Estes Park 10th Anniversary Bourbon Stout

Brewed by Estes Park Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Estes Park, Colorado USA

Cleveland Locals Gathering. Thanks to Drew for sharing! Motor oil black body with a reddish colored bubbley head. Well balanced aromas of wood, whiskey, coffee, sweet carmel malts, and roast. Not overly full on the tounge, but very pleasant flavors of vanilla, wood, bourbon, roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate. Pretty well done barrel aged beer. I actually enjoyed this more than most other barrel aged jobs that are rated much higher.

Black. Aroma of Tennesse whiskey (charcoal, bourbon), charred fruit, deeply roasted malts, wood and chocolate. Simple, watery texture and fairly light in body as well, definately suffering from a lack of carbonation. Light malty taste (chocolate, roast), match well with the bourbon barrel contribution (vanilla, oak, bourbon). A simplistic example overall, but the aroma was surprisingly appealing to me. An enjoyable brew.

I bought this bottle in late June, 2004 when I visited the brewery on our Colorado camping excursion. I figured it was rare enough that I should share with my local rating friends. I hate these wax topped bottles - I always manage to injure myself. Anyawy - poured pitch black, very little head, slinky clear lacing. Aroma was malty, smoke and bourbon. I thought the body was exceedingly smooth like silk, full flavored, but not real thick. Some sweet chocolate, but more roasty and surrounded with the bourbon, this was moderately hoppy too, especially at the end. (Cleveland Rater Gathering, 2/2005)

Bottle. Virtually no head. Body is black (nearly opaque, flashlight tested). Aroma is moderately malty (molasses, roasted/burnt grain, chocolate), with notes of whisky/bourbon (alcohol, corn mash, etc.), wood. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Medium body, watery/syrupy texture, soft carbonation, lightly alcoholic. A simple, somewhat raw/crude rendition (kinda like beginner homebrew), but the aroma is pleasant enough. Not too bad for this brewery, but still not really comparable to serious versions. Thin, watery and bland, unfulfilling.

Dark with a rapidly vanishing head. Sadly enough, we’re now to a point in beer where I can say "it just smells like a bourbon stout" and everyone should pretty much know what that means. Some bourbon, raisin, and vanilla, cola sweet. The bourbon aftertaste lasts forever. Too flat, needs carbonation.

Black as night with brown edges; no head. Slight bourbon nose. Syrupy texture with very little carbonation. Rather sweet malts, with elements of molasses and chocolate. Soft whiskey notes throughout. Woody notes as well, along with a little sourness (milky). Not bad at all, but I would’ve liked to see a little more carbonation and a little more bitterness to balance things out.

Almost no head with some light orange at the edges. Body is very black as expected. The aroma is bourbon, vanilla and oak. The barrel aging is overpowering. The taste has vanilla, cinnamon and dirt. An interesting tint of shredded wheat. Low carbonation. A thin mouthfeel. Thanks for sharing, hey_kevin.

Bottle, purchased at the brewery in 6/2004. Lightly cheesy aroma, some milky notes, touch of bourbon. Flattish, bourbon doesn’t blend with the stout part of the beer. Weird apple note and cola. This really isn’t very enjoyable at all. Doesn’t taste like it would have been a very good imperial stout to begin with, and was very likely made worse with barrel aging.