Full Sail Top Sail Imperial Porter Bourbon Barrel Aged

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

Tap at Uber.

Pours deep black with a nice fine tan head. Nose is dominated by the characteristic bourbon vanillas that mark the BA Black Gold; flavor as well, with powerful bourbon character this comes through dry and almost chalky, serious mouth-drying woodiness on top of some high ABV head. Fairly mellow roastiness considering the style, not a burnt-coffee porter or anything of the sort, just an adequate dark-malt backdrop to show off the BA character.

It’s very drinkable, certainly enjoyable, but somehow lacks the depth that would be required to put it into the top echelon of BA imperial stouts and porters.

22oz bottle courtesy of iowaherkeye poured into a snifter. Pours almost black with only hints of mahogany through the edges. The head is tan, creamy and fairly short-lived, leaving a nice ring with some random bubbles on top and sparse lacing. The aroma is dominated by the vanilla sweetness and bourbon up front. There is also some chocolate and sweet dark fruits with a hint of roasted coffee hidden behind the sweetness. The taste is also very sweet up front with lots of chocolate, vanilla and dark fruits. The bourbon is more subtle in the taste than in the aroma with a slightly boozy finish. The porter comes out a little more and it’s pretty tasty. The mouthfeel is very, very smooth with some soft carbonation and the barrel character is very evident. This is a very interesting porter with an overpowering bourbon nose that tones down in the taste and lets the porter come out.

(22 oz. bottle (2008) via trade with pantanap, thanks Kan!) Chocolate, bourbon and alcohol...Pours very dark brown with a thin tan head. Aroma of dark sweet chocolate, dark stewed fruits, bourbon, molasses and wood . Mouthfeel is fairly smooth and fairly soft, a bit milk-shakey. Lightly fizzy. Nicer palate than the non-BA version. Light dabs and a light syrupy film comprise the lacing. Flavor of dark semi-bitter chocolate, lightly burnt in the fore followed by lots of bourbon and lots of ABV presence. Other notes of wood, vanilla, coffee roast and stewed fruits. Kind of heavy-handed and not a real easy-drinker but better than the regular Imp Porter.

Bottle generously donated to csbosox’s tasting (3/7/08) by an absentee mreusch. Thanks a ton, Matt! This was one of the highlights of the night, for me. It pours black with a creamy, tan head that diminishes to a ring around the edge of the glass; nice legs. On the nose are: bourbon, vanilla, dark roasted malt and light chocolate. Medium to full-bodied and creamy, it is silky-soft with a dry roasted finish. The flavor is of bourbon, light vanilla, wood, chocolate and dark malt. This is one tasty and very satisfying brew. If you can get your hands on a bottle, don’t hesitate to do so.

A - high alcohol aroma of the bourbon. some dark roast notes as well. Pour is inky black with an eager tan head that melts down and leaves some clingy lacing. taste is dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla and more of the bourbon whiskey feeling.

Luscious chocolate nose, with hints of vanilla, oak a light bit of bourbon and cocoa. Rich creamy chocolate bar palate, with nuggets of toffee and nougat. This is like drinking a liquid candy bar. Loads of dark chocolate, without being overpowering, a bit of heat from the alcohol that has a bit of soda syrup sweetness. Delicious, if only all porters could be this good.

Dark as night, with a good sized brown head. Nose of bourbon, chocolate, wood and hints of vanilla. Flavor it big and bold with the bourbon, then has hints of chocolate, oak, some spice with vanilla. Really nice mouthfeel to it, with a nice hint of alcohol.

22oz bottle. Pours a very dark brown/black color with a very thin, light brown head. Smells of vanilla and some wood and alcohol. The tastes changes for the better as the brew warms, so know that. Tastes of vanilla and wood in the front and then bourbon and alcohol on the finish. Good complexity, the best Impi Porter I’ve had, but I think I’ve had two total. Thin to medium body nice smooth carbonation.