Great Lakes Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout

Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Cleveland, Ohio USA

I guess this is my first rating here but anything but my first Great Lakes beer! I took the day off to stop down at trhe brewery and pick up my daily allotment of the BABOS - I only hope there’s more left tomorrow (they said they expect a bit left, but everything should be gone by 12:00 noon 10/17). I could use an extra 6 bottles - even at $14 a piece. I got my bottles then stopped in the pub. Had a 10oz snifter of $6. That’s what I’m reviewing here: Smells great - nice interplay between the bourbon, oak and stout itself. I don’t smell any cookie dough, but I smell a nice blend of hearty vapors. Looks amazing - perhaps a little lighter than the normal Blackout, especialy where the beer meets the glass - almost like there’s a sweet ring of burbon around the beer. Tastes like heaven. Some vanilla, bourbon, oak, sugarcane, then hearty stout flavors - coffee, tobacco, chocolate. This is the best Great Lakes beer and I’m happy to review the best beer ever made in Cleveland for my first on Ratebeer. Love it - seek this out if you’re a fan of big stouts! I’m setting aside a bottle for a future vertical tasting! Cheers!

Bottle from Secreta Santa. Just a touch lighter as the regular Blackout Stout. Raisin, malt and a hint of oak in the aroma. Oaky, raisinny, alcoholic flavor with roast, plums, blackcurrant. Some earthy hops and oak in tthe finish. The barrel aging indeed adds warmth and depth to the beer. Very well balanced.

Bottle: Finally decided to crack this with my boys...pour was black as night, no head. Vanilla-oak and chocolate are massive, some toasted malts/biscuit notes present along with some brown sugar and finishing with a resounding bourbon bang. The bourbon in this is so perfectly integrated compared to some of these BBA brews. Ridiculously balanced...perfect body. Flavors were everything mentioned above...not much else to say other than this is damn near perfection.

I finally found this at a Binny’s in Chicago. A black pour, with a thin, light brown colored head. Smells of oaky vanilla goodness with a hint of coffee. Very drinkable, medium body and tastes of sweet roasty coffee. A pleasant, beautiful and balanced brew.

Scored this bomber in a trade with ogglethorp. Thanks Brian! Pours a thick, opaque, oily black with a slightly beige spitty head. Mild aroma that doesn’t really indicate what’s inside. You have to get your nose right in the open part of the glass to get vanilla, crackers, cookie dough, bourbon, corn, sour mash whiskey, wood and a little coffee. Well rounded flavor that has some strong sweetness to accompany the distinct booziness. Flavors of vanilla, caramel, wood, bourbon whiskey, chocolate, coffee and brown sugar. A bit of heat in the throat, sweetness lasts in the mouth, thick and oily on the tongue. Crazy to say, but this is a mild barrel aged imperial stout, but delicious none the less and surprisingly drinkable.

Black in colour with a thin quickly dissipating tan coloured head, very light lacing. The aroma is of alcohol, quite sweet, some bourbon, wood, sugar and roast. The flavour is of light bourbon/alcohol, vanilla, quite sweet, lots of sugar, some roast and dark chocolate. Warming mouthfeel, medium/large body, medium carbonation. Finishes long with some alcohol warmth, fairly smooth.

Coming into this I thought that it would be an alcoholic mess with bourbon domination but it turns out that’s not the case. Rather enjoyable.

650ml bottle obtained in a trade with footbalm, thanks Eric.
Opened on February 25, 2008
Vintage 2006, Bottle #845/900.

22 oz bottle, 2006. Dark brown with some brief, tan froth. Nose is dusty brown sugar, dark chocolate and wood. Milky body with a few bubbles and a tang. Taste is coffee, prune juice and Baker’s chocolate. Dries with bitter greens and residual alcohol. Lots of depth and complexity but a bit too over-roasted for my taste.

Bottled at Petalax Beer Festival. Transparently black with brief beige head. Strong oaky vanilla aroma with licorice behind. Sweet and near full bodied. Restrained and reasonably balanced. There’s licorice, vanilla and oak with syrup underneath. Flavourful, extrovert and really good, but Great Lakes is one of those brewers that can do more subtle beer really, really good I still prefer some of their lesser heralded beers.