head disappears almost immediately, minimal lacing
Smell: bourbon, wood, raisons and chocolate
Taste: dark fruit, slight bourbon taste and a minor hop flavor as well
Mouthfeel: lighter than what I would expect for a stout, it is very carbonated and doesn't leave much on the finish
Overall: Not an impressive beer. The idea is good ut something is missing here. Picked it up as it's a somewhat local brewery but I won't make that mistake again.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 01:45:19 | More by JCaweinstein

McNealc31

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

It's black, thick, and smooth with a huge, creamy tan head. It was excessively carbonated and took a couple of pours to get it in the glass. The color had me instantly wondering something that unfortunately was true of this beer. Because of the stout characteristics including the roasted, smokey, nutty flavors, the bourbon was really hard to pick up. There were some late woody and vanilla notes, but the bourbon was not as prominent as I would have liked.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 18:52:26 | More by McNealc31

daveytheformer

Oregon

3.2/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a deep black with a thin tan head that quickly fades to very light lacing and a few tiny spots.

Smells really smokey with a strong coffee and roasted malt presence. Bakers chocolate comes to mind with repeated whiffs.

Tastes lightly syrupy with lots of roasted malt. Chocolate and coffee come into the mix for sure. The bourbon lurks pretty subdued in the background more than I would prefer frankly. Not quite as big as I as expecting or am used to but is still drinkable though.

Mouthfeel is a little thin to to medium bodied with very light carbonation.

Overall is ok at best. I grabbed a 4-pack of this and can't really see myself doing that again.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 19:48:06 | More by daveytheformer

merc7186

New York

3.2/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I had this beer from a 12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

The beer poured decent with a nice dark brown, almost black, color with a creamy brown head that lingers on but very little lacing. The beer has an obvious bourbon scent with a follow up of mild chocolate and roasted malts. The taste is decent with nice blend of coffee, chocolate, and roasted malts that lingers and fades. The mouthfeel is mediocre as the beer is over carbonated and every sip is too much carbonation. Overall, an average stout and a below average borubon stout. Back to the drawing board on this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 02:51:46 | More by merc7186

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

4.4/5  rDev +34.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a tulip

A:Pours a very deep brown, settling into an opaque black. The head is almost nonexistent for mine, but the bubbles that surface are tan and surprisingly large, although if you can generate the head, it's much, much more flavorful. It doesn't flow as thick as one would hope, but it's more viscous than a traditional porter.

S: Aroma is exquisite: sweet dark chocolate, hints of caramel and bourbon, bits of coffee and molasses, lots of scent and very welcoming.

T/M: Has a low to medium amount of carbonation with the bourbon very well balanced between caramel, chocolate, and coffee notes. Some slight roasted malts and just a touch of bitterness finish it off.

This is a very good bourbon barrel beer and likely the best year round bourbon barrel on the market.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 00:06:31 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3.05/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

From 12oz bottle to Bruges hybrid glass on 8/16/11
*From notes

-- This has been in my cellar almost a year --

A: It looks ok, though wholly unremarkable. The proper charry burnt umber color is there. A standard pour yields a dissapointing .5 finger head and zero lacing.

S: I can't believe I'm actually getting some toasted coconut here. It's got a great bouquet that gets me excited for the first taste.

T: Well, the excitement didn't last long. It's simply too thin on flavor. Nothing stands out here but some harsh tanninic acid that I can only assume comes from cheap, shredded wood.

M: Sharp and underwhelming. Where's the body here? It's overcarbed, which I assume they feel covers for a lack of actual flavor.

O: Bluegrass' Bourbon Barrel Stout isn't a bad beer, it's simply average personified. Nothing here, sans the nose, is worth mentioning. Middie of the road is a dangerous place to be. Here's to Bluegrass picking it up a bit, as producing beers like this can very quickly lead to a dead end.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 23:30:34 | More by Rhettroactive

KevinBrewer

California

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

A- Nearly black with a reddish-brown glow to it. Huge, rocky tan head that dissipates to a thick blanket, leaving some patchwork behind. Basically impossible to pour a full glass without waiting for the head to die down halfway through.

N- Chocolaty bourbon-soaked malt with rich vanilla and soft oak. Really a delicious aroma, but you have to enjoy it before taking the first sip. After a few swallows, the nuances of the aroma were definitely harder to pick up.

T- Wow. Very smooth, roasty, and lightly chocolaty up front. Mild grassy and oaky bitterness works nicely with the roast. Subtle vanilla accents and a touch of bourbon add complexity without overpowering the stout qualities. Lightly bitter grassy finish with plenty of roast, vanilla, and bourbon lingering around into the aftertaste.

M- Medium-light body, high carbonation, and a semidry finish.

