Barley Island Beastie Barrel Stout

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

Bottle. Black with dark tan, wispy head, mostly diminishing. Aroma of dark chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla and a hint of bourbon and oak. The flavor is moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic and lightly bitter. It finishes moderately bitter. Tastes of sweet chocolate with a nice touch of bourbon. Medium body with a creamy texture and moderate carbonation. Very slight metallic aftertaste with its dry, roasted malt finish. Good.

Thanks to Bobby for this! Dark brown pour with frothy tan head and picturesque lace. Cocoa nibs, oak and bourbon on the nose. Roasted coffee and a creamy bitter finish.

Pours very dark, bit reddish with a god sized brown head. The aroma has roasty / toasty malt with some chocolate, cream, vanilla and a hint of bourbon. Medium smooth body with semi-soft carbonation. The flavor starts much like the aroma with a good amount of balance and some richness. The finish is quite creamy. The was significantly better than I expected it to be.

thanks acknud Pours a velvety black from the bottle with a faint brown head. Smells of powdered cocoa and slight bourbon. Tatses predominantly of roasted coffee, sweet cocoa, and mild vanilla. Smooth and balanced, but not very complex for a barrel aged stout

Pours black with a thin tan head. Aroma is subdued, dark chocolate and bourbon. Flavor is bitter dark chocolate malt, black coffee, with a heavy bourbon and oak presence. Finish is slightly medicinal and body is thinner than I would have expected. Doesn’t compare to some of the better bourbon stouts out there.

Black pour with an inch-thick tan head. Aroma of chocolate, malt and a subtle hint of vanilla and bourbon. Flavor is rich, toasted malt with more cocoa, vanilla and a hint of sweet bourbon. A very nice balanced mix. Great.

Thanks to Bobby91w for including this one as an extra! Pours black, with a thin-ish tan head that dissipates surprisingly quickly for a stout. Aroma of stale coffee (spent espresso grounds) some oak, and a bit of molasses. Very dry. At first, you think the stale coffee is going to steal the show, but after a second, you start to detect some sweeter undertones - the malts begin to show through the bitter front end. It’s still very dry - some smokey meats coming through as well - but is far more pleasant than it first lets on. This would be fantastic with a good protein-laden dinner - I’m thinking ribs with a good bbq sauce. Very decent overall.

On tap and in bottle. Much better on tap, but good in both forms. Pours a nice looking dark brown, with a small head and minimal lacing. Nose is roasted chocolate and barley, with notes of bourbon out of the bottle. Flavor is roasted grain and chocolate, with touches of vanilla and wood. No trace of bourbon on tap, but strong out of the bottle. On tap it is creamy and smooth and very delicious. Out of the bottle, it has a good amount of bakers chocolate and finishes dry.
Earlier Rating: 1/27/2008 Total Score: 3.8
AWESOME! Had this a few years ago, recently tried it again. YUM. This, to me, is what "bourbon aged" should be. It ADDS to the flavor, does not BECOME the flavor. All the wonferful flavor of oatmeal stout is here, with some added oak and bourbon flavors. It really brings the malt flavor to a head. I love the way it becomes complicated, but not overly so. Doesnt hurt that Buffalo Trace is a great Kentucky Bourbon. Makes me want to get ahold of Founder’s Kentucky Stout even more.