Great Lakes Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout

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

Bottle #244. I finally got it the most sought after beer from my hometown brewery, thanks to my boy Konrad. Obvious pitch black pour and a quickly diminshed brown head. Aroma is strong with the bourbon just a blast to your face with it, some oak and maybe even vanilla. Flavor is strong bourbon at first that takes a few sips to get your tongue ready for the other flavors, I got a lot of coconut as it warmed and vanilla along with oak. The regular blackout stout flavors really are mellowed by how potent the bourbon is I get dark chocolate, dark fruits, lots of hops, but not as much coffee that I knew from the regular version it’s there but less these "new" flavors really take it over completely being sweet bourbon alcohol, coconut, oak, chocolate, vanilla, and hops. Not bad a little too much on the sweet side and the bourbon may have been too potent for my liking but still a cool ass beer and I’m glad I finally got it.

Bottle. Nose-buttery, butterscotch. Body-opaque with a medium ring of bubbles and a thin film of bubbles. Taste-butterscotch, buttery, watered down bourbon, prickly perfect CO2, perfect low key sweetness, light chocolate powder, vanilla, grape, light fig and raisin, alcohol. Does a great job of keeping all the intense flavors like dark fruits, sweetness, and alcohol in check. A very well done beer in an overexposed style. Thanks Keivn. Bottle 854/900.

Pours out a deep black color with a nice brown head. Aroma is very malty with alot of coffee and a nice touch of bourbon. Flavor is semi sweet choco, coffee with a nice oaky bourbon finish. Over all this is a great brew!

Shared by our good buddy Odeed; Vintage 2006 Bottle #229/900; Nose of Vanilla, bourbon, woody oak, and chocolate; opaque black with a tiny tan head; flavor of a lot of bourbon, with a nice bit of chocolate trying to come out and show itself but it had a hard time with the alcohol, which lasted to the finish where I also detected a tiny bit of hops.

Thanks to Odeed for sharing. Black body with no head. Aroma is oatmeal, whiskey, mollases, coffee, and some light banana. Taste is heavy oak, whiskey, chocolate and cappucino.

Thanks to Pailhead and the columbus crew! Dark brown to black nice brown head Amazing notes of oak, coffee, coffee and vanilla. Flavor was extremely well rounded Huge roast malt with oak chocolate and vanilla .Not to overpowering bourbon flavor. I am very impressed ...

Milwaukee YeHA! 2006

Thanks to Blake (1FastSti) for popping this one. I have wanting it for a while and it did not disappoint. It is the best example of a barrel aged imperial stout that I’ve had but it is definitely in my personal Top 50 and should stay for quite a while. This is one that everyone should get a chance to try, so if you know someone who has it make them your friend.

Aroma / Appearance - Oak, coffee, malt and charcoal form a sweet malty nose. It is very balanced and while not the most complex imperial stout, it is focused in what it presents. The body is deep black with no head and only a trace amount of lacing. I was expecting a little more but it was still a beauty to behold.

Flavor / Palate - Smoke, malt, expresso and chocolate greet the senses first. After that, the sensation of raisins, anise and licorice unfurl over the taste buds. The finish is smoky and a little hot, but I could still finish off a bomber of this on my own. If anyone wonders if I can do it, just send me one in the mail.

Bomber, #186 of 900 (2006 vintage) courtesy of Sliffy - you, sir, are the MAN! Deep brown, almost black, with a thin brown head. Burnt chocolate, woody smoke and a mild tobacco note. Flavor is chocolate, mild smoke, more tobacco, and a roasty coffee tinge. Silky smooth mouthfeel. The finish takes the mouth over with kid gloves, encompassing it in velvety roasty chocolate. Simply awesome!