Barley Island Beastie Barrel Stout

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

Bomber. Pours an extremely dark mahogany brown to virtually black color. A frothy, dark khaki colored head settles slowly to a thin layer with a prominent edge. Random spotting marks the glass. Aromas include burnt caramel, chocolate fudge, mocha, vanilla, and faint hints of bourbon. It is mostly sweet smelling, with traces of earthy hops lending just a hint of bitterness. The bourbon is very subtle, almost unnoticeable at first, eventually folding into the brew quite nicely. Flavors follow suit, sweet cocoa and scorched caramel leading the charge, with oaky vanilla, earthy spice, and traces of sour mash bourbon to follow. The mouthfeel is medium-full and somewhat syrupy, its substance coming mostly from the sugar profile. Still, it never gets cloying or overly sticky. This is not a bad brew at all. It’s a pretty solid stout, although a bit too sweet perhaps, that has been subtly kissed by the oak bourbon barrel.

Pours opaque black with some nice brown head. Really nice chocolaty nose. Therrs a bit of a roasted note, with a compimentary oak vanilla twist. The flavor has a little more roast and a little less chocolate. Seems that most of the barrel is in the finish. It dries out real nice. Medium body with average carbonation. Easy to drink. Pretty nice. Surprising even
Earlier Rating: 7/6/2006 Total Score: 3.3
22 ounce bottle. Poured with an overblown fizzy tan head. Opaque dark brown to black. Looks very thin. Very light aroma of vanilla, oak, and bourbon. Slight sweet roasted quality. The bourbon flavor is about right. It blends well with the roasted notes form the beer. Medium/light body on the tongue. Silky. Overall, this is quality beer, but not special.

Pours almost black with some red highlights. Small active head is dark brown and almost black in places. Nose is chocolate, roasted nut, and milk. Feel is silky smooth and tongue is stimulated in waves of locations. Flavors of chocolate, coffee, metal, bourbon, wood, and molasses. Flavor is a bit muted but this is a beer that offers a wide variety of tastes.

From a 12oz bottle - Pours pitch black in color with small caramel colored. Slightly below average carbonation. Smells of roasted malts and some coffee. First sip is smooth with roasted malts and coffee leading the way. There is a fairly nice malt backbone. Dark chocolate notes also presence. Very nice and drinkable. Some bourbon in the finish.

Wonderful conditioning on this bottle, picked up at Crown in Carmel, IN. Deep and rich brown, nearly black in color, with a fine bubbled lasting head. Dry, leathery, funky aroma, with sweet bourbon components. Taste is a bit sweet with bourbon, carmelized sugars and woodsiness. Somewhat smoky flavors too. There is a little watery hole in the palate.Good, especially the aroma. Update - 10 mins later...WOW, the wood is strong here; very drying, very intense. Delicious, if a bit overdone...

2008 Bottle from West Lakeview. Pours a thicker near black with a small soda-like tan head. Big crass aroma of bourbon, chocolate and coffee grinds with notes of vanilla and leather/dirt. Flavor is actually pretty smooth, bourbon forward but has balanced supporting notes of chocolate, light roasted coffee, burnt molasses, touch of raisin, oats and creamy vanilla. Quite earthy, especially the aroma. Very fluffy but fine and smooth carbonation, medium body with a full mouthful. This is like the ’’’’standard’’’’ brewpub bourbon-barrel stout, good but generic.

Sampled from 12-oz bottle at Surly D-Day. Pours an opaque dark brown brew with a thin light tan head that slowly dissipates to a creamy top and excellent lacing. Aroma of toasted dark malt, some vanilla, smoked wood, a touch of chocolate and bourbon. Taste is medium bodied, lightly carbonated with flavors of toasted dark malt, chocolate, bourbon and some vanilla. Finish is where more bourbon character comes through with a metallic aftertaste and a lingering vanilla flavor.

Bottle. Shared at Joey bigs house, this was an extra in the trade, last beer of the night. Poured a dark black body with a dark tan head. Bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, sweet milk, a hint of cherry fruit, and dry oats. Wow this is only 5% that explains my lack of a headache this morning. Well it tasted much boozier then 5% but nevertheless i really enjoyed this bottle.