Coronado 12th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel-aged Belgian Stout

Brewed by Coronado Brewing Company
Style: Foreign Stout
Coronado, California USA

Tap at the brewpub. Pitch black with a light tan head. Great aroma with lots of sweet rich cocoaish chocolate malt on the back. Very rich smooth bourbony sweetness on the nose. A kiss of vanilla and some light oaky tannins as well. Raisiny sweetness in the middle along with some rich cocoaish malts. There is a lot of bourbony flavour in here, but it isn’t boozy or hot. Just a really well-integrated combination of cocoa and dark sweet malts wtih the bourbon. Definitely a hefty beer, but one that I thought worked.

Tap @ Ham’s listed as BA Stoopid Stout. Pours black with a tan head. Nose is smoky and roasty. Taste is sweet and chocolate, overall nice and big.

Draught at TJ’s: Aroma of roasted malt, burnt sugar, slight bourbon, and slight chocolate. Poured pitch black in color with a tiny, tan head that disappeared quickly. Opaque. Not sparkling. Flavor is light to medium sweet and slightly bitter. Tastes of chocolate, light bourbon, roasted malts, vanilla, light oak, wood, slight cream, and a hint of bitter coffee. Medium to full body. Lightly dry texture. Soft to average carbonation. Roasted malt, chocolate, slight bourbon, and light vanilla finish is dry. 10%ABV is totally hidden.

Draft @ Stone Bistro. Pours a very dark brown color; light tan head with patchy, fine-bubbled lacing. Solid amounts of bourbon, burnt malts, and bitter chocolate in the nose; reasonably reserved barrel character. Fizzy, cola-like carbonation. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: loads of roasted malts, cola, and bitter chocolate upfront coupled to a reasonably well-reserved bourbon barrel character; the fizziness detracts considerably, and bourbon is just straight bourbon and charred wood. Decent without being anything exceptional. Lengthy finish: roasted / burnt malts, chocolate, and lasting barrel toastiness.

On tap at Stone bistro. Dark brown/black color with flavors and aroma of bourbon,chocolate, vanilla and dark fruit.

On tap at Coronado. Poured black with a small brown head. Aroma of cocoa, oats, vanilla, bourbon, wood and vanilla. Flavor was really nice, especially the soothing, lingering after tasted. Flavors predominantly of chocolate, roasted malt, bourbon and sweetness. A good amount of vanilla with a touch of caramel. A bit boozy, but not too bad. Good stuff.

I got to try 3 BA imperial stouts today. GF, CBC, and BA Yeti. They are all different and good in their own way. The CBC had the most (lots) of bourbon barrel characteristics: oak, some oxidation. Black creamy head. Sweetish. A hint of booze. Excellent. Almost equally highest rated of the three.

(11/5/08) Draught sample at the brewpub in Coronado. Black-colored. Aroma of bourbon, some wood and dark chocolate. Sweetish alcoholic flavor with bourbon, bitter chocolate, some coffee and a bitter finish. Full-bodied. Not bad, but too much bourbon and alcohol in the flavor.