Lindley Park - Olde Hickory Brewery

UCLABrewN84

California

4.11/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to Rado for sharing this one at Wowcoolman's tasting.

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, and berry aromas. Taste is much the same with cocoa and raspberry flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer some great flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 01:25:10 | More by UCLABrewN84

tectactoe

Michigan

4.56/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Mike for splitting his bottle with me - been trying for this one for a while now. Side by side with Pipeworks' Raspberry Truffle Abduction; I had a hunch that this one would be better, I guess we'll see. It pours dark as hell - pitch black, completely opaque. Barely any head formation after a straight-down pour, though swirling the glass brings to life one of the darkest tan heads I've ever seen; thick, frothy, and quick to recede back into nothing.

One whiff of this and you're off and running in barrel-land. Big-time barrel aromas - tons of oak, moderate vanilla, and silky smooth bourbon. The bourbon is pretty powerful, yet tamed well and not abrasive to my nostrils. Malty as hell with a ton of thick, brown sugar, molasses, and roasted cocoa beans.

The raspberry is actually a little quiet at first, not peeking its head out until I take a few more successive whiffs. Once it finally comes out, though, it's wonderful. Lightly sweet raspberry jam; deep, pure, and extremely inviting. Some moderate honey sweetness in the tail end, though I could just be imagining that since the bottle says "honey" on it. Wonderful execution of "stout + barrel + raspberry" without leaning out of kilter towards any given side.

The only thing left to do is taste this one... and the first sip is simply magical. Leading the way is a surge of thick molasses coupled with a generous helping of juicy, raspberry jam. Bourbon and oak flavors outline the edges constantly, along with a mild vanilla flavor that works perfectly in the small doses it's given in. The raspberry flavor starts off strong and within a second or two, a delicate tartness comes out and then quickly transcends into a sweet bit-part between the rest of the flavors.

I love this beer because the raspberry flavor is integrated in a neigh perfect manner. It's got a bunch of sweetness and even a mild tartness to it, while still remaining "dark" or "deep" enough to blend well with a barrel-aged stout (which is executed beautifully on its own). The finish is pretty sweet; raspberries, other mixed berries, figs, oak, and mild bourbon. Lots of sticky brown sugar left on the palate once the beer is gone, too. Big, heavy body with low-medium carbonation. Mildly sticky mouth feel, chewy and thick as hell.

So glad I got to try this one. I would definitely like to seek out more bottles of this. I love raspberry and I love stouts. Barrel-aging doesn't hurt, either. I feel like if this beer were just a barrel-aged stout without raspberries, it would be great. Adding raspberries to an already delicious barrel-aged stout is a risky move, but Olde Hickory pulled it off with flying colors.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 16:45:48 | More by tectactoe

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.03/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Been wanting to try this beer for a long time, so a big shout out to jbeatty for hooking me up with this one. Cheers!

From a bomber into a snifter
Vintage: 2012
Brewed with honey, raspberries and aged in oak barrels

APPEARANCE: A thick, black, sludgy pour yields a two finger, medium looking, dark tan head with good retention. Jet black body with medium levels of carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a full foam cap, then recedes to a half wisp. A ring remains until the end and leaves touches of lacing down the glass. Great looking, thick black beer.

SMELL: Lots of roasted and chocolate notes here. Pure baker's chocolate, some oak in there, with light vanilla and cream, but the pure chocolate is more prevalent. Honey and light raspberries are noticeable, though I might not have noticed had they not said anything. Pretty well done actually. Light toffee notes as well. This is a really wonderful merger of aromas between the base chocolatey stout and the oak barrels lending some nice vanilla and sweet notes. Great stuff.

TASTE: Raspberries some out much more in the flavor, while the chocolate is in the back a little bit. Roasted flavors and red fruits up front, then some dark, pure chocolate, roasted notes, a touch of toffee and more raspberries at the swallow. A bold and lingering finish is fruity with hints of bitter chocolate and roasted grain under it, as well as some mild oak and whisky flavor. A good mix between whisky barrel and raspberries, though it use more chocolatey base beer to compete with the fruit. A little more fruit dominante compared to the nose, but still very enjoyable.