D- Overall, I love bourbon barrel-aged stouts, so I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although, it is pretty light, and nothing close to a good bbal imperial stout. I really cannot believe this beer is 8.6% because it is incredibly easy-drinking. I think the biggest fault for this beer is the high ABV because that's the only thing preventing me from going through a fourpack.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 04:49:26 | More by KevinBrewer

PhageLab

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip.

A - Jet black brew sporting a small bit of froth. The head didn't stick around very long, but it did leave some washy lacing behind.

S - Fairly hoppy, with a potent aroma of dark chocolate. Sweet, with an earthy quality.

T - Chocolate malts hit the tongue initially, followed by a mildly bitter wash. Definitely some oak notes, as well as a smoky finish.

M - Medium bodied with a low carbonation level. Finish is dry with a lingering bitterness left behind.

D - Pretty good overall, let it warm up just a bit and it is quite enjoyable. A decent stout that I would have no problem picking up again.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 16:37:36 | More by PhageLab

JamnesCameron

Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a snifter. Pours a jet black with a light mocha, oily head of about two fingers. Head is quick to drop to a wisp, with some light lacing and some legs.

Aromas of dark roast malt, dark roasted coffee, some dark cocoa, week vanilla, and some oakiness.

Flavors of light roast, vanilla, oak, dark cocoa. Finish is short, with vanilla, oak and roast malt on the linger. Some alcohol evident as it warms.

Mouthfeel is relatively thin. Some oaky astringency dries out the mouth with a decent level of carbonation.

Overall, not much to set this one apart. No real flaws, just nothing to really grab you, smack you around and introduce you to its mother.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 05:11:53 | More by JamnesCameron

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

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

Every bottle of the 4 pack wouldnt pour right no matter what I did. It always had so much head, that I had to pour an ounce then let it sit. Very discouraging.

The head was a thick off white color that really stuck around. Liquid was pitch black. Lacing was good.

Smell was bitter and roasty. Slightly sweet near the tail end.

Taste consists entirely of over-roasted malt. Slightly metallic taste comes through later, and is not good. Body is non-existent. Its like drinking a porter, only not--its a stout.

The roasty malt kind of just sits on your tongue, like any good roasty porter should.

As a porter, this would be a solid beer, but as a stout, its lackluster in its finest moments. I was expecting smoothness from the bourbon barrels, but it was absent. The metallice taste is disheartening.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2011 01:50:07 | More by VncentLIFE

Mora2000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +28.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Cavie for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a dark brown color with a tan head. The aroma is very nice and quite complex. I get a lot of bourbon as well as some chocolate, vanilla, maple and dark fruit. The flavor is just as complex. The chocolate and roasted malt come through very strong, but the flavor also has all of the components you expect from a bourbon barrel aged beer. I get some bourbon whiskey notes as well as some maple, oak and vanilla. Medium to thick mouthfeel and low to medium carbonation. A very nice barrel-aged stout. Glad I got to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 00:52:09 | More by Mora2000

n2185

North Carolina

3.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

A: Pours black with some faint brown highlights around the edges and a finger of light tan head that disappears almost completely with no real lacing.

S: Some roasted malts with lots of sweet, creamy chocolate aromas. Vanilla is also very much present along with a touch of oak and bourbon. Slight alcohol aroma on the finish.

T: Again, some roasted malts with creamy chocolate flavors. Vanilla and oak follow with a surprisingly subtle touch of bourbon. The finish has a slight alcohol burn along with a little char flavor.

M: Medium body with low carbonation, this beer is a bit watery feeling.

O: Not a bad beer and it's nice to have a bbal beer that isn't super thick, super sweet, and/or super boozy. Still, I could go for a bit more bourbon flavor and a thicker body.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 01:23:11 | More by n2185

sixerofelixir

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle. Bottled-on date notched on the left side of the front label.

Pours a very dark brown. A tan head soon recedes to a film, and then disappears entirely. Smell is sweet and chocolately, with a bit of grainy booze. Taste has a nice dash of (overly) sweet malts and vanilla, followed by an (overly) hot alcohol rush. Too much of a contrast, imo. And I'm left feeling like I had a whisky chaser. If this was a bit more balanced it would be good, thus it is just OK.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 05:05:56 | More by sixerofelixir

jamescain

Texas

3.3/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a sniffer, thanks to texasclimber for sharing this one

Appearance: Dark brown with light brown hues when held up to the light, not as dark as I was expecting. A huge tan head is formed when it was poured, even though I tried to pour as carefully as possible.

Aroma: Strong notes of oak, vanilla, and chocolate come through, with subtle notes of bourbon, honestly I expected more bourbon.

Taste: Rather subdued, roasted marshmellow, chocolate, alcohol, bourbon and oak. The most apparent feature is the oak.

