Full Sail Top Sail Imperial Porter Bourbon Barrel Aged

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

My bottle (22oz) shared with HogTownHarry, garthicus, GregClow, tupalev & jerc -- courtesy of TheEpeeist. 2008 vintage. Pours a very dark brown with a large diminishing frothy light-brown head. Aroma of roasted malt, nuts, dark fruit, cream, alcohol, vanilla and wood. Flavour of roasted malt, dark fruit, bourbon, coffee and dark chocolate. Dry, bitter finish. Average to medium bodied. Nice to see the barrel-aged aspect of the beer not too over the top, this was very good.

22-oz bottle purchased at Liquor Max in Loveland, CO. Pours opaque with a small, fizzy, dark brown head, somewhat diminishing with a very thin film left behind, fair lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (cookie, caramel, toast), average hops (perfume), average yeast (leather) with notes of prunes, dates, figs, raisins, bourbon, and chocolate. Full bodied, creamy texture, average carbonation, and a bitter-chalky finish with a slight alcohol burn. Long duration, moderate sweetness, acidity, and bitterness. This one should age quiet well.

Bottle opened at the Harlequin, Sheffield, on the RateBeer Valley of Beer Crawl ’08. Black with a small beige head. Sweet dark fruit aroma. A little bit too much fizz, but a wonderful sweet, ashy taste and a mid bitter finish. Many thanks to the kind purveyor of this delectable beer.

Bonus Bomber from OldMr.Crow. Full Sail and me once got along but we don’t anymore. So I’m curious about how good this might actually be. Pours black with a light brown head. Nose is oaky with bourbon. Taste is sweet and chocolaty and overall decent.

OMG this is an amazing beer. Black pour with a brownish head. Aroma is chocolate and a hint of bourbon...flavor is ALL chocolate and bourbon...oh my oh my oh my what a beer...wow. seriously amazing. I need more of this and NOW!!!!!!!

Bourbon aroma. Too much bourbon with burnt malt. Medium palate. I don’t like the overwhelming bourbon in this beer at all. It is nearly undrinkable.

2008 bottle thanks to Americanbrew. Pours with a tan head and a black body. Aroma of wet wood, chocolate, fig, oak and vanilla. Taste is fig, tobacco, wet wood, chocolate and barrel. A touch thin on the mouth with a rich finish. Light bubbles.

In short: A very good porter despite its extra-strong Bourbon Barrel character.
How: Bottle 22oz. Many bottles from many sources, this one from kmweaver, thanks a lot ken. Consumed when about 8 months old.
The look: Black body topped by a small tan head
In long: Bourbon barrel dominates the nose. Taste blends black chocolate, vanilla, bourbon barrels, black jelly beans. Medium roastiness. As it is the case with many bourbon barrel beers the barrels tend to slim out the body and make the alcohol apparent. Body is a by slimy with a slight tar sensation. Hops are very discreet, once again a typical characteristic barrel aged beers. I usually prefer the barrel integration to be a bit more subtle but this brew turned out to be pretty darn good. I liked it a lot even if I wouldn’t drink 6 bottles of it in a row, I’d drink this beer until she’s cute but I’d stop before the wedding.