PALATE: Medium body and medium levels of carbonation. Semi-creamy on the palate, goes down alright and finishes quite sticky. No bite or burn.

OVERALL: The look was great and the nose excellent, but the taste was a little too fruit forward to really make this as good as it wanted to be. A more balanced flavor profile that matches the nose would make this outsanding. Moreover, the feel would need to be a little fuller and creamier for top marks. Still, this is a top class beer that I would gladly drink again. Thanks again jbeatty!

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 19:48:45 | More by Jeffo

kawilliams81

Illinois

4/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a Ppeworks snifter

A- pours black with a 2 finger dark tan head. Random blotches of lacing remain on the glass.

S- chocolate, roast, dark fruits, light pine.

T- bitter chocolate, roasted malts, dark fruits, bitter coffee.

M- medium body and carbonation. Slightly syrupy with a fairly smooth finish.

O- very good beer. Nice balance of bitter chocolate and dark fruits.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 04:36:56 | More by kawilliams81

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

22oz wax topped bomber into a couple of snifters. Big thanks go to my buddy Barscream for sharing this with me. Pours dark and oily in the glass, with an angry looking head of dark mocha foam. This stays robust and leaves back some quite heavy lacing at times. Smells of dark roasted coffee, chocolate and a good bit of tart fruitiness, with some softer raspberry accents definitely showing themselves. Oak and alcohol warmth rounds out the edges. The taste is similar. Roasted malts, sweet chocolate and honey, some prominent raspberry flavor and a touch of herbal character. Little vanilla and oak mixed in as well. Alcohol adds some extra bold sweetness. The mouthfeel is full and chewy with a touch of underlying tannic slickness that helps add some smoothness to this. The alcohol can be strong is spots but is overall pretty accessible for 10%. There was certainly no shortage of character going on with this, sometimes maybe a little too much, as those big Stout, raspberry and barrel flavors all kind of crashed into each at times. This was still pretty nice though. Half the bottle was a good enough amount for me. Thanks Greg!

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 18:42:57 | More by Kegatron

humuloner22

4.84/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I let this one cellar for a while before finally opening it today. The label suggests Valentines day, but I waited a little longer to be rebellious. The appearance once poured into an imperial pint glass was black as night with a slight caramel colored head that settled to a thin layer on top. The aroma was molasses and honey with some chocolate notes and the slightness of raspberries, wonderful! I let it sit for a few minutes longer and then began to take small sips to appreciate this one. The taste was sweet, but not cloying, well balanced and the aroma matched the taste profile pretty consistently. It did not have that overly burned taste that some Imperial Stouts have, it was smooth and easily drinkable but you would have to be careful with this one because at 10 percent you could get yourself into some trouble. Unique among Imperial stouts because this one drinks much smoother and easier than many I have had. It would be a great dessert beer to end the night. Overall Olde Hickory has hit another home run.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 19:17:56 | More by humuloner22

mjohnson17

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Bottle Poured into a snifter

A - Pour motor oil black with a small beautiful tan head. Head dissipated quickly but leaves some nice large carbonation bubbles and some alcohol legs. After the beer settles is slightly less opaque but still very dark.

S - Oak and Tart fruit up front. Then some dark fruit and cocoa. The nose reminds me a bit of Cherry Rye only with a more sour fruit nose.

T - Dry tart raspberries and oak up front that fades to a nice chocolately malt finish. The finish is a lot like dark chocolate, a bitter cocoa taste

M - Heavy mouthfeel with nice chocolate and dryness. An ever so slight raspberry tartness but mostly a dry sweetness.

O - This is a fantastic beer. For me it ranks right up there with BCBCR, maybe slightly below it. It has a great nose and color, a nice tart fruitiness with a chocolately subtle sweetness from the honey. It's also quite dry which I enjoy. Needless to say I wish I had more of this beer. It's definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 03:27:15 | More by mjohnson17

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bomber into a tulip. The brew appears pitch black in color with an angry looking dark brown head that is more than 2 fingers strong. As the cap slowly fades, it appears a slightly lighter dark brown with stringy fingers of lace sticking to the glass. An easy swirl revives a finger back to the surface and paints some spots of lace on the glass. When held to the light, there is hardly any clarity and lighter brown indications shown around the edges.

