Short's Bourbon Barrel Sustenance Black Beer - Short's Brewing Company

Lothore

California

4.47/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a clear dark brown / blackish hue with little to no head.

S- Smell is fairly faint, non destinct sweetness along with a small roasted malt backbone.

T- Now this is what i'm talking about! Roasted sweetness followed by deep candied fruit notes mixed with dark chocolate. This is all tied off with a nice roasty coffee-esque flavor. Definitely subtle yet delicious.

M- Medium viscosity with quite a bit of carbonation.

D- This is definitely an easy and balanced drinker. I was a little worried about this being heavy but it isn't at all. All in all an excellent brew!~

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2008 00:08:54 | More by Lothore

joshuaseresse

Minnesota

4.47/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle brought back from my trip to Michigan. Drank after the golden delicious...at around 12:30pm on a Sunday...

A - A thick head with a pour, retains about a inch or so of head after the pour and holds onto it for a while. Black and brown with a ruby hue. Slight lacing retention.

S - Fresh bourbon and a little sweet toffee, carmael and light brown sugar.

T - Zesty vanilla and a bit earthy. Only slight bit of bourbon. Suprising difference between the smell and taste in that I expected the taste to follow the smell, but it was only slightly the case. Very enjoyable though.

M - Lighter than I thought based on the nose and the taste. I expected it to feel thicker than it was. The carbonation is perfect and crisp, easy and enjoyable to drink.

D - A very nice treat. The senses say one thing while the texture says something different. Very complex and a nice suprise. I'm very please and wish I bought more.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 21:04:22 | More by joshuaseresse

hopdog

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thank you Derek for this 22oz bottle!

Poured a dark brownish color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of wood/oak, vanilla, some bourbon, nutty, chocoalte, roast, and earthy. Tastes of vanilla, bourbon, dark fruits, chocolate, nuts, roast, and wood. Very nice!

Notes from 5/20/08

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2008 02:06:44 | More by hopdog

TheBlackMallard

Michigan

4.58/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

"For When You're Hungry and Thirsty"

I love this label.

Pours black with a small off white head.

Smell: Carafa and Crystal Malts, Caramel, with just a hint of Bourbon.

Taste: Chocolate, Vanilla, and Brown Sugar. Slight oaky aftertaste. If I didn't know this was barrel aged I wouldn't have guessed. It blends so well into the beer. Light bodied and very easy to drink.

I hope the regular Sustenance makes a return so I can compare. If memory serves me right most of the difference is in the finish with mild vanilla notes being the main difference in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2008 01:17:10 | More by TheBlackMallard

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured via 22oz. bomber at the Bullfrog Liquid Sunshine Reserva release. Big thanks to iceicebaby for sharing!

A - Poured a translucent chocolate brown body with walnut and mahogany accents and a slim beige head that reduced to a patchy retention and left a bit of lace around the glass.

S - Initial aroma released a waft of bourbon and vanilla goodness with a bit of chocolate sweetness. Malt presence is akin to Rice Krispies. Some caramel notes are also present.

T - This is simply a delicious schwarzbier with a subtle bourbon presence and lots of vanilla sweetness, but not overpowering at all. Crisp, rice-like malt with chocolate in the very backend through to the finish. Finish with just a slight astringent character and alcohol warmth.

M - Medium bodied and softly carbonated. Extremely smooth and creamy texture, although perhaps a bit thin in the mouthfeel overall. Alcohol presence is quite subtle.

D - This is a beautiful bourbon soaked beer from Short's, to say the least. Really glad I had the opportunity to try this, as I've loved everything I've had from Short's in the past, especially their dark beers. Drinkability is off the charts!

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2009 01:25:06 | More by ffejherb

Lauthaha

Michigan

4.7/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a good old beer mug.

Appearance: Poured at a 45 degree angle, about 1/2 a finger of murky, mellow head. Perfectly opaque; dark brown color with visible resiliency. A bit skimpy on the lacing, but otherwise an amazing looking beer.

Smell: I feel like I've entered some outstanding celestial bakery. Sweet scents of vanilla and chocolate, a light fruit undertone and rounding out the bouquet, the spicy flavor of bourbon permeating the beverage.

Taste: Unbelievable. Bold, rich; I taste all the flavors that I smelled previously. This could be the best beer I've tasted in several months. The malt helps to emphasize the flavor as well.

Mouthfeel: Robust and very carbonated. It sizzles on the tongue with a subtly-sharp ambiance. Goes down smooth despite the heavy quality to the beer; the bottle didn't lie when it said this beer is great for when you're thirsty, great for when you're hungry.

Drinkability: I could drink one of these every night. I only bought one 12 ounce, but I'm sure that I could make a night of it if I had a 6-pack. Near perfect.

I was surprised by this beer; I haven't had good luck with black beers in the past, and was looking forward to another mediocre expedition. Thankfully, Short's has a high standard, and this was no exception. Amazing!

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2010 01:51:17 | More by Lauthaha