Full Sail Top Sail Imperial Porter Bourbon Barrel Aged

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

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.

Updated Rating 3/14/09: 22 oz. bottle - 2008 vintage; side by side w/ ’09 non-BA version; identical in appearance; bourbon dominates nose - vanilla, oak, cookies, little to no roastiness; soft velvety texture; thin body; lots of bourbon sweetness and mild chocolate; a lovely beer and just as the base beer, a little one dimensional; the barrel has taken a thin beer and made it thinner; bourbon has not faded w/ a year of aging; a tasty and delicate beer; looking forward to 2010 :)

Original Rating 3/25/08 (Overall Rating 4.3): draft @ uber tavern - finally making to seattle and it was certainly worth the wait; syrupy and pitch black with dark brown head around the edges; bourbon shoots out in the aromas, but also a rich mix of oak, roasted malts and coffee; flavors are equally thick and smooth; feels stronger than 9.85% too, so drink slow and savor; just a delicious beer

Finally, 1000! Pours black with a thin tan head. Bourbon vanilla aroma comes jumping out of the glass. Nice medium body with a taste of dark fruit, vanilla and chocolate malt with some hints of the wood barrel. Finishes with a nice woody, vanilla flavor. Excellent beer.

Bottle, thanks to Kan. Shared with Katie, this one shows off the barrel quite nicely. Black center pour with clearer edges and a temporary bubbly beige head. The nose has a strong bourbon tone that is nearly overpowering, but is also well complemented by notes of smoke, vanilla, molasses and brown sugars. Chocolate and roasted malt tones dominate the flavor base, which is immediately followed up by the bourbon and oak. The robust oak wood character is one of my favorites about these types of brew. Finishes syrupy and no signs of oxidation and medium carbonation.

Bomber shared w/ Pete with a cigar on the side. Wasn’t expecting much from this...pleasantly surprised. Flavor starts w/ bourbon oak wrapped caramel malts and vanilla/cocoa combo. Bourbon is very complimentary...you don’t have to search for it, but it isn’t a bully. Finish transitions nicely into a deep, dark chocolate punch...very dark. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, a very nice beer indeed. I like

This poured black in color with a thin brown head that fades away. The nose shows off the bourbon barrel aging along with vanilla, milk chocolate and roasted malt. In the mouth this was well-balanced with a rich concentrated midpalate and fine carbonation. The flavors were similar with creamy vanilla really shining through.

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

From Malt & Vine’s one-year anniversary tasting. Thanks Doug & Lizzie! Oak and Bourbon waft from the glass. It’s dark with a thin expresso bead of foam. Good roasted malt flavor that holds up well with double chocolate cupcakes.