Older Viscosity - Port Brewing Company / Pizza Port

scottfrie

California

3.93/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Incomplete vertical, 09, 10, 11 and 13 tried side by side split four ways with friends.

09: Pours black colored and completely flat. No carbonation. Smells old. Very sweet with hints of oxidization, soy, a hint of bourbon barrel, and caramel. Tastes past its prime as well and definitely off. I get notes of anise, oak, vanilla, caramel, woody barrel and slight leather. Integrated flavors but they’ve definitely turned. Booze still comes through. Flat, medium-full body, borderline sour mouthfeel.

10: Everything good about the 09 is here without any of the bad. Thin quick lived head that faded into a very thin bubbly collar was present. Tons of bourbon, vanilla, slight fudge, caramel, toasted marshmallow. Boozy, medium-full body, nice soft carbonation, most integrated barrel and smoothest of all of them. Slight roasted coconut.

11: Very flat but not as bad as 09. Also tastes slightly turned, but again, not nearly as bad as 09. Similar flavors to 10 but not as bright, which is strange. Coconut chocolate brown sugar etc. More booze as 10.

13: Bright and full flavors, surprisingly not significantly more boozy than the aged bottles. Full body, thick, warming mouth, really good bourbon flavor, creamy, chocolate, fudge, really good. Also had a thin head and collar after the pour.

13 is fresh and bright but might do well with a bit of age. 11 is good but near flat and not as good as 10. 10 still has its carb and has the most balanced and integrated flavors but is showing its age. Do not age it any longer. 09 was gross. I’d say 10 and 11 are close, with 10 being better, and 13 is drinking good fresh. Would have been interesting to see how 12 was. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 01:59:17 | More by scottfrie

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.53/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

375ml bottle from 2010, poured into a Gandhi-Bot tulip.

A: Pitch black body with half an inch of coarse light-brown head. Lightly carbonated, but definitely carbonated. Looks big.

S: Decadence. Bourbon, molasses, vanilla, tobacco, spice, dark chocolate, and alcohol. Immense, and immensely complex.

T: If anything it's even better here than on the nose, with all the barrel notes coming through strongly but with even more malt sweetness and body than the aroma promised. Sweet caramel, dark chocolate, molasses, and vanilla fill things out underneath the ever-present smolder of intense bourbon, oak, and booze. The finish is hot, but in a pleasantly warming kind of way. As it warms, the oak starts to come to the fore even more than it did initially - lots of vanilla, coconut, and tobacco. As I continue to ponder its depths, I find just a hint of its age showing up in the form of some dark fruit undertones - very pleasant. Overall this is simply amazing.

M: Full, thick, viscous body with some light carbonation. A bit more life would have been welcome, as it gets more and more sticky as it warms. Good, not great.

O: This reminds me strongly of fresh BCBS, which is of course a very good thing. Of course, since this beer is three years old and three times the price, that comparison becomes a little less favorable to the Port offering the more I think about it. I'm incredibly glad that I tried this, even at the rather outrageous price, but even as great as it was I'll happily pass on it from here on out in favor of other similarly delicious but more affordable options.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 05:16:52 | More by woosterbill

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.64/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

375ml corked bottle served im a snifter glass.

Vintage 2011.

A; Pours a deep brown brown color which is almost black. Practically no head and very few lacings left

S: Very strong smell of oak and bourbon. Strong notes of roasted malts too. Boozy.

T: Sweet upfront. Strong notes of wood and bourbon. Roasted malts. End is boozy and slightly bitter

M: Heavy and creamy body. Oily. Low carbonation. Oak and bourbon aftertaste

O: Excellent drinkability despite the high ABV. Excellent quality beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 20:47:46 | More by eduardolinhalis

TofuDC5

California

4.64/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A: pitch black with a 1-finger tan head; quickly dissipates after pour. Typical stout.

S: Spicy; oaked. Resembles a heavily oaked red wine.

