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

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

dark black in color with no light shining thorough at ALL. Had the look of a monster stout with a big head of tan that capped it nicely, settling down after a few moments into a nice pillow that left tons of lacing down the sides of the glass. Aroma is hoppy at first but then comes through with a deep, roasted, and smoked note that really gives it a good bit of depth. Nice touches here of caramel, hints of cocoa, and loads of piney hops. Really nicely done and quite different then what I was expecting. Warming really brought this out and each sip was a nice progression from biting hops, mellow smoked malts, and a rich, semi sweet and dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 02:57:47 | More by mikesgroove

mdvatab

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Received this one as extra in a trade this past Fall. Split w/ barfwin.
Poured from 12oz bottle into snifter.

Aroma: Dark chocolate syrup, raisin, malted milk, and bourbon.

Appearance: 1/2 finger lt. tan head disappears quickly. The stream of beer resembles a cola as it's poured from the bottle. Once in the glass, it's, similarly, brown around the edges, and black in the middle.

Flavor: A noticeable bourbon flavor up front, an interesting cherry tartness, and then smokey dark chocolate. Not bad, but I wasn't necessarily wowed either.

Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel, medium carbonation, and an unexpected, almost mouth-watering tartness.

Overall: Definitely a unique brew, which I'd like to try again on-tap at some point. I'm admittedly not a huge fan of a tart component in richer, maltier, roastier beers, though. Also, would have liked a bit more foam from a schwarzbier, but the bourbon component might have adversely affected this? Try for yourself!

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 01:29:47 | More by mdvatab

Scrumtralecent

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011, poured from a bottle into a snifter.

A - Pours black with a very bubbly light tan head. Head remarkably sticks around for quite a bit.

S - Appropriately named, this beer smells quite full. Barrel and a hint of bourbon hit first, along with a maltiness and almost breadiness that makes this beer smell quite intriguing. Some vanilla notes and slight cherry come through more as it warms. Wide range of aromas from dark to sweet.

T - An intriguing barrel aging. The bourbon is not as forward in this as most bourbon barrel agings go. If anything, the malt hits first and the bourbon comes later as an afterthought, leaving some alcohol burn and punch. A nice roast to the taste to add to the flavors. If this were considered a stout, I'd say it was thin. But for a schwarzbier, this has quite a bit of flavor.

M - Very smooth with some heaviness from the barrel at the end. Carbonation was good. Enjoyable.

O - A nice beer and something different which is always good. Not many barrel aged schwarzbiers out there that I know of. Great fall beer as it was dark, roasty, yet very drinkable. And the smell, while not overpowering, was quite eclectic. Would have again.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 06:10:12 | More by Scrumtralecent

prototypic

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bourbon Barrel Sustenance pours a dark, chocolate fudge color. It’s not opaque. Backlighting reveals some burgundy highlights throughout. A tan head covers the top. It rises above a surface covering, but not by much. The surface bubbles hold steady for a while. Lacing was definitely light and spotty. Not bad at all.

The nose is good. It kicks off with a nice bourbon scent. It’s not overly strong. I like that. It complements the dark malt notes of cocoa and chocolate well. Light roasted malt scents are present, but they’re very subtle. Secondary notes include vanilla and oak. Alcohol is definitely in the mix. What’d you expect with something barrel-aged? Doesn’t smell overly strong though. Smells good.

The flavor is likewise good. It’s a touch better than the nose, but not enough to trigger a score bump. It kicks off with a mix of chocolate, cocoa, and light roasted malts. Bittersweet dark chocolate leads the charge. Bourbon follows quickly and complements the malt base extremely well. Its presence is moderately strong. I love that. Secondary flavors include oak, vanilla, coconut, and roasted coffee. Good stuff. Alcohol is there, but isn’t too strong. Seems a little stronger than 6.5% to me, but perhaps not double digit territory. Just sayin’. Finishes malty with a touch of bourbon. Very good stuff.

Bourbon Barrel Sustenance has a medium body that’s nice and smooth. Carbonation is dialed back nicely. I like the feel quite a bit. Perhaps a tad bit more body would improve it, but that’s just a guess. Pretty well done as it is.

