Great Lakes Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout

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

Bottle #60/900-2006 thanks to Martin Engelsmann. A black beer with a small brown head, good looking beer. The aroma is of wood, vanilla, bourbon, coconut, chocolate and a hint of coffee. The taste is sweet vanilla wood, bourbon, chocolate, a bit roasted not much. Medium to full body with a vanilla and alcohol finish.

2006, #114 of 900. Dark brown pour, quickly diminishing tan head with a white rim, adequate lacing. Aroma is of chocolate syrup, fiery bourbon, powdered sugar, strong alcohol that doesn’t hinder the aromatics, works well, with sizeable roastiness. Definitely one to ponder over, with hints of chocolate cake on the back end. Enters the mouth stunningly thick. Mellow, ultra smooth chocolate malts, much lessroast initially than the aroma eludes to. There is a strong tannic bite on my cheeks as well. White chocolate in the finish, along with a little vanilla, presumably from the bourbon soaked wood. The alcohol in the nose, body and taste intensifies signifigantly every degree the libation warms. Not a world class stout...I think, in fact, I prefer the regular version of this beer a great deal more. Very, very good nonetheless.

Huge thanks to Ohiodad for setting this aside for me. Bourbon, vanilla, oak, light pineapple, chocolate and essresso all appear in this very intense aroma. The body is deep black and holds a diminishing, wispy mocha head. <P> Smooth roasted dark chocolate int he fore is followed by a heavy bourbon blast which then rolls toward vanilla, roasted/burnt malt and milk chocolate flakes and creamed coffee. It almost seems less intense than the original as far as the base flavor, but barrel aging can sometimes alter beers in odd ways. I’d actually say i like this version a bit better than the original.

Bomber courtesy of Styles!!! Thanks! Bottle 615 of 900. Pitch black, with a beige head which quickly disappeared. Smells like a shot of whiskey, with a touch of coffee dripped on the top. Very smooth, too smooth. Good solid malts, but i think it could have used more hops. As much as i like my impys smooth, this just needed a little more bite to it, past the whisky, coffee and chocholate favors. Definetly somethin special, but overall had higher expectations.

2006 bottle shared with puzzl. Pours pitch black with no head or carbonation to speak of. Aroma is surprisingly subtle of chocolate and a little bitter espresso. Flavor is similar but with some oak and much more bourban showing through. Slightly metallic. Body is a little thin and flavor is not overly complex, but at least the bourban is not overpowering like in many bourban barrel aged beers.

2006 Bottle from RagallachMC, #255 of 900, shared with Lukin. Strong bourbon aroma is actually somewhat restrained, balanced, not outrageous as many of these become. Lots of vanilla and oak, underlying milk chocolate. Pour is almost completely flat, with only the smallest ring of head. Doesn’t taste undercarbonated, though. Slightly oxidized and metallic, though. Smooth bourbon flavor; not fabulous, honestly, and lacking in complexity, or the "bigness" expected in typical high-ranking imperial stouts. Palate is also a touch thin and boozy. Not the hugeness I was expecting, unfortunately.

22 oz bottle from my secret santa! #571 of 900 in 2006, and with a vigorous pour the black liquid finally surrenders a little bit of tan head which stays more like an oil slick on the surface than any real foam or bubbles. bourbon, roasted barley, some coffeelike and anise aromas, without a major sweet or bitter presence. a typical aroma for a barrel aged stout -- good, but typical. sweeter in taste than smell, with a ton of malt eventually overtaking the burnt notes in the forefront. some astringency in the finish but hardly acidic or bitter, nor really sweet - probably a character of the alcohol (from either the original beer or the barrel) but with that tingle aside, the rest of the finish is smooth and balanced.

From bomber, enjoyed with Immy. Pours a dark brown/black with a coffee ring around the edge. Nose is burnt liquorish, smoke, bourbon. Flavor follows and is overpowering. More bourbon, smoke dark overripe fruits, vinous, all pound the tongue as does a bitterness throughout. Finish has smooth woods notes. Palate is smooth. Wow, quite a ride.