T: Spicy; cinnamon and licorice blended with dark chocolate. Maple syrup. Alcohol as an aftertaste.

M: Creamy but not to thick. Bitter hops is a prominent aftertaste and lasts.

O: A great beer; Spicy and malty. Definitely flavors you wouldn't experience in a typical stout. On the pricey side, but worth it.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 07:24:32 | More by TofuDC5

Rizalini

Nevada

4.51/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Received as an extra from scottfrie. Poured from a 12 oz corked & caged bottle into my Deschutes tulip.

2011 Vintage

A - Pours an extremely dark brown, borderling black with a thin layer oflight brown head that disappears almost instantly.

S - Holy Bourbon Batman! This beer is the most bourbon-forward beer I've smelled... and I've had a lot of BBA stouts. Also some notes of tobacco, and some slight dark fruit notes as well.

T/M - The taste actually leans more towards milk & dark chocolate taking the front, with some chocolate waffer, caramel and toasted biscuit with a bourbon aftertaste. The mouthfeel is medium/heavy and is under carbonated. I'm just gonna assume this is because it's 2 years old.

O - One of the better BBA stouts I've had. I love the bourbon forward smell, and the great combination of flavors this one has. There is almost no sign of alcohol, which I'm gonna again assume is from the aging. Great, great brew! Would definitely buy again if given the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 02:48:50 | More by Rizalini

notchucknorris

California

4.48/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a pretty thick-looking black color with a thin light brown head. Some nice lacing down the glass.

S: A pretty huge bourbon and oak aroma. Vanilla, charred wood, toasted coconut and chocolate.

T: A rich sweetness starts the taste off, full of chocolate cake, fudge and vanilla, but it's constantly beaten back by a great, heavy bourbon note. The bourbon leaves a dryness on the tongue as well as flavors of charred wood, burnt espresso and dark chocolate. It's a touch boozy without ever feeling too hot. Really well done. One of the better bourbon barrel aged stouts I've had.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 01:39:13 | More by notchucknorris

Resuin

Massachusetts

4.8/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a 12.7 oz bottle into a 3 Floyd's Teku Glass. This is a 2011 version.

Appearance: Pours a jet-black and leaves a nice half finger tan head. A great looking imperial stout.

Smell: Awesome chocolate and bourbon - I can smell this one from meters away. Hints of coffee, vanilla, and toffee also can be found in the aroma, but this is definitely dominated by the delicious smells of chocolate and bourbon.

Taste: The chocolate and bourbon come out strong first, together. Then comes some vanilla, toffee and caramel along with some figs and raisins. Finishes with some bourbon. A hint of coffee in there as well.

Mouth-feel: Medium to heavy bodied with a light carbonation, this has a great feel to it, and finishes very nicely with the bourbon.

Overall: This is a terrific barrel-aged stout - this is what I want when I taste one. The chocolate and bourbon notes lead the way to a flurry of other delicious flavors such as the dark fruits, vanilla, toffee, caramel and toffee. Everything from the pitch-black pour to the medium-heavy mouth-feel make this one a winner. If you're looking for a REAL barrel-aged imperial stout with some REAL flavor I suggest you reach for this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 23:12:18 | More by Resuin

evanforbeer

California

4.43/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

poured from a fancy 12 oz bottle. pours a sludgy black and tiny tan head.

smell- what a nose! Reminds me very much of specifically Lexington Bourbon. bourbon, butterscotch, cinnamon, vanilla, fruit (maybe mango)

taste- follows with bourbon, butterscotch, coffee, dark roasted malts, a punch of rich milk chocolate, vanilla, licorice, finishes with some coffee and subtle tropical fruity hops, and roasted malt

feel- thick, booze is decently hidden. Packs a punch, a 12oz bottle will do some damage, yet still delightful and fairly easy to take down.

fantastic brew. I find this to have quite a different flavor profile than many of the barrel-aged stouts out there, and the bourbon barrel comes through nicely

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 01:07:09 | More by evanforbeer

bkeach

California

4.38/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

DARK!! Black as night. Thick syrupy sipper. Boozy bourbon nose with tons of chocolate and vanilla. This beer tastes like it smells. Warm boozy bourbon vanilla with chocolatey love and and some almondy smoke finish. Very smooth for what it is. This would become a perfect stout with a couple years of age. Great beer to keep you warm on a cold winter night. Drink in a wide mouth glass to get the full aromatics.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 23:27:34 | More by bkeach

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

4.51/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

2011 vintage 12.7oz bottle poured into a snifter.

