Great Lakes Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout

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

This beer is so black, that it blacks out the light source behind it, and it is topped by a dark brown head. The aroma is roasted with notes of wood, bourbon, alcohol, and caramel. The flavor is sweet with notes of chocolate, wood and bourbon, as well as lighter notes of vanilla. The alcohol burns in the end. This is one heck of a beer. Thanks to Jsquire for bringing this to sample at the RBSG 2006.

(Bottle 65 cl) Courtesy of CaptainCougar. Pours a hazy, opaque black with a small, light brown head. Sweet aroma of oak, vanilla and bourbon. Medium-bodied, sweetish, roasted malt and very distinct bourbon notes. Subdued bitterness. A beer that satisfies those of us who love intense bourbon notes. 070907

Blind tasting at sk8vikings porter / stout tasting, beer no 23. Pours dark brown/black with rim from the brown head. Slight raisin and roasted malt flavour. Sweet malty with raisin note. Somewhat old in flavour, aged, dry going into a sweet note, woody. Raisin note, chocolate note and malty finish, quite complex finish.

Bottled at Petalax Beer Festival. Transparently black with brief beige head. Strong oaky vanilla aroma with licorice behind. Sweet and near full bodied. Restrained and reasonably balanced. There’s licorice, vanilla and oak with syrup underneath. Flavourful, extrovert and really good, but Great Lakes is one of those brewers that can do more subtle beer really, really good I still prefer some of their lesser heralded beers.

Bottle. [ Courtesy of drewbeerme ] Clear dark black color with a average, frothy, fair lacing, mostly diminishing, beige head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, roasted, dark chocolate, coffee, licorice. Flavor is moderate to light heavy sweet and moderate bitter with a long duration. Body is medium to full, texture is creamy, carbonation is flat. ;o)) (271007)

Bottled. Pitch black colour, mediumsized beigeish brown creamy and lasting head. Aroma is smoothly roasted malts, some wooden notes, licorice as well as mild coffee, chocolate and licorice. Flavour is roasted malts, licorice, vanilla and wood along with some caramel, chocolate and coffee. Aftertaste is vanilla, wood, coffee and some mild notes of roasted malts. Hides the alcohol quite well, and is wellbalanced.

Bottle. Black coloured with a small beige ehad. Roasted aroma of wood, chocolate, vanilla and dried fruits. Roasted flavour of chocolate, wood and vanilla. Roasted finish of chocolate and wood.

Name: BA Blackout
Date: December 10, 2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting
Vintage: 2006
Appearance: black, scant head
Aroma: sweet bourbon aroma with a touch of roasted and sweet vanilla and licorice
Flavor: incredable rich malt flavor, lots of bourbon sweetness, notes of vanilla, lght roasted overwhelmed by the sweet bourbon

Name: BA Blackout
Date: February 21, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 2006
Appearance: dark ruby red
Aroma: big sweet bourbon roasted and chocolate aroma plus sweet oak and vanilla and light alcohol
Flavor: rich sweet bourbon and vanilla flavor, chocolate stays in the background

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 18/20
Rating: 4.2/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ***4

Name: BA Blackout
Date: February 17, 2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Trade
Vintage: 2007
Appearance: black, fine tan head, bits of drippy lace
Aroma: rich dark chocolate aroma with sweet vanilla and bourbon balanced by roasted and coffee character
Body: creamy body
Flavor: rich chocolate flavor, vanilla sweetness comes in to kick the chocolate in gear, bourbon comes in the third wave, touch of roasted and light oak for balance, touch of bitterness rises out of the roasted, hint of hot peppery alcohol almost stays hidden, well blended between the multiple complex of flavors
Overall: creamy body turns it into a malted chocolate milkshake, but where is the fruity character of the base beer that would send this over the top

Name: BA Blackout
Date: June 13, 2009
Mode: bottle
Source: cellar stock
Vintage: 2007
Aroma: dark chocolate aroma with a bourbon and vanilla sweetness
Flavor: plenty of bourbon flavor along with the roasted and black chocolate, still plenty of alcohol, coffee bitterness, balancing vanilla sweetness
Overall: still the strong chocolate and bourbon but has lost some of the luster

Aroma: 9/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 9/10; Palate: 10/10; Overall: 18/20
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Drinkability: 9/10
Score: ***4

Name: BA Blackout
Date: December 19, 2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Trade
Vintage: 2008
Appearance: black, fine tan head, streaks of lace
Aroma: light roasted malt aroma with a touch of bourbon sweetness
Body: creamy body
Flavor: rich roasted malt flavor, bourbon and vanilla sweetness starts small and grows to bring out a rich chocolate character, light bitterness
Overall: much mellower than last years version

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.8/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4