DuClaw Oak Barrel Aged Black Jack Stout

Formerly brewed at DuClaw Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Abingdon, Maryland USA

TITW Part Deux - large handbottle courtesy of scraff. Thanks, Scott! Dark black center; dark tan head with good retention and lacing. Sweet bourbon nose, toasty vanilla and slightly hot. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: sour-mash bourbon, toasty vanilla oak, slightly medicinal but otherwise tasty. Medium bourbon and milk chocolate finish. Both this and the regular version are fantastic.

Enjoyed a sample of this one at Tasting in the Woods, Part Deux. Oak aging does wonders to some beer styles, and Imperial Stout is a style that really benefits from some time in the barrel in my opinion. Duclaw Oak Barrel Aged Black Jack Stout is a great example of a great beer becoming ever greater. This beer pours to an opaque, jet black color, with a slight tan head, and a soft carbonation. The nose on this beer is wonderful, with lots of big dark/milk chocolate aromas, paired with aromas of vanilla, oak, coffee, and light roast. The plate is soft and full on the tongue, with big flavors of dark chocolate, mocha, vanilla, and hints of oak. This beer finishes with more flavors of chocolate, mocha, and vanilla, and ends with a slight alcohol burn that lingers. Great use of barrel aging on this beer. Rich, soothing, delicious beer.

RBSG 06 DC @ RFD’s Special Tasting Black, no head and light lacing. Nose of bourbon, sweet with light roast, typical oak, vanilla, kaluah, grape, lightly vinous. The flavor is creamy, a touch sweet and lots of deep demented melanoidins. The finish is reminiscentof a fine whisky mixed with some rich muscovado sugar. Nice dessert beer, not too much bourbon though.

RBSG DC 2006: Pours to a totally opaque, brown-near-black colored body with a medium tan head that sticks. The aroma is mocha, tame licorice sticks, cookies, oak, wood, and grapes, along with just a hint of roast. Taste is mild bourbon, vanilla, light chocolate, grapes, light roast. Finishes with charcoal and charred wood without being over-the-top in terms of acidity or bourbon. I talked to Jim about this one at length because I was so impressed with the bourbon flavors not being over the top, but moreso with the finish really showing the charred wood qualities. Nice.

Draft at RFD, RBSG 2006. Inky, deep black with a light brown head. Bourbon and whiskey-soaked wood in the nose, just lovely. Flavor has notes of chocolate, bourbon, whiskey, coffee, caramel, mocha and earth/soil. An alcohol buzz is there but doesn’t detract. Plenty of roasty bitterness. Smooth, velvety mouthfeel with low carbonation. Awesome stuff.

I feel like I’m left out on this one. I gave it time and thought about it longer than I usually do, but I just couldn’t find what was so great about this beer. Very dark appearance, viscous and resiny as it clings to the side of the glass. Aroma: a bit mild, some scotch or liquor. First taste is light smoke, low carbonation, with a moderately thick body. Flavors of plum scotch and brandy and amaretto. Slick, thick and bold, like liquid smoke. Good stuff but not my thing, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s the sweetness in the finish, or maybe I’ve lost my taste for oak aged beers altogethor. Consists of lactic sourness and dry ashy wood in the finish.

(RBSG06, cask) Brown-black body with small brown head. Aroma is moderately sweet, rich, bourbon, chocolate, vanilla. Taste is moderately sweet, bourbon, chocolate, light alcohol burn. Creamy medium-full body.

RBSG@RFD. Black body with no head. The aroma is oak, bourbon, chocolate and coffee. The flavor is sweet chocolates, vanilla, light bourbon and molases. The mouthfeel is slightly oily with soft carbonation. Amazingly well crafted, one of the rare times that the bourbon plays nicely with others.