The aroma has a sweet and tart fruity raspberry inclusion. Coffee and cocoa also come into play with an indication of that 10% alcohol also showing through. There is quite a bit of roast included here with a touch of anise. As the brew warms up, a bit of a medicinal aspect emerges from the glass as the focus turns to more of the fruity alcohol esters.

The flavor of this brew is very rich with the dark roasted grain aspect leading the way in the taste profile. Roast like coffee is the first thing to come to mind that is mildly earthy and like bakers cocoa. A slight fruity tingle of raspberry is evident with both a ripe sweetness and also a natural almost seedy tart aspect as well. The way the flavors blend together is quite nice. The roast and stout portion of this brew are front and center stage with the raspberry inclusion providing a pleasing subtle contrast. The aftertaste is a bit of black licorice mixed with tobacco and ash.

This is a medium to fuller bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. This brew was everything I imagined and a bit more. I dont like to draw comparisons to other breweries however I have to for this. The first "retired" beer I ever fell in love with was Weyerbacher's raspberry imperial stout. Everything about this brew screams in the direction of that brew's memory. I am a fan by default. This one is worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 02:22:57 | More by stakem

wedge

North Carolina

4.14/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

@ Busy Bee

Lightless black with a creamy tan collar. Aromas of honey, chocolate, and raw, juicy raspberries. There's some bourbon on the back end along with a whiff of booze, but it doesn't scream "bourbon barrel" to me (not a bad thing). Silky dark chocolate covered raspberries, honey, toasty caramel, and light-roast coffee. Medium-full, smooth, and a little drying in the finish. Not mind-blowing, but very good.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2013 20:00:20 | More by wedge

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Dark brown-black pour with a thin cap of tan head that receded to a wispy layer, leaving oily strands of lacing on the glass. In the nose, roasty dark malts, chocolate, coffee, raspberry, slight boozy notes. An attractive taste to match an attractive aroma, dark malts and toasted bread, chocolate fudge, raspberry--good balance of tart and sweet--with a woody bourbon presence lurking beneath, as well as a touch of tobacco. I didn't really get much in the way of honey as a distinct factor. On the heavier side of medium-bodied, pretty smooth and enjoyable. Well-done for a fruit-infused stout, which can be a disaster if done wrong.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 23:01:26 | More by Rifugium

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Gurgled forth a black, viscous-looking body with a frothing, very dark tan-hued head.

Smell: Hearty, fresh, moist dark bread before the coffee-accented roast overtakes it, along with bold notes of spiced honey, melted chocolate, and pureed raspberries. The barrel character is there, yielding a bit of bourbon, oak, but it takes a back seat to the other scents.

Taste: A start of bitterish chocolate sauce, dark caramel, and a heavy roastiness rubbing shoulders with a spiced dark German bread taste and a whisper of the honey. Lindley Park maintains this spiciness, adds some warming alcohol, and a touch of bitterness. Then, it's raspberries, baby! As with the aroma, the barrel-aged quality is there, sure, but it is not at the forefront of this brew. The flavors leisurely roll this way and that, leading to the drying, chocolate-covered raspberry, honey-dosed coffee finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: Delicious! Today, I am a raspberry stout fan.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 01:31:15 | More by ChainGangGuy

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

thanks to egrace84 for sharing this beer. Thanks elliot!

poured into snifter glass.

Appearance: black bodied beer with a dark brown cap that drops down into a ring.

Smell: It almost smells like a blend of a raspberry stout and a mead. Its got a nice oak beer smell. The raspberries are pretty big in the nose as well.

Taste: Its like a raspberry totsie roll with a hint of oak barrel and honey. Finishes with a little bit of bitterness in the form of bakers cocoa and subdued raspberries.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. The beer has a little bit of a dry finish. It lighter than its ABV. Nice approachable mouthfeel.

