Full Sail Top Sail Imperial Porter Bourbon Barrel Aged

Formerly brewed at Full Sail Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Hood River, Oregon USA

Pours a dark brown/black. Not too much head. Aroma is a oaky bourbon. Some sweetness coming through. Flavor is heavy woody bourbon and roasted malt. Finish is fairly clean with a lingering sweetness. Nice beer.

Bottle Merritt Island Throwdown. Looks like espresso: gorgeous. Aromas of coffee, licorice, and bourbon. Satiny silken palate. Solid clean coffee flavors. Excellent beer.

Courtesy mcbackus. Pours jet black, with a small swirly off white head. Smells of smooth caramel and sweet bourbon, with a lot of vanilla, and a touch ofchocolate. The flavor has a good dose of bourbon, but blends quite nicely with the roasty chocolate characters that make up its body. Really smooth finish for the pretty big abv. I really enjoyed this one.

22 ounce bottle from BeerandBlues2. Pours opaque black with a a little bit of tan head. What a nose. I get fresh chocolate fudge brownies with a thick layer of chocolate frosting. The oak and bourbon is a compliment here. The flavor has a little bit more booze to it, but not overwhelming. My brownies are still there as well. Medium/full body. Silky. Warm bitter finish. The heat gets more aggressive as it warms, but when doesn’t it. I like it.

Bottle... GIABMISGFAB... This beer rocks!... Pours pitch black with a small, fat bubbled, lightly tanned head. Much like barrel aged Speedway Stout, I’m picking up big notes of chocolate, vanilla and coconut. Full-bodied and milky with fizzy carbonation. Chocolaty, bourbony and bitter. Finishes fairly hot and chocolaty. Thanks go out to mcbackus or DragonStout... whoever brought this bad boy along to share!

22oz. bottle, 2008 vintage. Aroma consists of a good deal of bourbon and vanilla, along with some dark chocolate and massive alcohol, background traits include dark chocolate and hints of espresso. Opaque ebony color, head forms a slight ring of dark tan foam. Flavor is rife with hot bourbon from start to finish, this overriding much of the character that I’d guess was originally present, still managing to show some hints of dark chocolate, vanilla, earth, wood and a bit of cherry. Smooth and low in effervescence, a tad syrupy, body is certainly plenty full. This has too much bourbon. Maybe a few years in the cellar would help to mellow out and integrate things a little. Thanks to mreusch for the chance to try it, though!

Courtesy of Dragonstout. Pours a dark brown with a thin reddish head. Aroma is mostly cocoa. Tastes of chocolate, coffee, burnt caramel, little candied sugar. Finishes with a slight vinous flavor. Palate is smooth and creamy, and finishes clean.

Merritt Island Throwdown ’08: Bottle, courtesy dragonstout. Pours a big dark brown, with red highlights. A thin braid of lacing remains on the glass following the drainage of the beer. Chocolate aroma is nice, with caramel and cotton candy. Some brown sugar, too. Flavor is pure chocolate, and delicious. Rich cocoa, with some slight caramel. Medium-bodied, nice aftertaste of vanilla. Easy to drink, and alcohol is fairly well hidden.