Mouthfeel: Way too much carbonation for the style. It was difficult to taste the beer due to the high carbonation. If this was a hefeweizen the then carbonation would be perfect. The body was surprising light also.

Overall: Not a bad beer, but not a great beer either, I think the barrel flavors could have been better integrated and the beer flavors could have been more apparent.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 15:52:16 | More by jamescain

rfgetz

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a tootsie roll brown color with light easily coming through the edges, minimal head and lacing. Scent strong on bottom shelf bourbon and vanilla, roast profile minimal with a cheap holiday milk chocolate presence. Odd buttery toffee/ cracker jack dominates the end of the scent profile. Taste disappoints again with thin tastes all around, even the bourbon notes are watered down and still dominate taste. Off cracker jack notes again come through the finnish Medium bodied, dry and thin for style. Beer offers very little in the way of anything that could be destined as full or aggressive.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 17:36:34 | More by rfgetz

Tone

Missouri

3.55/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a black color. 1/4 inch head of a tan color. Slight retention and slight lacing. Smells of sweet malt, slight oatmeal, alcohol (bourbon), hint of smoke, and a hint of roasted malt. Fits the style of an American Stout. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of sweet malt, roasted malt, alcohol (bourbon), and hint of wood. Overall, weak in appearance, but the bourbon aroma and taste is well apportioned with all other notes.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 00:22:41 | More by Tone

Reaper16

Alabama

2.05/5  rDev -37.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12oz. bottle served into a stein.

Pours a cola brown sort of color. I have to remind myself that this is labeled as a bourbon barrel stout, not an imperial stout, so a lack of intensity (in color, taste, etc.) relative to, say, Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout is actually appropriate. ¾ of a finger of light khaki head form, though the large size of the bubbles concerns me; the beer looks like it’s going to be pretty thin in terms of mouthfeel. This looks pretty average for an American Stout, on the whole.

Uh oh. If the aroma is any indication (and it almost always is) then this beer has some serious flaws. You might be thinking to yourself as you look at the label of this beer: “Hmmm. Why would someone –bal age a single-strength stout? Wouldn’t the barrel dominate the flavor profile because the stout doesn’t have enough malt flavor to stand up to the barrel?” The answer to your rhetorical question is Yes. The barrel does dominate. The aroma of this beer is aggressively astringent. There is so much wood here that it smells almost green, like recently produced oak chips. Oak wood and vanilla for days. To the beer’s credit, it doesn’t smell overtly boozy. Underneath all of those barrel aromas are, erm, nothing, really. There’s an utter lack of maltiness. This beer smells like a hollow shell, like termites have eaten the entire center of a tree.

The taste confirms as much. This is a hollow, thin excuse for a stout. You have to struggle to pick up any roasted malt flavor at all. I’m never entirely sure whether it is because there just isn’t any malt flavor (which, at nearly 9% ABV, I would expect there to be some) or because the barrel is just so strong that it masks any trace of malt. Oak oak oak oak oak, some vanilla, and a sweet bourbony twinge make up nearly the entire flavor profile. It’s like flavored water, where the flavor is bourbon barrel.

The mouthfeel is predictably thin. It isn’t water-thin; in fact, it is almost within the range of appropriateness for the style. The strong carbonation doesn’t help, though. Nothing about the mouthfeel works to bolster the flavor profile. Overall, this is not a good beer. This is bourbon barrel aging just for the sake of it. It’s kind of a shame that a Kentucky brewery can’t get a bourbon barrel aged beer right, but then I’ve never once had a beer from Bluegrass Brewing Company that I was impressed by. I shouldn’t be surprised by how poor this effort is.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 15:19:00 | More by Reaper16

MTNboy

Missouri

3.58/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I don’t think this beer was as bad as a lot of people said. It had a deep opaque body with a bit of carbonation. The head was minimal and there was some tan lace. The flavor is extremely sweet. There are strong bourbon tones in both the flavor and the smell. The mouthfeel is a bit thin for this style.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 18:06:02 | More by MTNboy

russwbeck

Virginia

2.35/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A: The pour is noticeably thin, but produces a very dark body with about a finger of thin light brown head. It dissolves quickly, but what remains laces down the side of the glass quite nicely.

S: The smell seems to be more of oak than of bourbon initially, but the bourbon flavors arise after a few whiffs and are mixed with vanilla. Roasted malts are the other predominant smell and some chocolate is also noted. The smell as a whole is pretty weak though, too light without bold enough characteristics.

T: As soon as the beer hit my mouth I know it was going to be too weak to hold its own in this style. The bourbon and vanilla are present (especially at the front and back), there's just nothing holding this together. Roasted malt flavors do make themselves known, it's just not enough.

