Great Lakes Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout

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

2006 vintage # 563/900 with a huge thanks to holdenn. Pours opaque brown, nearly black with a nice, thick, reddish khaki head. Aroma of milk and slightly bitter chocolate, tart grape skin, wet leather, wood, vanilla, and alcohol. Flavor has a surprising strong note of alcohol. Along with that there’s plenty of chocolate (cocoa), roasted malt, dry wood and vanilla. Medium to full bodied. There’s a lingering fusel alcohol presence throughout the beer that distracts from the overall flavor and aroma. Personally, I liked the non BA version of this beer better. A little thicker on the tongue and tone down the alcohol notes would do wonders for the beer.

Courtesy mgumby10. The body is a deep, dark mahogany to virtually black color. A small, frothy, bubbly, cream colored head leaves behind minimal amounts of sudsy lacing. The aroma shows big, malty notes of bourbon kissed chocolate, cocoa, and caramel. It smells like a decadent dessert that I dreamed up once. Spicy oak and vanilla are also present, indicating a level of refinement and complexity. The flavor follows suit, with rich, luxurious malty notes blending perfectly with the bourbon element. Medium-full, ultra-smooth mouthfeel. I pretty much love most things that are bourbon barrel aged, but this one is just exceptional. A solid improvement on an excellent base beer. Awesome brew.

Bomber. Deep dark black in color with a thick off white head. Malty oak roasty aroma. Caramel notes. Roasty chocolatety flavor. Finish is sweet. Full bodied. Well balanced. Very enjoyable.

Well, I see notes to the side mentioning oak and if this isn’t bourbon oak, I would be astonished as the vanilla fairly leeps fotrth. Nice, rich and by rich I mean sweet. Nice, roasty and good, but not my absolute fave in the steel cage/death match for top BA stout. again, thanks to the NOTY man.

22. "2516 series," whatever that means--I am pretty sure this is Batch 2. Thanks, Boboski! Pours black with a thick, moussy tan head that falls quickly away to a thin sheet. Humongous fruity and very boozy nose that smells like it’s just shot through with CO2. Smells like rubbing alcohol--almost overwhelming. Caramel, vanilla, and raw wood on the nose. Creamy body that’s on the high side of medium. Chocolate, prunes, and a black cherry note on the mid-palate. Long boozy finish. Really tough to believe this is only 9%.

Bomber, courtesy after4ever. Pours opaque black with a thin tan head. Huge molasses aroma, I can pick it up before the beer gets anywhere near my nose. Then I pick up the brown sugar, chocolate, oak and alcohol. Some licorice and vanilla in the taste, but the alcohol stomps on the flavor. Full body and light carbonation. Hot and boozy finish. I liked the regular version a lot better. In truth, this doesn’t seem like the same beer.

Wow i lost this beer in November and it reapeared in December thanx to Gumby.Big black as coal pour with a small khaki head.Coffee, chocolate and wood on the nose.Flavor is chocolate, woddy and vanilla with a small warming.

Bomber. Great aroma and the mouthfeel is silky smooth. Flavors of typical imperial stout. The vanilla from the barrels is very subtle, which is a welcome change.