Barley Island Beastie Barrel Stout

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

Bottle courtesty of Jason’s dad. Clear black body under a small dark tan head. Cherries, whiskey, and black roast in the aroma. Nothing too sweet but it’s intriguing. The flavor just sucks - it’s a thin, dry oatmeal stout overridden by cheap-tasting whiskey. A big letdown.

Has a pretty nice oatmeal and chocolate aroma. Nice black color with a little brown head. Has a coffee flavor, slightly bitter, although it seems a little off somehow. Nice body and carbonation. Overall, it’s OK, but nothing I would seek out in the future.

Near black colour with a big head. Quite fizzy, obscuring some chocolatey accents. Mainly malty with light chocolate but I can’t move past the fizz (I never can).

Thanks to Oakes for sharing this bottle. Thick brown head over a pitch black beer. Sweet chocolate/vanilla aroma with some definite oaty type of aroma. Flavour seems a bit hot (especially considering it’s only 4.9%). Lots of oakiness but with less vanilla than woodiness. Woody complexity in the flavour but comes across with a bit of astringency as well. Slightly overcarbonated as well. Not bad, but definitely not great.

Draft. Pours black with a thin tan head. Aroma is very strong and astringent, mostly that of bourbon. Smells like window cleaner. Flavor is way too strong of bourbon in my opinion. Very hot! Palate is way too thin and watery. a disappointment.

22 oz bomber. Being a Buffalo Trace bourbon fan, I was looking forward to trying this one. The nose is all bourbon, almost like you have a shot of bourbon in your hand. The first sip is very strong with the oak and bourbon from the barrels, with a mild, smooth aftertaste. A little one dimensional for this style, but very drinkable.

Bottle - a fairly strong bourbon aroma what gives way gradually to some chocolate as it warms. Black body with a huge near medium-brown head. It really is overcarbonated. It took 4 series of pouring and waiting for the head to subside to get 3/4’s of a glass. The flavor is kind of odd. Some swallows the bourbon is up front and others it is in the finish. I don’t know that I’ve experienced that before. There is some chocolate in there, as well. Fairly thin for the style and lacking the creaminess that is typical for an Oatmeal Stout. Interesting as most bourbon-aged beers are. Another rater said that it is too small for the bourbon and that may be true. Hopefully they’ll stick with it and tweak it. Shows promise.

Very obvious bourbon taste in the middle and end of this beer. A little bitter in my opinion. Seems to finish good. Not alot of aftertaste. Have tried 2 Oatmeal stouts so far. Have not liked either one very much. Drinkable beer. Just not one of my favorites.