Overall: This is a great fruited stout! Probably my favorite beer to date from Olde Hickory!

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 07:47:36 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

Powderhornphil

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours pitch black. No light at all comes through. 1 finger khaki, mocha head with a slight reddish berry tint.

Smells of raspberries. Chocolate and bourbon.

Wow this tastes good. Great actually. Raspberry, dark chocolate and some bourbon. Really smooth no alcohol. Not too sweet at all just wonderfully balanced. Some bitterness keeps the sweetness in check.

Full mouthfeel. Matches the desert like quality of this beer.

One of the best I fruit stouts I have had.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 01:21:24 | More by Powderhornphil

UpToMeBeer

Colorado

4.23/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very daring, unique, bold beer. The blending of tart raspberries and dark chocolate, I found to be a bit too sharp on the palate at first, but it finishes quite smoothly. Also, that blend really softens as the beer warms. I give this beer bonus points for its assertive, pronounced style.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 16:59:49 | More by UpToMeBeer

axeman9182

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle that was allowed to warm a little bit before being poured into my Duvel tulip. Big thanks to Tiger33 for sending this (among others) my way.

Lindley Park pours completely black, with three fingers of foam that are almost dark chocolate in color. Head retention and lacing are both good, but neither are great. The aroma has lots of dark chocolate, along with a bit of oak. The raspberry is also there, but it's definitely buried a little. The flavor leads off with a robust chocolate character, before a brief brown sugar interlude ushers in a slightly tart raspberry note. The raspberry grows more prominent as the beer warms, but there's always a subtle woody finish present. The body could stand to be just a bit more full for my taste, and the carbonation is a tad too lively, but the mouthfeel is still solid. I really enjoyed Lindley Park, it's definitely an improvement over the other barrel aged raspberry stout I've had (Bramble).

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 06:57:48 | More by axeman9182

Wolfpack2005

North Carolina

4.83/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up the last bottle that I could find in the area today at The Dispensary in Apex.

A-Pitch black color and pours like motor oil. One finger, dark tan head, that fades.

S- Sweet roasted malts, rasberries, and a little bit of oak.

T- Sweet dark chocolate, honey, and raspberry puree up front. Then balanced out nicely with the roasted malt and mild oak flavor. The alcohol in the aftertaste is masked nicely by the tartness of the raspberries.

M- Nice smooth, velvety mouthfeel with a slightly higher carbonation level that I like in my imp stouts.

O-Excellent beer! I was a little apprehensive with the combination of raspberries and honey in a stout, but it balances out the bitterness of the roasted malts well. All the flavors blend perfectly together.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 23:50:48 | More by Wolfpack2005

youradhere

Arkansas

4.45/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Olde Hickory Lindley Park- on a cold night like this I figured what the hell. Pours pitch black with a wet paper bag brown head, smell is pomegranate and anise, chocolate and cinnamon, chocolate raisins. Taste is juicy raspberry wrapped in mocha bean chocolate, mild sweetness brings up juicy prunes, bitter chocolate, little to no astringency and slight raspberry tartness at the end. Extremely smooth, slight alcohol warmth on the back, creamy feel with the lighter carbonation, well balanced between raspberry and chocolate bitters and residual sugar sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 00:20:15 | More by youradhere

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle served into a snifter.

A: Pitch black with a nice brown head. At least 2 fingers.
S: Smells like fruit. I smell some fruity tartness there. Lots of chocolate.
T: Tastes fruity. Some raspberry, chocolate, and roastiness.
M: A bit too much carbonation for my taste, but pretty nice. Goes down easy though.
O: Very nice, fruity stout. Very sweet, could've been a dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 09:26:28 | More by standardcherry

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2012 Vintage.
Poured in to CBS Snifter.

A - Thick, ink black colour with a thin layer of dark brown head that quickly reduced to a ring around the edges.

S - Tart raspberry up front that gives way to sweet milk chocolate, roast and molasses.

