Tag Archives: bourbon barrel aged

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Founders Brewing Company, Stout - Imperial, USA

Founders CBS (Canadian Breakfast Stout)

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Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 11.7%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Barrel Aged Series. 2017 release. Imperial Stout brewed with chocolate and coffee aged in maple syrup – bourbon barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) CBS was born when we stumbled upon some bourbon barrels that had previously housed maple syrup. We opted to put the same base beer as KBS, an imperialized version of Breakfast Stout, in the maple barrels and, after one taste, we knew we had something special. Rich maple syrup, roasted coffee and velvety chocolate meld together in what can only be described as a transcendental drinking experience.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.55
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. bottle, bottled on 27th October 2017. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: Black in colour with a one finger fluffy brown head that had decent retention while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Sweetish milk chocolate, bourbon, vanilla and coffee bean with hints of oak, maple and caramel.
Taste: Sweet bourbon and maple upfront with roasty coffee, chocolate, vanilla and caramel. There is light booziness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Full to medium bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: This was an excellent sipper. There was perhaps less maple than I expected, but still just enough to make an impression with the nice bourbon flavours.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Cerveses La Pirata, Spain, Stout - Russian Imperial

La Pirata Black Block Bourbon Aged

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Brewery: Cerveses La Pirata
Country: Spain
ABV: 13%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 72 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from website) Russian Imperial Stout Bourbon Barrel Aged. The “Bourbon” version of Pearl Pirate. An even more incendiary beer warms much heart and soul.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.26
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 12th September 2017 and a best before date of September 2022. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with pretty much no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Nice bourbon, vanilla and liquorice with chocolate, cocoa, roasty malts and alcohol in the background along with hints of oak.
Taste: Lightly sweet beginning with bourbon, vanilla, raisins and dried dark fruits followed by a light roast, chocolate and cacao.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with low carbonation and a lightly boozy finish.
Overall: A very nice RIS with great bourbon flavours coming through. Body could have been heavier, but despite this, it was still very good.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Midnight Sun Brewing Co., Stout - Imperial, USA

Midnight Sun Berserker

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Brewery: Midnight Sun Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 12.7%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 30 IBUs. Imperial Stout ale brewed with maple syrup & molasses and aged in oak bourbon barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Vicious and viscous, this menacing brew pours opaque black with a dark maduro-colored head. Its aroma offers seductive bourbon, chewy wine, dark fruit and lavish tobacco. This imperial stout invades your taste buds with in-your-face flavor. Berserker is out-of-control. Give it a good fight.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.24
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: Black in colour with a one finger brown head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Molasses, brown sugar, maple, chocolate, banana bread and bourbon with hints of coffee and oak.
Taste: Sweet molasses, milk chocolate, maple, dark fruit and bourbon with hints of oak, bitter char, smoke and coffee.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, medium to full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: Nice aromas and taste but perhaps just slightly too sweet for me. The molasses were also a bit overpowering and I would have preferred more maple coming through.

4 - Good (buy), Against The Grain Brewery, Beer Reviews, Brown Ale - Imperial, USA

Against The Grain Jackyale

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Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 9.5%
Style: Brown Ale – Imperial
Other Notes: 35 IBUs. Stave It For Later Barrel Series. Bourbon barrel aged Imperial Brown Ale

Brewer Description: (from website) Double brown ale aged in bourbon barrels in honor of the greatest rock and roll band on this or any other time: JACKYL. Drinking this fine beer will make you feel like the sun is shining down on you, and the heat of love’s flames, down on you. You’ll love the thought of me coming… down on you. This is only weird if you make it that way. PS. We won’t make any beers about pussy rock ballads, I promise!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.16
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 750ml bottle with no bottled on or best before date that I could see. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: A clear dark brown colour with a half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly but settled to a ring around the glass. There is only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Coffee beans, chocolate, caramel, vanilla and oak with only a hint of bourbon.
Taste: Sweet and roasty. Caramel, molasses, vanilla, oak and bourbon with hints of milk chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate prickly carbonation.
Overall: Perhaps a little bit too sweet for me, but the nice bourbon and oak flavours do make up for that minor flaw.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Bottle Logic Brewing, Stout - Imperial, USA

Bottle Logic Fundamental Observation

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Brewery: Bottle Logic Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 13.6%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Imperial vanilla stout aged in Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Rebel Yell and W.L. Weller bourbon barrels

Brewer Description: (from website) Eureka! You have just discovered an Imperial Stout full of vanilla’s fundamental flavor. This stout was aged in four different types of bourbon barrels, and blended with Madagascar vanilla beans. Sit back, relax, and observe the world around you.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.62
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: On tap at Bottle Logic Brewing, Anaheim. A 6 oz pour into a Bottle Logic snifter.
Appearance: It was black in colour with minimal brown head and minimal lacing.
Aroma: Vanilla, sweet milk chocolate, oak and bourbon.
Taste: Very nice sweetish milk chocolate, oak, bourbon and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied, low carbonation and a light alcohol burn.
Overall: Excellent! This was just really nice, complex and a great sipper. Really happy to be able to try this on tap at the brewery!