Short’s Brewing Company continues to impress. Bourbon Barrel Sustenance is very solid all-around. Bourbon Barrel-aging a Schwarzbier – who would’ve thought? It works extremely well though. The moderate bourbon presence was a great call. It complements rather than overpowers. Very good stuff. Easy recommendation.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 04:38:28 | More by prototypic

camil1mj

Michigan

3.33/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle served chilled. Poured into my Founders snifter.

A: Medium brown. Slight white and bubbly thin head.

S: Bourbon, caramel and malt. Some weak bourbon and oak note on the backend.

T: Messy sweetness up front that gives way to an astringent finish.

M: Thin and lighter body. Mild carbonation.

O: An improvement over the standard Sustenance. Glad I got to try it, but would not buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 02:14:31 | More by camil1mj

brew3crew

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

In line at founders for CBS

A-black body with a tan head that quickly disapates

S-delicious! Sweet bourbony smell that mixes in well with the rest if the beer

T-disappointment from the smell. Weird after taste that can't be fingered

M-medium body and smooth

O-decent beer that smells great

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 10:32:16 | More by brew3crew

robwestcott

Indiana

4.13/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

big thanks to erikkoppin for another bottle of short's brew.

poured cold from the bottle pitch black to a founders brewing goblet with just a hint of a quickly fading mocha head, leaving a thin rim of bubbles around the surface

aroma of dark chocolate and bourbon in the back, and maybe a wee bit of smoke.

very nice. wow. bourbon way up front, but no heat, not overwhelming and actually, as it warms, its balanced quite nicely with the chocolate malts.

medium bodied, bigger carbonation than the pour gave away, smooth, sweet and a bit of heat as it heads down.

overall, a very enjoyable brew and at 6.5abv, i'd have a couple more if i had them.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 21:59:59 | More by robwestcott

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle care of Dunt, this has been on my wants list for quite a long time. Thanks for the generosity man!

Poured into a pub glass, this brew appears a dark brown to black color. A finger of tan head sits atop the brew and quickly fades to a thin layering across the top with spots of lace sticking to the glass. When held to the light, some brown and reddish clarity is seen through the edges. A light swirl brings back nearly a finger of tan head.

The smell of this brew is very heavy on the barrel aged presence. It is absolutely pungent with nearly perfume-like vanilla quality. More smells reveal a tangy alcohol inclusion, a bit of licorice and some roasted grain elements minorly like coffee. Throughout the entire duration, the vanilla is so pungent, it is almost artificial smelling and a little off-putting. When swirled, a bit of a sulfur note comes out of the brew.

The taste is robust with whiskey infused alcoholic tangy character. A bit of roasted grain bitterness and an equally bold display of vanilla flavoring. There is some oaked flavoring present throughout which balanced the bitterness and seeming sweet vanilla inclusion. As the brew warms up, the alcohol inclusion gets increasingly more tangy which is interesting. The aftertaste is the only feature minorly reminiscent of a schwarzbier with some roasted quality mixed with a touch of citrus.

This is a medium to light bodied brew with a moderate to light level of carbonation. The alcohol hits with a strenght that seems more than the listed 6.5%. Overall this opened up very impressive but sort of fell apart as it warmed up. The barrel aged presence while enjoyable is very overpowering. If that is the sort of thing you look for in barrel aged beers you might really dig this brew (which normally is the case for me.) For some reason this one just didnt drive it all the way home like I was hoping. Regardless it is worth a try if you get the chance. Thanks again Dunt.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 01:20:08 | More by stakem

afdempse

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to FlanderNed for the trade, and Huhzubendah for sharing!

Pours thick & black, with a creamy tan head.

Lots of vanilla in the nose, along with oak & slight alcohol.

Flavor begins with vanilla up front, followed by sweet bourbon, malt, toasted oak and vanilla extract. Warming alcohol in the throat and sandalwood in the breath. There is a slight bitterness and sour notes throughout that distract attention away from the beer's better characteristics.