T - Sweet raspberry puree up front that is present throughout. Mid-palate ads cocoa, molasses and roast. The finish is tart with a touch of smokiness. The oak is barely noticeable but is slightly evident in the finish.

M - Medium body; smooth and creamy. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 15:55:59 | More by TheSevenDuffs

jeonseh

Indiana

4/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared at the NWI Tasting Group December Meetup

A - Dark brown with a small cream colored head

S - Bramble, light honey, chocolate, and light oak on the finish

T - Strong raspberry up front with chocolate and caramel on the backend. Reminds me of GI bramble but a bit sweeter due to the honey

MF - Medium body with a nice syrup that remains on the tongue as well as being slighly oily

O - Really solid stout that has a nice raspberry presence. If you love GI Bramble, this could satisfy your craving. Plus since this is made each year, it would be easier to get ahold of than paying the increasing price for Bramble

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 03:53:31 | More by jeonseh

brewdude1982

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: 4.5 deep dark rich pour with almost no head
S: 4.0 nice sweet smell with a fruit smell on the back end
T: 4.5 great big body taste upfront and then immediately followed by a great raspberry finish. This beer could easily be paired with a dessert
MF: 4.0 ssmooth beer that goes down easy and the fruit flavor just deposits itself on your taste buds
O:4.5 nice oak aged beer that definitely delivers and provides a great change to the normal stout taste

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 20:29:15 | More by brewdude1982

tdm168

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to jtd1969 for sharing this bottle.

A – pitch black with a big, foamy, brown head

S – chocolate, wood, vanilla, raspberries, roasted malts

T – chocolate, roasted malts, raspberries, honey, wood

M – full bodied, smooth, perfectly carbonated

This is a fantastic take on a nontraditional stout. The raspberries have their place but are not tart or overpowering. They blend perfectly with the chocolaty, somewhat bitter roasted malts. This beer would probably pair great with dessert. Excellently done.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 02:12:28 | More by tdm168

egrace84

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Aquired this through a trade and super excited to be giving this a try tonight.

A- Poured into a Duvel snifter. Pours motor oil black w/ a kick-ass reddish-brown head!

S- The raspberry is pretty pronounced in the nose w/ a hint of honey and the oak joining in as well.

T- Blast of raspberry right up front! then here comes the honey, oak and dark chocolate all melded together... Crazy how the raspberry starts it off and stands alone. Almost makes it a bit difficult to pick up the other flavors.

M- I enjoy the mouthfeel on this one. Slick and velvety, with a tiny bit of carbonation, which i feel is appropriate with the raspberry. Also a nice little tinge of tartness from the raspberry on the back end.

O- A great beer that im happy to have gotten the chance to try. Love the oak, honey, and smooth dark chocolate in this one, and while the raspberry is clean and crisp, its just a bit much in my opinion. Either way, a great beer and definately worth your time.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 04:32:31 | More by egrace84

oberon

North Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours jet black with a deep nearly cocoa colored 1/2 finger head atop.Deep choclate walnut brownies and raspberry syrup in the nose,it's dessert with a big kick.Flavors of deep mocha roast coffee infused with raspberry,it's deeply roasted with hefty sweetness from the raspberries and honey.This is a sipper but it hits home with all the different elements of the beer,kick ass.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 23:12:52 | More by oberon

Lare453

Florida

4.78/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Large format bottle in a dfh glass

A black with a dark brown head that changes color into a medium tan head. No lacing, fast dissipating head, looks great.

S bitter chocolate, raspberry, malt, oak, dark malt, dark caramel, very complex.

T amazing! Dark chocolate and bitter chocolate beginning, the middle is a a sweet chocolate and heavy oak which leads into a vibrant raspberry and chocolate truffle flavor. The aftertaste is wonderful, dark chocolate covered raspberries, tastes like the ones you get at Godiva. It is amazing.

M thick, rich, smooth, extremely lightly carbonated, soft.

O DANG! One of the best beers I've ever had . I loved it! Not being a fan of combining fruit and chocolate,this beer was very surprising and has a wonderful fresh flavor. Nothing fake tasting and has a great profile.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 02:48:25 | More by Lare453