Great Lakes Barrel Aged Blackout Stout

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

12oz bottle (2010) from Secret Santa 2010
Black with a small tan head and good lacing. Aroma of roasted malts, vanilla, woody and rich chocolate. Flavors of rich chocolate, roasted malts, woody, vanilla with some hot alcohols
Very nice, smooth

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Another big thanks to crizay for bringing this bomber to the tasting. I didn’t think I’d ever have a chance to try it. Pours deep amber-garnet with thin tan head. The aroma has pretty big oak and booze mixed with mild roasty malts in the background that are a shadow of their rich-creamy-velvety smelling former self (non BA). The palate is attacked initially by dry booziness but is then quickly beat down by roasty, chocolate, coffee and burnt malts. Toward the finish the booze, wood and rich maltiness proceed with nearly equal balance into the after taste. YUM.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pours coffee brown with a nice light tan head. Aroma delivers roast malt, woody, bourbon, caramel, and subtle coffee notes. Flavor features bourbon, woody, roasted malt and caramel tones. Viscous mouthfeel has decent fizz. Black is black, I want my brewer back!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Bottle into a snifter - midnight black with a small off white head. Dominant coffee aromas, intriguing since this isn't brewed with coffee. Strong bourbon notes - oak and vanilla - with a strange licorish finish. WAY too thin, borderline watery. I prefer barrel aged stouts to be richer and fuller, and it hurts this beer. I've had it a few times and noticed it each time. Not my favorite.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Yes! Thanks to Kinger for sharing this beauty at Louis's gathering of the vibes. Pitch black. Pours like motor oil. Not much head. Thick as hell. Aroma is rampant in dark chocolate, earth and coffee grounds. Taste is similar, creamy, not too filling, and a chewy tobacco-y finish.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Another gem from kinger for the Hootenanny - definitely a wish list item for me. Big bold black pour with a nice tan head, sustained, leaving droopy lacing. Bourbon upfront in the nose, but not overpowering, some toasted malts, molasses, earthy hops in the end along with more bourbon. Taste is very inviting and warming: roasted malts and mellow bourbon, slight oaken vanilla, rich and almost creamy, almost burning molasses, hint of java, hides the alcohol very well. Extremely worthy. Huge props to Cory for this big 'un.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

damn - this was was THOROUGHLY enjoyed. Thanks Cory. Holy crap was it delicious. Just right on the bourbon with vanilla, chocolate, roast, coffee and wood on the palate. similar aroma, but a tad more subdued. velvety smooth feel, not hot at all. World Class! Lost a little in traslation to 12 oz bottles. Not as smooth, otherwise still epic!

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Bottled. Pitch black colour, mediumsized beigeish brown creamy and lasting head. Aroma is smoothly roasted malts, some wooden notes, licorice as well as mild coffee, chocolate and licorice. Flavour is roasted malts, licorice, vanilla and wood along with some caramel, chocolate and coffee. Aftertaste is vanilla, wood, coffee and some mild notes of roasted malts. Hides the alcohol quite well, and is wellbalanced.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Tasted at Noogfest 4.0 (2008). This Imperial Stout pours a deep black color from a 22oz bottle. Small sized tan foamy head. The aroma is chocolate, coffee, bourbon and sweet. A medium to full bodied stout. The malts are chocolate, roasty malts, coffee. Lots of vanilla and bourbon flavors. Nice balance. Very smooth taste. Nice beer. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Winter Warmer Festival: I was fortunate enough to be able to get a couple samples from the tap before the keg had emptied, no time like the present I suppose. I love the regular Blackout Stout, and with some recent samples of other beers aged in barrels I was curious to see how this already great imperial would be altered. Virtually black in color, it poured thick from the tap producing a diminishing dark brown head with minor spots of lacing around the glass. An aroma of blended dark malts and alcohol was produced, lightly smoked with a dark fruity port scent. Initially creamy, filling and velvety soft. Not much trace of the strong alcohol content, it's a mellow sipper. Burnt, overly toasted rich malts are followed by a subtle and quick hit of flowery hops. Plums and figs, peaty with a good smoke aftertaste. This is creamy and delicious, seems a touch more mellow than the original. ////////// Notes from the 2009 release: The bourbon flavor is much more pronounced in this fresh batch than I remember from earlier years. Smooth and silky with a sturdy woody and bourbon aroma/flavor.