Mouthfeel is not quite as full as I'd expect from a beer like this, and I'd prefer a smoother finish, but then again, who's ever tried to barrel-age a Schwarzbier before? Kudos to Short's for pushing the envelope.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 03:40:40 | More by afdempse

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A big thank you to FlandersNed for sending this beer my way in our last trade. Split with Adam.

The beer is dark brown, nearing black. The beige head stands in at a finger's width, and leaves some decent lacing on the glass.

The aroma is quite sweet. Booze, vanilla, malt, light roast, chocolate.

The flavor is definitely bourbon forward. Grandiose vanilla presence. The sweetness is formidable, and I can see that my six ounces will be sufficient. The bourbon, while overpowering to some degree, is bold and tasty. Chocolate and roast play a secondary role, and blend nicely with the the bourbon character. Mildly roasty, perhaps the other aspects of the beer overshadow the roast somewhat.

Medium bodied with appropriate carbonation. Sweet and boozy.

An interesting beer. Not my favorite bourbon barrel aged brew by any stretch, but worth a try. I enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 04:00:14 | More by Huhzubendah

OakedCanuck

Washington

3.05/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into cervoise. From notes

A - Pours a dark brown with tight edging (little light on the edging). Very small 1/2" tan head dissipated quickly and the lacing was slick and oily

S - Bourbon is very strong. Also get caramel, toffee, cherries and raisins.

T - Lots of bourbon with a rum or port undercarriage. Lots of bittersweet chocolate with a slight smokiness to it. VERY sweet caramel, toffee and brown sugar. Very little hoppiness if any at all. Struggling to get through this.

M - Crazy sticky from the sweetness, medium to light heavy body.

O - This was a tough one for me to finish. As much as I like bourbon barreled beers, this one seemed like it was a bit too much. Hard to finish but if you want bourbon, here it is.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 23:46:19 | More by OakedCanuck

Wadsey

Indiana

3/5  rDev -25%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bourbon Barrel Soaked Sustenance Black Beer

Served in New Belgium globe glass

A: Pours clear deep brown with 2-inch head that recedes fairly quickly but leaves haphazard lacing. 

S:  Distinct and delicious aroma of butter rum leads off. Next, spiced rum, wood and brandy. The base beer is smothered. Honestly, this smells like Angel's Share should have smelled. 

T: Well, there is a slightly tart note that initiates tasting. Two other interesting notes follow: toasted coconut and vanilla. The barrel does add a splash of bourbon, but butter rum and spiced rum still come through. Again, the base beer is struggling under load and makes its presence known solely in the finish: powdered and bitter chocolate. Alcohol is easily detectable. 

M: Medium body and carbonation. A little oilier and rougher than regular Sustenance Black Beer. This beer also is somewhat warming. How much booze was added to this?

O: I like Bourbon Barrel Soaked Sustenance Black Beer less than its little brother. Too much barrel, not enough base beer. This beer also cannot compete with Short's preeminent barrel-aged beer, which is Barrel-Aged Wizard. 

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 03:25:43 | More by Wadsey

qua17

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle - brewed in 2011

Appearance – This beer is dark as motor oil. It poured out with a 2 inch head that dissipated and left a haze of lacing.

Smells – - Aged in Bourbon barrels, you catch a light bourbon smell that is sweet in character. It's almost candy-like, kinda like a dark brown sugar.

Taste – Aged in Bourbon barrels, there is a heavy sweetness that mellows out after the swallow. While this is a dark beer it's more like an ale than a porter or stout. The beer isn't as heavy and it lacks the dryness that sometimes come with those beers.

Mouthfeel – A lot of body but not creamy or think. Decent amount of carbonation.

Overall – Not my type of beer. I read the notes about the style and I didn't get any of the hops that are supposed to be present. I was also not a big fan of the sweetness so while I'm glad I tried it, I would be ordering it again. It's almost like a port - but lighter.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2011 18:24:45 | More by qua17

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into snifter - big thanks to erikkoppin

Pours a deep black color with a thinner lightly tanned head. Lightly retained, leaving curtains of lacing on the glass.

Potent nose with bourbon, but other softer notes including vanilla, oak, and coconut. Some roasted malts with caramel and butterscotch sweetness and faint booze.