I pour this one slowly, assuming there could be a bit of buildup at the bottom of the bottle. The content sort of glug out, but the color is not black. It really resembles oil really well -- it's that caramel brown color on the way out. As it settles in the glass, it's obviously much darker, but not black. Very hazy/opaque dark caramel brown with light hints of red throughout, when held to the light. No lacing, but some decent wine legs.

As soon as I remove the cork, which required 30 seconds of youtube research, I was immediately surprised by a great presence of bourbon leaking from the bottle. It was very sweet at first, then mellowed. The mellowing process allowed other prominent features of the aroma to make themselves known -- oak and vanilla mainly.

The taste evolves, too. At first a bit bourbon forward, this thing levels off to produce a very nice blend of bourbon, vanilla and oak, with the oak character playing a more prominent role here than with other beers in the style. It's all very sweet, but very nice.

Mouth feel is smooth and velvety. It does have a bit of booze bite to it, but it's very good. Great texture and aftertaste.

Overall this is very good. With nearly 24 months on it, this is a nice beer. I"d grab another in a second. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 23:34:34 | More by rodlavers

zipper8650

New York

3.63/5  rDev -16.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Good beer Sunday. Been sitting on this one for a while. Recently got an Old Viscosity as an extra on trade so started with that and moved to Older
2011, snifter, completely unreasonable cork
A - poured straight down the middle, no head, pitch black....as expected
S - typical sweet boozy maple bourbon smell...nothing special
T - super boozy, very overpowering
M - real let down, dies in your mouth, no carbonation
O - maybe my recent BA Pt5 taste has spoiled me, I found it way to boozy and hot, wasnt impressed. I actually appreciate the non-BA version better. The non version hides the ABV with taste very well!! I have been in love with Lost Abbey recently and was really hoping this one would deliver.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 22:20:07 | More by zipper8650

augustgarage

California

4.19/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

2009 vintage. Poured from a 375mL caged-and-corked bottle into my Bruery tulip. Served lightly chilled.

Opaque bistro body with a thin light khaki collar. Minimal lacing, vague legs (not as viscous as you might expect from the name of the beer).

Aromatics are dense and complex yet restrained. Stewed fruit, charred cocoa, brown sugar, bourbon, coconut, vanilla, fresh tobacco, faint cloves...

The flavor is intense and multi-layered. It comes across as chocolate ganache frosted flourless chocolate cake drenched in booze. Bourbon, rum, and brandy notes all seem to be suggested at different moments. Nearly acrid at times, there are substantial notes of charcoal and fusel alcohol. The flavor profile evolves slowly, and mysteriously, finally condensing to a dusty raisin-laden dryness.

Creamy, velvety, medium-bodied mouthfeel - light on carbonation but never sticky or oily.

A rustic slumbering monster of a dessert beer which cellars well (the disparate elements become better and better integrated, while the alcohol burn dissipates somewhat).

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 07:42:31 | More by augustgarage

Kevin73

Washington

4.83/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

HOLY -- FREAKING -- COW! This just might be beer ambrosia. I have been a fan of Port Brewery's Old Viscosity for some time now. It has been one of my 'go to' stouts for years. But I had not tasted, let alone heard of, the legend which is OLDER Viscosity until just last year (2012). Both the Old and Older Viscosities are bottled, but the Older is absurdly hard to find, where as the Old is down right common. In fact I had to frequent a favorite bottle shop of mine in Redmond, WA called Malt & Vine, for months before finding just two bottles of the Older marked at $17 a piece. Naturally I bought them out despite the price.

