Full Sail Black Gold Imperial Stout Bourbon Barrel Aged

Sample at GABF 2009. Pours a jet black color with tan head. Aroma is sweet and malty with notes of chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, light wood, hints of toffee, ripe dark fruit, just a little smoke. Flavor is about the same. Medium to full body with a light bourbon malt finish.

A Mes rate. Bottle at LCRBM #5.
Very dark brown with an excellent beige head. Big barrelly coconut and vanilla. A huge slew of roasted malt, some nutty accents and the obvious chocolate and coffee. Just a little too much bourbon for me to really get excited but it’s certainly a bloody good beer.

Pours dark, inky in the glass, with a thin tan head, fine lacing. Aroma of bourbon, oak, molasses and chocolate. Medium-full body, smooth, and creamy. Flavors of mocha and strong vanilla, with some bourbon, oak and fruit undertones. Warming, with a lightly dry finish. Surprisingly drinkable.

Pours pitch black and completely opaque even when held to a light source and a two finger creamy dark beige head. Very good retention, slowly fading into a lasting ring and cap. Very oaky bourbon aroma with a lot of roasted chocolate malts. Hints of toffee, roasted coffee bean, toast, licorice, alcohol, dark chocolate, lactic cream and lots of bourbon. Also, a good bit of vanilla from the oak. Chewy viscous mouthfeel with a prominent bourbon alcohol heat up front that is quickly countered by a deep roasted chocolate maltiness. Hints of silky dark chocolate, roasted coffee, toffee, slight lactic cream, licorice, burnt toast, and some earthy oak notes with a good bit of vanilla. Alcohol warmth and bitter hops in the finish. The bourbon is very prominent but doesn’t overpower the other flavors, allowing the complexity of the roasted maltiness to shine through. Delicious and very quaffable. Highly recommended!

Bottle courtesy of Sparky27. Thanks! Pours pitch black with tan head. Aroma is sublime. Vanilla, bourbon, oak, caramel, chocolate. I could smell this forever. Viscous mouthfeel. Flavor follows the nose and is really rich and warming. This is a top notch BA stout. Excellent stuff.

Bomber from my boy Sparky27. Pours very dark brown with one finger tan head. Aroma is heavy with bourbon and vanilla with some roasted malt and chocolate. Flavor is bourbon, vanilla, oak, caramel, and roasted chocolate malts. Solid RIS but aroma is much more pleasant the than flavor. This is a very solid brew but does not stack up against some of the upper echelon BA RIS. Solid brew with no negatives as far as I am concerned.

Tasted at the Seattle Beer Geek Campout 2009. Very boozy. Full body with a long wood, vanilla finish.

Bottle at LCRBM 5 at Kulminator. Bourbon aroma is a bit strong. You know what, I like it. Biscuity in the mouth. It’s got some very good boozyness. But I like the dark fruits and roasted malts.