MF: Far too light, thin, carbonated well though. The ABV is just too low for a beer of this size to compete in the category.

O: Huge disappointment. Not very happy about having 3 of these left in the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 01:25:14 | More by russwbeck

KajII

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

[Best served in a Pint galss]

Poured a deep rich black with a large light brown frothy head that lasted about 3/4 of the way though the glass and produced some really excellent lacing. The aroma was strong of burnt dark chocolate malts, a medium leathery yeast with notes of roasted coffee, molasses, some chared oak and a mild dose of bourbon with a hint of vanilla. It tasted, (WOW) pretty awesome with a nice bitter coffee flavor from the onset and then slowly maturing into a nice chocolate, molasses, coffee medley with an ever so slight whiskey finish. Mouthfeel was kind of bold but not as full as I would have thought, more medium than full in body. The texture was absolutly smooth and creamy with a flat carbonation. Overall an outstanding stout, although I would have like a little more body and a tad more of the bourbon flavor.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 13:00:42 | More by KajII

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a Ping glass.

A - Deep dark brown with a one-finger tan head. Good retention and lacing left on the glass.

S - Dark Chocolate and coffee.

T - Smokey coffee, and some tobacco.

D - Thin for a Bourbon Barrel Stout.

O - flavors are here, just not right some how.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 04:06:07 | More by HuskyinPDX

CWBlues

Indiana

1.98/5  rDev -39.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Poured from a bottle into a tulip.

A: Looks thin for a stout. Practically no head, minimal lacing.

S: Weak vanilla, SLIGHT undertones of bourbon. Hardly there at all. Really disappointed in the smell.

T: It's...bland. I don't taste bourbon...but I do taste oak, but it doesn't complement the beer. At least I don't think it does. I honestly can't really determine what the beer is supposed to taste like. The vanilla in the nose is practically missable at the back end of the taste. Too bad...a little vanilla might have helped it.

M: It's got WAY too much carbonation for the style. It almost bubbles up on the tongue.

O: The fact that there's not a good base for the bourbon to build upon hurts the beer overall. I've had many other beers that just dump this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 00:53:10 | More by CWBlues

ktrillionaire

Florida

3.43/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Whilst staying at a friends house, I was offered this brew a half-dozen times, to which I politely refused. I had this one confused with Lexington's Kenucky Bourbon Ale; somehow I was oblivious to the word 'Stout' on the label. Relenting, I am giving this one a whirl.

The beer pours visibly thin for the style, but is capped with a nice head for a supposed -bal. The nose offers chocolate, mild bourbon, toffee, vanilla and some naked grain, although these impressions are very light. The flavor is a mirror image of the aroma; it is like diet -bal Stout. It really tastes pretty good, actually; almost like the (-bal) real thing. I would drink this again, though I would not likely seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2011 17:40:57 | More by ktrillionaire

afksports

New York

3.05/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This bottle came in the Secret Santa BIF box that we received from Kentucky, and I enjoyed most all of it during a tasting because the others weren't so much a fan. Since I wound up on the floor that evening during the Packers game, I have to pick a scapegoat. This brew, with its bourbon-y high alcohol, is my culprit.

That said, I was complicit in the decision. I didn't need to drink it. But it looked tasty, with a dark brown almost black body underneath a half finger tan head. It smelled like happy bourbon, alcohol, chocolate and some coffee malty goodness. And the Eagles were pulling a miracle in the new Meadowlands so what could go wrong?

Well, the taste could, I suppose. It was more watery than the smell hinted. Booze, bourbon, malts, and water all combined in the mouth, but they felt like separated ingredients rather than a well-built beer. Those pieces themselves were quality, and the sweetness of the bourbon still dominated the chocolate and hops, but the overly boozy finish made this a pass for my friends. And there was a sour lactic note that shouldn't be there. Which made it all the more dumb why I finished the bottle. And also the reason why my girlfriend wound up dragging me across the floor to bed. Sometimes you just don't learn.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 03:51:43 | More by afksports

jacobseyb

Alabama

3.53/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this one from Red Dog Wine and Spirits in Franklin, TN. It pours a deep dark brown with a healthy three finger head when poured vigorously. The head is a lighter brown color, with mix of bubbles ranging from large to small. Smell has some smokiness with the definite bourbon vanilla notes present. Also presenting in the aroma are notes chocolate. Tastes good with the bourbon vanilla and smokiness of the malt still present. Bitter chocolates are also apparent in the taste. Feel is very smooth, not quite as carbonated as I would like, some oiliness in the feel as well. Full bodied. Overall I very much enjoyed the beer, a good representation of the American Stout style. Though I have had others that I enjoyed more, I really like the drinkability and flavors present in this Bluegrass Brewing Company version.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 01:45:19 | More by jacobseyb