The Older pours a Powerfully Opaque black with a sturdy tan head and tons of lacing to let you know its there and not going to leave you alone. The bourbon flavor is among the least assert that I've experienced in a bourbon barrel beer, but this is a GOOD thing! Bourbon and beer were truly born to be together, but sometimes the bourbon can over assert itself. The Older Viscosity however is a blend of very strongly flavored bourbon-forward beers with weaker varieties. The result is a blend that allows the bourbon and vanilla notes to come out just perfectly without tasting like a shot of whiskey. This is why it's so unbelievably tasty.

I recommend Older Viscosity unreservedly. Although absurdly expensive, I will not hesitate to buy this beer again whatever the cost. THIS is my new #1. Well done, Port Brewery! Truthfully a remarkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 02:56:38 | More by Kevin73

blakelive784

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.75

12.7 fl oz caged and corked brown glass bottle served in a snifter, reviewed live:

A - Pours a motor oil black (go figure) color with a half finger of light khaki colored head. Retention is terrible, even given the high ABV. Standard fare for the style.

S - Dominate boozy, oaked bourbon and decadent chocolates. Burnt toffee, caramel and vanilla. Hearty roasted malt body. Definitely on the sweet end. A pungent aroma. Alcohol is definitely present but unobtrusive.

T - Rich cacao and boozy oak notes open. Bourbon is present throughout. Bitter on the finish. Roasted and chocolate malt body works well with the coffee notes. Approaches hot. Relies too heavily on the bourbon and lacks a subtle body.

M - Entirely too undercarbonated and thin. Lacks the full and creamy mouthfeel I look for in a great stout.

D - Definitely a sipper. The 12% ABV makes its presence know. A good stout, but lacks subtlety and drinkablility I've come to expect.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 04:31:19 | More by blakelive784

tut2528

Illinois

4.79/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

2011 vintage... big thanks to matttYCE for this one

A: pour is like a black hole with no transparency. There was some fizzing head upon on an aggressive pour, but there it quickly dissipated. however, a very thin lace occurs around the edge of the glass and its quite interesting. the top layer is an off-white with the bottom half of the lace is dark tan. never seen this before

S: damn that is amazing. an absolutely massive amounts of dark fruits (figs and raisins), big bourbon and oak with a blast of licorice and vanilla.

T: big bourbon, with a ton of oak. there is big malt and chocolate, licorice is still there, and the finish is insanely creamy/vanilla (actually one of the creamiest finishes I have ever had)

M: zero carbonation. full bodied, oily and leaves a big oaky and vanilla sweetness on the palate that is terrific. at 12% this i'm not getting any alcohol heat.

O: never had this one fresh, so it's hard for me to know how much this brew has changed while it has aged. but I will say that this is drinking phenomenally right now. it's not very complex, but the balance is fantastic. very dangerous at 12% too. and I'm not picking up any hints of alcohol burn whatsoever.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 22:43:34 | More by tut2528

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.99/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

- aged in oak barrels. vintage 2011 consumed 2013.

A: Dark chocolate pour has a scarce hickory head that almost dissipated upon contact of first pour to a polished surface. Dark intimidating but peaceful presence, slow moderate rise of tiny effervesce bubbes creep up along the inner glass walls.

S: Boozy plums and raisins with some figs, dark licorice and boozy chocolate. Soft touch of roasted grain sweetness and burbon/oak woodiness.

T: Very boozy burbon chocolate malts with dark fruit and smoldered barrell woodiness. Earthy, with some dark licorice and good alcohol warmth. Burbon and burnt toffee on the finish with a fade of smooth coffee.

M: Medium bodied, slippery syrupy feel with a quiet stance of carbonation.

