Americas Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout

Brewed by Americas Brewpub
Style: Imperial Stout
Aurora, Illinois USA

12oz bottle, courtesy of artusory. Thanks, Ryan! Pours a very dark, chocolate brown color; thin, medium-tan head with patchy lacing. Rough, boozy bourbon notes in the aroma; some dark chocolate and roast, but over-the-top booze. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: boozy bourbon, toasty oak, and warming alcohol in the aroma; some solid vanilla and chocolate notes present; some acidity; a messy, boozy barrel-aged imperial stout. Lengthy finish, showing dark chocolate, roasted malts, and alcohol.

(12oz bottle, thanks artusory) Brown-black body topped by minimal brown head. Aroma is moderately sweet, Bourbon/vanilla, some chocolate. Taste is moderately sweet, Bourbon, chocolate, light roast. Sticky full body, low carbonation.

12oz Bottle $9.99 4-Pack Sams Marcey 12% America’s Brewing Bourbon Imperial Stout pours black as night with a fluffy two finger mocha colored head. I can’t see the carbonation until it hits the head and keeps it in place. The head has some staying power and leaves decent lace lines down the glass. A deep dark good looking stout. The barrel aging added a wet oakiness that is a little on the sour side. Roasty malts, cocoa, and dark chocolate combine with a light vanilla from the oak aging. As this beer warms the sourness seems to disappear. I must be crazy but I keep thinking I smell, although very faintly, some sort of processed sweetened strawberry. It’s odd but I like it. The bourbon comes through very nicely as this one warms and the sour oakiness disappears. Flavor follows the nose closely. The oak comes through nicely although it’s more along damp oak then the huge vanilla laden oak like you find so often. The bourbon is there just enough to add a nice complexity but the roastiness and chocolates come through nicely. The body is on the heavier side of medium but a little light for my tastes. There is a nice silkyness present that really helps with the drinkability. This goes down easy. If the mouthfeel was where I’d like it the drinkability wouldn’t be as high as it is with the lighter body. My first taste of anything from America’s Brewing and I like what I’ve come across. The barrel aging is nicely done, not overly so like so many others. 5/4/08

Courtesy hopscotch. Pours black, with a small light brown head. Smells of light bourbon, vanilla, chocolate cream, and roasty malts. Liked the nose. The flavor had some noticeable alcohol right away, but it was to be expected. Pretty sweet, with lots of that vanilla and chocolate characters really taking notice. The bourbon was there, but not a bourbon bomb by any means. I think this was done rather well, maybe a bit hot on the palate, but other than that it had some good flavor going on. A touch underrated if you ask me.

I have a rating of this somewhere in my notes from FoBAB 5, but I’ll add then when I add my backlog. This is a 12oz bottle, no date from Dough77--thank you Tim. Pours thick black with almost a ring--yes, there was that little--of tan head. Dominant aromas of dry wood and whiskey. There is some roasted malts and caramel behind with some alcohol and oxidation. A weak woody shot of alcohol. Flavor isn’t quite a shot of whiskey. There is stronger roast and caramel, as well as some light smoke and vinous notes. All the whiskey notes are still there, as well as a fair amount of alcohol. Dry woody finish with bitterness a 3 out of 10. As close to still as it could be with a full thick syrupy body. This is like a poorly made Bourbon County Stout, though I think I may be growing tired of that beer as well, with its absolutely over-the-top whiskey dominance. The barrel was overdone by a lot. If I remember correctly, what they had at FoBAB didn’t bother me near as much.

Black pour, small brown head that fades to nothing. Aroma is boozy pretty much all bourbon. Flavor is much the same straight bourbon and lots of oak. Some dark fruits, coconut, a hint of chocolate, a subtle touch of coffee and yes more bourbon. The bourbon isn’t insanely huge but it’s the only flavor going on. Mouthfeel is thin, watery and flat. Just boring.

12 oz. bottle. Thanks drewbeerme! Pours black. No head. The aroma is absurdly boozy, almost all bourbon, like a strong Jack and coke. The taste is much the same, with a strong bourbon flavor up front, then just a hint of some sweet, dark fruitiness, finishing off with a very pleasant alcohol burn. It’s not unenjoyable, albeit hard to drink in large quantities, it just came off so one-dimensional to me.

12oz bottle thanks to Dough77 for hooking me up for the hell of it.... pours close to black with a thin tan head that slowly dissipates away..... enticing aroma of bourbon, coconut, chocolate.... flavors follow up nicely with an abundance of chocolate, bourbon with a slightly bitter,sour roast at the very very end. carbonation level wasn’t too high and all in all, it was pretty smooth. the finish leaves a little to be desired and it does pack a little heat as well.