Great Lakes Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout

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

Not the best bourbon barrel-aged stout ever to flow from a tap but a why split hairs...this is every bit as good as tiramisu and sex. GLBC has avoided the liquid sugar, vanillin overload of lesser bourbon-aged brews, so the decadent range of coffee, wood, chocolate, toffee, pecan, molasses, and manna all peak through nicely. (And to think that when I left Oregon for Ohio I was sure my relationship with beer was coming to an end!) Thanks Great Lakes!

22oz. bomber thanks to Jhop. Deep black color with a small tan head. Aroma of dark roasted malts, char, oak, vanilla and molasses. Flavor is quite sweet, with rich roasted malts up front. A bit of smoke, along with the oak and vanilla come next. The finish is somewhat tart and vinous, with lots of molasses and a hint of coffee. Really good, but was hoping to be blown away. I always hate when I get my hopes up high to try a new beer because they usually fall somewhat short of expectations.

Poured black with a brown head. Somewhat subdued aroma of coffee, chocolate, and some hops. Flavor is very sweet honey bread, chocolate, coffee... I can’t really taste the bourbon influence here. Flavor is strong and pronounced, but still a bit too sweet to push this one over the top for me.

On tap at the brewery. Black. Very fine light brown head stays throughout the snifter, leaving some lacing. Nose is a whiff of alcohol, followed by coffee, dark chocolate, caramel, and a touch of ash over rich, brown bready malt. The bourbon influence is thankfully pretty restrained, and well-integrated. Medium full in the mouth. Really mouthfilling stuff. Malt, malt, malt. Chocolate, bready, and yeasty. Touch of bitterness to balance. Again, the bourbon influence is quite subdued - there’s a touch more caramelly sweetness, and a hint of bourbon flavor. Well done, but I believe I prefer the regular version. Mouthfeel is bit more highly carbonated than I’d prefer. It seems to work against the body of the beer rather than with it. Quite drinkable for what it is, but the snifter was more than enough for me. Kudos to Great Lakes for not going over-the-top with the wood or bourbon flavors.

Thanks to TPaliga for this one. Was very excited to try this and disappointed after. Had high hopes that didn;t hold up, would love to try again and see how it developes. Deep black color, huge bourbon aroma with oak and hints of vanilla. Thin on the palate (from the barrel) and overall not bad, but nothing special. I usually love BAB’s but this one didn’t do it for me.

Rating #300! Bottle #119. Pours a thick pitch black color with a tan ring of a head ....from the brown surface rises so easily an absolutely wonderfully strong aroma ... rasins, prunes, roast, bourbon, lots of dark fruit, sugar, toffee, lots of carmel, and cookies. Smooth and full bodied coffee roast, bourbon, toffee, rich milk chocolate. I don’t find the bourbon overpowering but balanced pretty well for its still relative young age. I notice the bourbon the most in the finish with a little warmth in the back of my throat. This tastes so much better than its tapping, a damn fine beer. 10/4/9/4/18 =4.5

Thanks to Santa. Black, thin tan head. Nose is burbon, chocolate, vanilla, milk. Lots of booze. Flavor is burbon, vanilla, alcohol, bitter cherry, wood. Nice but like most BA beers this showcases what used to be in the barrel rather than the base beer.

22oz 06 bottle #119/900. big thanks to holdenn for the sample. pours pitch black with small tan head around the rim. aroma of raisons, burnt currants, smoke, candied dark fruits, and bourbon (but not overdone). flavor is burnt coffee, caramelized dark fruits, semi-sweet chocolate, vanilla, big hot bourbon and plum finish. mouthfeel is too thin. alcohol burn on the palate. i got used to the big bourbon and alcohol bite to this after 3ounces (makes sense). this just doesn’t seem complex enough to be a top20, but damn this beer grows on me as a drink it and begin to crave another sip.