O: Some age on this would be benificial. Even after 2 years was still a bit sweet. Smooth delivery, darkly boozy, earthy, and woody with a very good standing. consumed at 50f. Very good but hesitant to bump it to the next level.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 17:52:38 | More by beerthulhu

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.46/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle opened on 2.3.13

A - Pours a dark brown with a small dark tan head that moves to the outside.

S - Bourbon, chocolate, wood.

T - Same as the nose, lots of booze and bourbon.

D - Mild carbonation and a heavy body.

O - Bourbon heavy and solid booze. A really nice BA Stout. Not sure on vintage, but I have stored this bottle since 2011.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 05:32:58 | More by HuskyinPDX

thedoubler55

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: This one is pitch black in color, with a nice two finger tan head at the top that leaves some nice lacing around the glass as you sip.

S: Chocolate right up front, a little bit of caramel, whiskey, and slight hint of vanilla and coffee.

T: Up front is the whiskey and chocolate, on the tail end comes in the vanilla and caramel with slight coffee notes.

M: Medium bodied, mid to low carbonation and sweet smooth finish.

O: This brew was very tasty and a nice warmer, The beer is well balanced not one of my favorite stouts but it is very good.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 17:48:02 | More by thedoubler55

smekermann

British Columbia (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured a 2011 vintage into a tulip glass. The bottle was somewhat cold, so the initial smell was one of molasses and brown sugar. As it began to warm up, the bourbon started coming through a lot more.

As I'm sure plenty of reviewers mentioned this before, Old Viscosity is aptly named: it pours a viscous, midnight black, with almost no head or head retention and no lacing on the glass. It tastes even better than it looks. At optimum temperature, this basically tastes like liquid chocolate covered cherries in bourbon. I'm sure it's due to the age of the bottle, but there's almost no alcohol burn from the bourbon, there's no roasty bitterness from the malts -- all that's left is a creamy dark chocolate and bourbon flavor in the initial taste, with dark cherries, figs, raisins and blackcurrant showing up in the aftertaste.

I can't help but gush about this beer: it's a pretty amazing stout. It's one of the smoothest 12% BA stouts I've had and I'm sure the two years in the bottle didn't hurt it any. I'd be curious to try this somewhat fresh to compare the differences.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 10:45:14 | More by smekermann

Brandywine

Washington

3.79/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Poured pitch black with no head to speak of. Crazy viscous alcohol legs, even for the high ABV. Tight bubbled lacing around the rim.

Smell: Molasses, caramel, bourbon, super dark fruits like raisin and fig soaked in rum. Definitely getting some booze on the nose. Oak and vanilla.

Taste: Espresso, dark chocolate, bourbon, lots of oak from the barrels. Roasted notes throughout. There is more booziness in here than I would like but it isn't overwhelming. There's a flavor reminiscent of soy sauce in here that everyone's talked about but I've never experienced.

Mouthfeel: Medium. Very little carbonation.

Overall: Wasn't impressed with this beer. The booze and the soy sauce detracted from the other flavors and the body was thinner than I would expect from a big, barrel aged beer like this.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 02:46:13 | More by Brandywine

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.26/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color with some dark brown and very dark amber highlights and minimal amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has an eighth of a finger tall dark tan head that quickly reduces to a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Strong aromas of bourbon, oak, and vanilla with some moderate notes of roasted malts (kind of a tobacco leave roasted smell), coffee, and slightly burnt malts and sugar.

T: Strong flavors of bourbon, oak, and vanilla upfront with some slightly light flavors of dark roasted. malts, coffee, chocolate, slightly burnt malts/sugar, and just a touch of tobacco leaves. Light bitterness in the finish which fade quickly.

M: Full bodied with light amounts of carbonation. Smooth and oily slick. Light amounts of alcohol heat and dryness in the finish.

