Tag Archives: bourbon barrel aged

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Deschutes Brewery, Porter - Imperial, USA

Deschutes Black Butte XXIX

Leave a comment

Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 12.2%
Style: Porter – Imperial
Other Notes: 29th Birthday Reserve. Porter brewed with Dutched cocoa, Saigon cinnamon, and cayenne, 50% aged in Bourbon and Rum barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) In celebration of our 29th anniversary this year’s Imperial Porter delivers notes of dark chocolate and cinnamon spice with hints of coconut, vanilla, and dried fruit finished by a warm dash of cayenne.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.33
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. black waxed bomber, 29th birthday reserve, bottled on 12th June 2017. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark dark brown in colour with a thin khaki head that had dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving spotty lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, dark chocolate, cayenne, vanilla, rum, dark fruit, plum, raisin, with a hint of cinnamon.
Taste: Roasted malts, dark chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, rum, dark fruit, plum, raisin, with a very light hint of chili spice.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A very enjoyable sipper with adjuncts that work very well together.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Deschutes Brewery, Porter - Imperial, USA

Deschutes Black Butte XXVIII

Leave a comment

Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 11.6%
Style: Porter – Imperial
Other Notes: 28th Birthday Reserve. Imperial Porter brewed with cocoa, vanilla, peated malt and sweet orange peel with 50% aged in bourbon and scotch barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Cocoa, vanilla, peated malt, and sweet orange peel. 50% barrel aged in bourbon and scotch barrels. The result is our 28th Anniversary Imperial Porter with bright orange and vanilla aroma, layers of roasty chocolate and a warm, smokey finish.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.19
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. black waxed bomber, 28th birthday reserve, bottled on 13th June 2016. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a thin khaki head that dissipates quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving spotty lacing.
Aroma: Dark fruit, raisin, prunes, orange peel, chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, with a hint of peat.
Taste: Lightly sweet, light roast, chocolate, vanilla, orange peel, bourbon, dark fruit, raisins, prunes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: A very nice sipper with lots of dark fruit, chocolate, orange and bourbon.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Deschutes Brewery, Porter - Imperial, USA

Deschutes Black Butte XXVII

Leave a comment

Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 11.6%
Style: Porter – Imperial
Other Notes: 27th Birthday Reserve. Ale brewed with rose water with 50% aged in bourbon barrels blended with ale with apricot puree, cocoa nibs, pomegranate molasses and spices

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Our 27th Anniversary Imperial Porter was brewed with Theo’s cocoa nibs, pomegranate molasses and select spices, blended with apricot puree, and then aged in bourbon barrels. The result is a truly exquisite ale with bold chocolate character, inspired flavors of fruit, and just a pinch of spice. The perfect way for us to celebrate our golden birthday with you!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.03
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. black waxed bomber, 27th birthday reserve, with a best after date of 20th July 2016. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown with an orange hue, and a thin khaki head that dissipated quickly, while leaving some sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, cocoa nibs, chocolate, fruity, tangy, dried apricot, orange, with soft bourbon notes.
Taste: Moderately roasty, chocolate, cocoa nibs, vanilla, lightly sweet, molasses, fruity, dried apricot, orange marmalade, pomegranate, and a hint of bourbon.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Interesting series of adjuncts that I wouldn’t have put together, but results in an interesting and pretty enjoyable sipper.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, England, Mills Brewing, Wild Ale

Mills Running Beer

Leave a comment

Brewery: Mills Brewing
Country: England
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Wild Ale
Other Notes: Mills Brewing make beer with minimal modern intervention, relying on local wild yeast cultures and the influence of nature to ferment

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This beer is a blend of four brews produced in November 2018, January/March 2019 and May 2020. The worts were made using malted rye and aged hops. They fermented and matured in a mixture of oak barrels previously used by French Burgundy wine and American Bourbon whiskey producers. Running beer was the first recipe we designed for Mills Brewing. This is blend eight.

We still have no set recipe for Running Beer, but blend to a similar flavour profile each time. We produce a variety of worts and welcome the natural variation we are given by the barrels.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.82
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 750ml corked and capped bottle, blend eight, bottled in November 2021, with a best before date of November 2031. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden colour, with a two finger white head that had good retention and settled to a nice thin cap and good lacing.
Aroma: Funky, farmhouse, wood, apple, lemon zest, and slight whisky notes.
Taste: Tart, lightly sour, funky, musty, green apple, lemon zest, lightly vinous, oak.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Interesting aroma and flavours, maybe not my favourite, but it does work.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Browar Stu Mostów, Poland, Stout - Russian Imperial

Stu Mostów WRCLW Imperial Stout Peanut Butter Bourbon BA Nitro

Leave a comment

Brewery: Browar Stu Mostów
Country: Poland
ABV: 11.7%
Style: Stout – Russian Imperial
Other Notes: 60 IBUs, 6th Anniversary

Brewer Description: (from website) Imperial Stout B.A. is our birthday tradition – this year we used the addition of peanut butter and Four Roses Bourbon barrels, which gave the aromas of vanilla, coconut, spices and of course – American whiskey! Nitrogen saturation smoothed out its texture and perfectly blended with malty aromas, creating incredibly tasty, dessert effect!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.04
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 330ml gold waxed bottle, 6th Anniversary, 2020 vintage, with a best before date of 4th December 2023. Poured into what I guess is a water glass (being all that I could find at the hotel late at night).
Appearance: Black in colour with a very thin tanned head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Peanut, peanut butter, chocolate, light roast, bourbon, brown sugar, vanilla.
Taste: Roasty, chocolate, moderate sweetness, caramel, dark fruit, prunes, plum, brown sugar, bourbon, peanut.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Definitely a sipper with interesting aroma and flavours. Peanut notes were quite pronounced, but I would have preferred if it was more peanut butter instead, as per the name.