Great Lakes Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout

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

Big thanks to sliffy for the bottle, #217/900 (2006 vintage). Deep brown with reddish translucent edges, thin-medium cream head. Big, boozy bourbon aroma hiding notes of coffee and chocolate characteristic of the base beer. Bourbon also dominates the body, which is surprisingly thin and boozy, particularly after having just sampled Hoppin Frog BORIS The Crusher IS. The coffee and chocolate notes are subdued. Boozy. Not a Top 50 caliber beer; my rating is generous.

Courtesy jsquire...you’re the best! Pour was a dark black with no head. Aroma of vanilla, alcohol and burnt ash. Taste was like a carbonated sip of Jack Daniels. More alcohol. than anything. Some roasted malt in there. This would have topped the charts had the carbonation been greater (it was flat). After the beer was done there was a strong alcohol sting on my tonsils. Nice but not at where it probably is fresh

2006 Vintage; Bottle #25 of 900...

Date: 4/28/2007
Event: DarkLord Day 2007
Location: Three Floyds Brewing Co. Parking Lot
Serving: 22 oz bottle shared by jsquire. Thank you Jeff for bringing this to share. I appreciate it!

Tasting Notes
Aroma: Roasted malt and some coffee.
Appearance: Near black; not much head.
Flavor: Semi-sweet chocolate flavor with a hint of wood and char. Cocoa-flavored finish with a balancing, unsweetened chocolate-like bitterness. Not very much whisky/bourbon apparent in the flavor. The alcohol is warming but otherwise hidden.
Palate: Medium-full body.
Overall: Another good beer from Great Lakes Brewing Company and a nice Imperial Stout in general. However, I’m not sure that this has been barrel-aged enough. Maybe more time in the barrel would affect the characteristics of this beer more that what is currently apparent. A bottle of regular Blackout Stout aged for a couple years is just as good...

Rating: 8 3 8 4 17 = 4.0
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10/30/2007: Great Lakes Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout is absolutely killer on draught. It is SOOO much better that the bottled version! The aroma and flavor are just permeated with a deep, rich, and complex blend of vanilla, oak, chocolate, creamy bourbon, roasted malt, and a hint of coffee. Damn, it’s good! It goes without saying that this beer is black. It is full-bodied and has an ultra creamy and oh-so-smooth texture.

10 oz draught ($6+tax&tip) at Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland, Ohio. Rating: 9 4 8 5 18 = 4.4
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Composite Rating: 8 4 8 4 18 = 4.2

500th rating. 22 oz bomber, bottle # 349. Pours a cola black with a small beige head. Aroma of whiskey/bourbon, oak, and faint chocolate. Taste is dominated by mild whiskey/bourbon flavor, oak and chocolate malts. Excellent. In between Bourbon County Stout, Oak Aged Yeti and Kentucky Bourbon Stout as far as BA stouts go.

Bottle 324. Thanx to Marsiblursi. Almost black colour. Pretty low head. Wonderful, whiskey/bourbon-like milk-chocolatey aroma, with cocoa and licorice in the background. A pleasant alcohol scent contributes here I must say. Smooth mouthfeel with chocolate most prominent, then comes chocolate and menthol. Soft cocoa finish, where alcohol thankfully is one of the things that makes this a grat beer. Not very big mouthfeel, pretty light on its feet but a stunning, long finish.

(Bottle, thanks to moejuck) Pours dark brown to black. Roasted malt and bourbon aroma with tones of coconut and vanilla. Also some chocolate, cocoa, caramel, some alcohol warmth and some small hints of liquorice. Roasted, liquorice and chocolate flavour with some coffee coming through in the end. Pretty salty and some wood in the background. Clean, light thick and round mouthfeel. Light alcoholy and light bitter. Medium to full body. A good not to overpowering US Imp.

22oz Bottle. Rambling aroma of thinning nuts, fire and marshmallow. Coffees come forth, but fade quickly. Subdued and absent. Pours deep brown with ruby corners and a rim of tan. Light carbonation. A machismo of coffee rubs against the grain of background wood and toothy sugars. Chewiness absent. Bright and nostril burning. Fairly dry and not overly heavy. Nutty dry. Smack excells in this beer with a never ending carousel of left over coffee tannins, chocolate dust, chipotle and edges of earth. Thanks for sharing, Andy!

Consumed at Dark Lord Day 2007. I believe OhioDad was responsible for my opportunity to sample this elusive brew. Very Dark Lordish in aroma. Mostly opaque body. Caramelly. Not quite Dark Lord, but close.