Full Sail Black Gold Imperial Stout Bourbon Barrel Aged

Brewed by Full Sail Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Hood River, Oregon USA

I asked the guy at Bottleworks, "what do you got that will change my life?" Without hesitation he pointed to the Black Gold. "This." he said, with ultimate conviction. If anything, it was an understatement. Simply the finest beer I’ve ever enjoyed. A few months after this was released, asking any serious beer seller if they had any stock would get you laughed at openly. I hear they have brewed it again for this coming winter, but it would be shocking if they manage to replicate this one. I have to give props to Full Sail, which used to be a fairly mediocre brewery but has put out some very solid beers of late.

Pours dark enough but with a weak head. All I get is a small pancake. Strong whiskey on the nose with some dark malts. Medium to full nectar weight with lean residual effers. This has a strong dialect in it’s pronunciation when describing the Bourbon essence. Obvious Bourbon mingles with the brew beautifully. You really have to like the spirit on this one. I feel it does well in it’s expose and surely deserves a slot among the elite for this genre. The finish is lengthy. Classic.

On tap at Uber. Pours black with a thin beige head. Huge nose of chocolate, toffee, whiskey, and oak. Initial whiskey taste fades to a roasty oatmeal maltiness. Some oak, especially in the finish. Mouthfeel is thick and amazing. So I loved this. Later I had a bottle and it wasn’t nearly as impressive- huge alcohol and bitterness overwhelmed everything else. I’ll think about this. I have a couple more bottles hanging around.

Thanks to Degarth for providing this one. Poured black with no head and a tan lacing around the rim of the glass. Aroma was chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, roasted notes, and some more bourbon. Flavor was unbelievable! Exquisite smooth chocolate, coconut, bourbon, and some roasted notes. The chocolate bourbon combination was done to perfection. Ungodly mouthfeel, like silk was massaging my tongue. Milky creamy feel as well. The flavors and the texture were just dominating.

Bottle split with jimbowood. Pours jet black with thick motor oil thickness. Aroma of bourbon, oak, and vanilla. Taste is nice mixture of bourbon, vanilla, coconut, and chocolate. Thick mouthfeel. Definitely a sipper. Very smooth. This brew is outstanding.

My absolute favorite beer at GABF this year, the perfect balance of Imperial Stout with Bourbon, not too sweet, not too bourbony. By far the best balanced Bourbon-barrel aged offering at the show. I was validated when it took 2nd place.

Bottle... This beer rocks!... Just when I thought I was completely "bourbon-barrel-imperial-stouted-out," this stuff comes along and blows me away! Pours pitch black with a small, creamy, beige head. Excellent retention. The aroma is a whirlpool of chocolate, sour mash, vanilla and oak which creates a wonderful coconut-like fragrance. Each sip offers deep, complex flavors of vanilla, caramel, bourbon and milk chocolate with an undercurrent of all things burnt, bitter and tangy. Alcohol is evident, but not overpowering. Full-bodied and chewy with lively carbonation. Another world class effort from the folks at Full Sail! Thanks go out to CaptainCougar for the bottle!

So great!!!!!!! Frothy head with strong nose, dark color. Somewhat thinner than expected. I could have drank this all night. Smooth bourbon roasteyness on the tongue lingering inthe finish.