A touch sweet up front with vanilla and syrupy butterscotch. Smack of bourbon with some oaky tannins. Thicker malt body, fairly roasted and warm throughout, dashes of coconut as well. Finishes sweet and a bit boozy.

Medium body, decent carbonation, sticky and smooth on the tongue, but a little on the thin side for me. Definitely an interesting bal aged beer, refreshingly different and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 03:46:45 | More by xnicknj

SpdKilz

Illinois

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz 2011 bottle courtesy of Erik (erikkoppin). Thanks so much for this generous extra. Cheers!

Appearance – Pours into my Bell’s tulip with an almost opaque dark chocolate color. When held up to bright light just the faintest red hues of light shine through. About a finger of quickly dissipating tan head that leaves decent lacing.

Smells – Smells chewy if that is possible. Lots of sweet bourbon barrel notes up front which fade to some dark fruits, brown sugar, oak, and a slight presence of vanilla. As the beer warms a butterscotch/toffee aroma becomes more noticeable.

Taste – Wow, lots of butterscotch and vanilla here right at the start! The bourbon actually becomes more prevalent as the beer warms and with each sip I take (intermixing with the first two flavors). There is bittersweet cocoa/chocolate, earthiness, and again more sweetness that goes from butterscotch to toffee to brown sugar. A “candied” beer if you will.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied, not as creamy as I was expecting though enough, carbonation on par for what I would expect.

Overall – An interesting barrel aged beer from Short’s. As I always say, I am glad I was able to try it. Would I seek it out again? Probably not, but I am rather enjoying the flavors (though they are a bit one dimensional, smacking you in the face with each one, but then again isn’t that what Short’s is known for?). Not as cloying as I would expect, but would never have more than one at a time.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 01:14:07 | More by SpdKilz

GrandCruDrew

New York

3/5  rDev -25%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle 2011 edition poured into my bells goblet.

A- Dark brown, almost black, like a dark porter with a 2 inch hea that is tan in color.

S- Hmmm. Butterscotch, vanilla, some sweetness, maybe some toffee and sweet caramel. A little booze.

T- vanilla, subtle butterscotch, which makes believe a little dyactyl(spellcheck), boozey, some sweetness, toffee, bourbon. We'll see how it warms up. I can revise after.

M- creamy, good mouthfeel, little boozey, quick finish.

Overall- Good, I'm a little indifferent at this point. A little less complexity then I remember from years past.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2011 00:35:17 | More by GrandCruDrew

DannyDan

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A. Pours a brownish black body with a thick tan head that disappears pretty quickly. It has very good retention, decent lacing and minimal carbonation.
S. The smell is some dark fruits, chocolate, and bourbon.
T. The taste is some bitter chocolate, followed by some coffee, dark fruits, and bourbon. It also has an earthy hops taste under the dark fruits and bourbon. A nicely well balanced taste.
M. A nice smooth and creamy beer that sticks to the lips and tongue.
O. A nice easy drinking beer that feels a lot lighter than a lot of stouts and porters, a nice winter drink when you don't want something real heavy. A nice winner from Short's, and I'll have to remember to try this on tap since I think it will be really creamy.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 04:56:11 | More by DannyDan

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From notes:

Pours pitch black and completely opaque without even the slightest hint of lighter color when held to a light source. Quite viscous looking with a half finger mocha colored head that quickly settles into a lasting ring. Sporadic spots of lacing left behind.

Intensely boozy aroma with a huge barrel presence. Lots of sweet boozy bourbon along with some earthy oak and faint vanilla. Underneath there is a slight smokey malt presence with hints of chocolate, toffee and roasted coffee bean but the nose of this beer is all about the bourbon.

Medium bodied and slightly viscous with a very prominent bourbon flavor. Again, as in the aroma, the barrel character dominates the flavor with a burst of hot, boozy bourbon that lingers throughout, slightly overpowering the other flavors. Slight earthy oak and faint vanilla/toasted coconut but the bourbon and hot alcohol overtake these notes pretty quickly. Underneath there is a roasted chocolate malt presence with hints of roasted coffee bean, toffee and oatmeal. Slightly smokey which provides some balance to the sweet bourbon but overall this beer is just a bit too much of a bourbon bomb for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 08:42:28 | More by corby112

Urbancaver

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

thank you jale for this treat!