O: Other than the bourbon flavors, there is very little alcohol present in the taste or aroma of this beer. This is a phenomenal beer and the bourbon flavors/aromas are great, it developed a ton from the barrel aging. I would definitely enjoy sipping on this one for quite a while as it is very tasty but definitely a sipping beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 00:59:48 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

4.43/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with an eighth of a finger high dark tan head that quickly died down, leaving only some bits of lacing on the surface and a thin collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are moderate to strong aromas of bourbon from the barrel aging in the nose. These become stronger as the beer warms up.
T: Like the smell, the taste has lots of flavors of bourbon long with notes of oaky vanilla. There are some hints of chocolate from the underlying malts.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied on the palate and has a a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: Apart from the bourbon, I don't get any taste of alcohol in this beer. As such, it hides its alcohol exceptionally well considering the strength. I love the taste of this beer and could sip it all night long.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 00:58:58 | More by metter98

BierJager89

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a corked & caged bottle into a small Firestone snifter.

A: It lives up to it's name. It's viscous, black, gloopy, with a brown head. Mouthwateringly delicious looking.

S: Malt, roasted malt, caramel, must, oak, vanilla and chocolate in the nose. Like a cross between a chocolatey bourbon aged stout and an old ale. Smells delicious. Also mouthwatering. Bourbon character is a bit subdued in the nose.

T: Amazing. Full of chocolate, a touch of roasted malt, a hint of alcohol, nice bourbon character, must, sweet caramel and vanilla. Delicious. Mouthwatering. This whole beer is mouthwatering.

M: Full bodied, thick and viscous, but not that smooth. Still I love how thick it is.

O: I probably wont try this one again, but it's damn good and worth a try. It's like $16 for a small bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 20:30:07 | More by BierJager89

SHerninko

Pennsylvania

4.36/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle (shorter than pictured), from Whole Foods-Mile Post Pub. Expensive for a single, but had to try it! Late 2010 purchase so about 2 years old.

A: Dark, almost black. It is motor oil heavy and no real head, not a problem for me. Jsut about no carbonation when I poured it, thought maybe there was a problem. Very lacey and clings to the glass.

S: Wow, lots of bourbon and oak aged characteristics: wood, toasted caramel, vanilla, molasses, raisins, don't get any chocolate though. Kind of fruity (ripe plums or smashed ripe raisins?). Had to drink some before it warmed up. After warming, it opens up a bit. More great complexity.

T: Wonderful taste. A small sip just rolls around and keeps giving. Warm boozy feeling and lots of maltiness, tastes like bourbon bomb. Wow. No strong alcohol that burns, just some hint that it is there. Warming gives more oak flavors and just steps it up a notch, even though straight cold it is wonderful.

M: Real smooth, not sticky like the taste would indicate. Medium to thick. Goes down easy. Had to force myself to sip slowly.

O: World class for any bourbon aged stout drinkers. Not many can beat it (although I haven't had Dark Lord or Kate the Great...yet). Aging toned down the alcohol, mellowed it out, brought out more ripe fruit and much less anise flavor. I shared with a friend and he just kept saying "wow, wow...what is this again...WOW!"

Buy it, try it!

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 16:58:06 | More by SHerninko

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Vintage 2011 poured in to a tulip

A - pours a deep black, although not as viscous as 'viscosity' seems to imply; the very small deep brown head dissipates almost instantly; no carbonation, no real lacing

S - bourbon; vanilla; chocolate; wood; prunes; toffee

T - gd this is hot; bourbon; chocolate; vanilla; coconut; sweet and roasted malts; a touch of coffee; VERY boozy with a lot of bourbon heaviness going on

M - medium bodied despite the look and taste...that is, it's dark and heavy, but it's not too syrupy or cloying; again, really hot and really packing that alcohol

O - I actually really like this beer; I've had Old Viscosity and wasn't terribly impressed; however, I dig the booziness on this one...it's a sipping-man's stout for sure; a little less than impressive appearance but the flavors are solid and the heat is kind of an interesting challenge

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 01:52:55 | More by SkeeterBoganski