Tag Archives: bourbon barrel aged

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Founders Brewing Company, Stout - Imperial, USA

Founders KBS – Cinnamon Vanilla Cocoa

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Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 12%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: Barrel Aged Series. 2021 release. Imperial Stout with coffee, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and cocoa nibs aged in oak bourbon barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Here’s one for the cocoa lovers: KBS Cinnamon Vanilla Cocoa – the sumptuous, deep coffee and chocolate flavors of KBS rise to the next level with a swirl of cinnamon and a hint of vanilla to create a sweet-but-not-too-sweet barrel-aged drinking experience. It’s a whole new spin on KBS that’s sure to sweeten your spirits.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.35
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. bottle, bottled on 3rd September 2021. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Pitch black with a one finger brown head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, with notes of raisin and bourbon.
Taste: Light to moderate bitterness, dark chocolate, cocoa nibs, black coffee, some sweet notes, cinnamon, vanilla, dark fruit, raisin, bourbon.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, velvety, full to medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Great aroma, and taste was nice, but the cinnamon was perhaps a bit strong. It was sweet, but there was a good bitterness that balanced it, such that it wasn’t overly sweet. A good variant, however I do prefer the original KBS more.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Heroes Beer Co., Hong Kong, Stout - Milk / Sweet Imperial

Heroes BR&MSBAIMSwMSCN&V (4th Anniversary)

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Brewery: Heroes Beer Co.
Country: Hong Kong
ABV: 10.4%
Style: Stout – Milk / Sweet Imperial
Other Notes: Bottle 307 of 720

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Bourbon, Rye, and Maple Syrup Barrel Aged Imperial Milk Stout with Maple Syrup, Cacao Nibs and Vanilla. Imagine eating a chocolate pancake with maple syrup while drinking an Americano. Starts off with dessert-like aromas of maple syrup, vanilla, and dark chocolate notes. Follows through with a complex but smooth malt profile with dark chocolate, espresso beans, raisins, dark caramel and toasted bread. Bitterness is medium but enough to support the sweetness. Medium oak character from bourbon, rye whisky, and maple syrup barrels comes through to help add structure to palate.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A boxed, black waxed, 650ml bomber, bottle 307 of 720, packaged on 4th October 2021, and with a best before date of 4th October 2024. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown to black in colour with pretty much no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Maple syrup, dried dark fruit, raisins, prunes, vanilla, bourbon, light roast, chocolate, caramel.
Taste: Sweet, bourbon, dried dark fruit, raisins, prunes, maple syrup, caramel, vanilla, chocolate, light roast.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, velvety, full bodied with no carbonation.
Overall: Great aroma, but it was too sweet for me. I don’t get the bitterness that the description talks about, which would definitely help it along. It’s okay as a sipper, but usually when I think sipper, it’s due to the apparent alcohol or alcohol strength rather than because of it’s sweetness, and I easily preferred both the 2nd and 3rd anniversary beers.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), Beer Reviews, England, Siren Craft Brew, Sour Ale

Siren Pombango

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Brewery: Siren Craft Brew
Country: England
ABV: 8.8%
Style: Sour Ale
Other Notes: Barrel aged grapefruit & mango sour

Brewer Description: (from can) A rare treat from our barrel store, only previously available at very special events! Pombango is a bourbon barrel aged Pompelmocello, blended with mango purée and fresh Pompelmocello. The resulting beer is cocktail-esque, vibrant with tropical fruits and refreshing sourness.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.36
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.1

Intro: A 440ml can, with a best before date of 19th August 2022, poured into a winebar glass.
Appearance: A nice clear dark copper orange colour with an almost two finger white head that had decent retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet-ish, dark fruit, raisin, brandy, bourbon, oak, with notes of mango and even lighter notes of grapefruit peel.
Taste: Similar to the aroma, sweet and sour, dark fruit, raisin, grapes, brandy, bourbon, oak, mango, grapefruit, a little syrupy.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: I’m a little unsure about this one as I’m on and off with each sip. I think in the end, it has this sweet syrupy note, like raisins doused in sugar syrup, that I found to be too much, probably from the barrel. Maybe if it was more sour, I would have enjoyed it more.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers, Stout - Russian Imperial

De Struise Cuvée Delphine Cask Strength 4 Roses BA

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 13%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 2015 vintage

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Cask strength limited edition, medium carbonation, 4 Roses bourbon barrel 1 year.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.23
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2015 vintage, limited edition cask strength, bottled on 10th May 2016. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a half finger brown head that dissipated fairly quickly, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Sweet dark malt, milk chocolate, dried dark fruit, raisin, prunes, fruit cake, with boozy notes.
Taste: Sweet dark malt, dark dried fruit, raisin, prunes, fruit cake, bourbon, with notes of milk chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: A nice sipping RIS with a good amount of dried dark fruit and bourbon flavours, although my preference is still with the original Cuvée Delphine.

4 - Good (buy), American Strong Ale, Beer Reviews, The Bruery, USA

The Bruery Mélange No. 3

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Brewery: The Bruery
Country: USA
ABV: 16.3%
Style: American Strong Ale
Other Notes: Ale aged in bourbon barrels. Black Tuesday®, our Anniversary ale and our wheatwine-style ale intertwine in this time-tested exploration in the art of the blend.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Our Mélange series is at the core of our experimentation with flavors that cannot be achieved outside of the art of the blend or by any one beer. This is one of our original mélanges at its very finest. Mélange No. 3 is a blend of three ales with the longest lineage in our bourbon barrel-aging program: Black Tuesday®, our Anniversary Series old ale and our wheatwine-style ale.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.28
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 750ml bottle, 2017 edition, bottled on 1st February 2017. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A cloudy brown colour with an orange tint and a one finger beige/khaki head that dissipates fairly quickly, while leaving some sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Sweet, caramel, toffee, molasses, bourbon, dark fruit, raisins, prunes, chocolate, oak, vanilla, with light coconut notes.
Taste: As you’d expect from the aroma, sweet, bourbon, caramel, toffee, molasses, chocolate, dark fruit, raisins, prunes, oak, vanilla, and a splash of coconut and orange.
Mouthfeel: Full to medium bodied with soft to moderate carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper, with great aromas, but perhaps a touch too sweet for my palate.