Barley Island Beastie Barrel Stout

Brewed by Barley Island Brewing
Style: Stout
Noblesville, Indiana USA

A sand-colored head falls very quickly over a deep mahogany tinted black/brown body. I’m getting a lot of SoCo off of this, which is a whisky I don’t particularly care for. A mix of chocolate syrup & whisky, sweet & cherried with isopropyl alcohol. Soda-like palate with a chalky thickness. Flavor is a fuseled chocolate/whisky mix with a dirty, bitter finish. I didn’t really like this but it contributed to a helluva buzz this evening. (I sincerely doubt the credibility of the 4.9% ABV listed above. Seriously.)

<font size=-4>From an old notebook (circa October 2007). I think <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/View-User-14352.htm&g split this with me. If so, thanks!</font>

GABF 2008. Pours black with a small, fizzy, light brown head, somewhat lasting with good lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (molasses, chocolate, burnt), light hops (herbs), average yeast (leather) with notes of alcohol, wood, smoke, and vanilla. Medium bodied, oily texture, soft carbonation, and a metallic finish. Average duration, moderate sweetness, light acidity and bitterness.

I loved this beer. Just got one in the new bottles. It’s actually called Beastie Barrel Stout but it’s right up there with Expedition for me. Obviously different ..but one of my favorite stouts I’ve ever had. An absolute must try...amazing!!!

Bottle for SPLITGRIN. Thanks man!
Pours black with a nice tan head. Smell is bourbon mostly followed by some creamy, sweet dark malt. Taste is definitely bourbony, but a bit thin overall. Some nice soft roasty stout flavors behind the bourbon, but mostly bourbon and thin dark malt otherwise. Medium carbonation and body. Not bad, but not especially noteworthy.

Name: BA Oatmeal Stout
Date: May 11, 2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Party Pic, IN
Appearance: glass of foamy tan head on an inch of beer
Aroma: roasted malt aroma
Flavor: bitter malt flavor with a touch of bourbon character, the co2 in each swallow inflates you cheeks like a winter squirrel finding a lost cache of nuts, all bitter roasted malt and gas, some rich body tries to break through the gas

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 2/10; Flavor: 2/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 5/20
Rating: 1.7/5.0
Score: 4

Name: Beasty Barrel Stout
Date: August 09, 2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Great Taste
Appearance: black, wispt tan head
Aroma: sweet chocolate and bourbon aroma, touch of oak and vanilla
Body: creamy body
Flavor: rich chocolate flavor, lots of bourbon, nice vanilla sweetness brings out the chocolate

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

Name: Beasty Barrel Stout
Date: November 01, 2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party
Aroma: aroma is much more on the roasted side with a touch of dark chocolate, little to no bourbon
Flavor: sweet chocolate flavor, touch of bourbon sweetness, still has the vanilla sweetness that brings out the chocolate
Overall: bourbon is much milder than at Great Taste, maybe a blend?

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

cask GTMW. Black pour whisp tan head. Big barreling in the aroma bourbon vanilla oak some light coffee and an odd acidic piece. avg pal. Light taste easy chocolates a grassy piece finishes of vanilla and bourbon. Boring & plain, over barreled.
Earlier Rating: 3/21/2006 Total Score: 2.9
dark pour nice tan small bubled head some ok lacing. Smells sweet hints of butter and bourbon some light roasting, a light wood note. Pal is ok fairly avg. Flavor is bland dominated by the weak whisky taste hints of roast.. just not good.

22 oz bomber - poured very thick and dark - nice head that lasted pretty well- flavor is not to overpowering but tasty. Got better as it got warmer- I enjoyed this beer and will certainly try other brews by the local (to me) Barley Island brewery!

On cask at GTMW. Poured black with a spotty cap of dark tan head. The aroma was sweeter and toasty with lots of chocolate and dry brandy-like accents.. enticing. The flavor found semi-sweet chocolate and toasted caramel at the core with a restrained, yet complementary barrel treatment.. sweet, roasty finish with chocolate, vanilla, and bourbon. Lighter carbonation on the palate with a dry barrel impression.. felt good, and quite satisfying on the finish. Nice one!
Earlier Rating: 8/5/2007 Total Score: 3.8
Bottle thanks to Mike, I believe. Poured a clear, deeper brown with a cool swirly dusting of deep beige head and what appeared to be legs running down the sides of the glass. The aroma definitely focused on the barrel aspect, with sweet vanilla, bourbon, and lightly-charred oak representin’... although none of these characteristics were abrasive, and the underlying stout was quite nice with medium-roasted chocolate and mild lactic notes. The flavor had nice roasty chocolate again at the core with some sweet oats.. barrel accent was very well executed with vanilla bean and bourbon accents.. finish was somewhat long, beginning with roasted baker’s chocolate and transitioning to sweet bourbon, oak char, and mild lactic sourness. About medium-bodied on the palate with higher carbonation (a touch too high.. filling up the mouth too rapidly). All in all a very good beer!