Appearance- Dark brown with minimal head. Reddish hues on the edges

Smell- Smoked malt with a hint of bourbon on the nose

Taste- Rich thick smoked maltiness with a touch of bourbon

Mouthfeel- Very smooth with low carbonation

Drinkability- Very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 16:57:23 | More by Urbancaver

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

GbVDave

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750ml bottle (even though the label says "22oz") into a thick stemmed DFH snifter. Special thanks to joshuaseresse for this from our trade!

A: Pours a deep black with some faint lightening at the edges. Capping the darkness is two fingers of lovely, dark khaki cream that rose, ever so slightly, over the rim of the glass. The head stuck around for ages, fed by a fair amount of carbonation. Some lacey ropes were left behind.

S: Quite apparent (but not obnoxiously so) bourbon aroma when first poured. Bourbon and charred oak are the main attraction here with ample supporting help from heavily roasted malt, toffee, dark chocolate, toasted nuts, and a touch of coffee.

T: Much like above but with an excellent addition of vanilla to the mix. Caramel, dark fruit, bourbon and chocolate. Very nice!

M: Starts off sweet and quite sticky. As the bottle wore on I noticed that it became slightly drier and quite spicy. It also thinned slightly from the initial pour, making it easier and easier to drink.

D: The low abv and sorta thinnish (read: not RIS) mouthfeel make for one hell of a drinkable bourbon barrel aged beer. Totally sessionable...and frigging delicious!

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2010 23:27:26 | More by GbVDave

nickd717

California

3.85/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle thanks to Nick3. Always good to tick a retired beer. Retired usually means it was too good for the brewery to brew again.

Pours very dark brown with a small off-white head that leaves swirls on the beer.

The aroma is pretty big - bourbon, roast, caramel, spices, and oak.

Big flavor with big-time caramel and toffee, spices, anise, roast, hazelnut, bourbon, and oak. Solid stuff.

Medium-bodied with medium-low mouthfeel and only slight booziness.

Pretty good -bal aged beer, but not a standout.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2010 00:15:23 | More by nickd717

taylorhamrick

South Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got in a trade from hotpipes29.

Pours a nice dark brown color, nearly black, it would fool me if not for the ruby highlights around the edges. A small head (1cm or maybe less) forms on top, with loose bubbles, that fade quickly, no lacing. But I can see plenty of bubbles rising up in the beer. The smell hits you with an incredible sweetness, backed up with a very nice bourbon smell. Like chocolate, a little coffee, and a big whiff of bourbon. Otherwise, very clean. The taste comes back with that nice sweetness, a very clean straightforward roasty character, almost no yeast character to speak of, no hoppy presence, just a nice mellow flavor of bourbon. I mean, don't get me wrong, you know the bourbon is there, but it really fits well into this beer. Very nice. The body is right around medium, maybe a little thin, with a nice burst of carbonation. The bourbon does a nice job coating your mouth, but overall, the sweetness keeps it in check. Really, I don't know if there's anything off for the bourbon, but there isn't really anything that stands out. For a bourbon-barrel aged schwarzbier, this seems right on, and I don't know if anyone else makes one, but this is a really nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2010 22:18:57 | More by taylorhamrick

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

kbeals

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours black (big surprise!) with two fingers of light brown head. Head sticks around for quite a while leaving good amounts of lacing. This beer looks pretty good...

S- Rich flavors of vanilla and cocoa rounded out with a nice dose of bourbon. This bottles only been sitting for 10 months, but the bourbon character is still predominant. Also has hints of dark fruits in it.

T- Bourbon up front in the flavor. Vanilla and roasted cocoa to top it off. Dark fruits don't really come through much but it's not really needed. This beer tastes fantastic as it is.

M- A bit watered down for how much flavor there is. I would say light-medium body at best. not much carbonation.

D- Pretty good but the ABV catches up to you fast. Wasn't really expecting it to hit me like that.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2010 21:34:26 | More by kbeals