Hoppin Frog Barrel Aged BORIS The Crusher

Very black colored brew. Aroma has got hints of whiskey, nice. Flavor is dark chocolate, bourbon, syrup, malts. It’s smooth, but thin and maybe lacks of something outstanding. Maybe it’s the oatmeal. It’s a bit too drinkable.

Bottled 65cl. It pours a pitch black beer with a small deep beige head. A lot of dark chocolate and vanilla showing up in the taste. Christmas pudding, oak, plum, bourbon and mint sneaking in. Great smooth mouthfeel. Good balance. Very low carbonation. Very powerful on the swallow which is peppery, leading to a finish which is sublime; dry, reminiscent of dark chocolate, mint, oak, vanilla and nasturcium. A top notch imperial stout. I reveled in every sip. (Comparing this beer side by side with the regular Boris the Crusher.)

I love imperial stout, and this beer is essentially perfect. It has big flavor, with a strong coffee, chocolate milk, and whiskey favor. It is very thick. The aroma is very strong with coffee. It is jet back with almost no head.

22oz bottle. Pours a dense, oily black color with thin raspberry-brown edges; thin light-tan head with solid, cascading lacing at the perimeter; definitely has an oily viscosity to it. Huge amounts of roasted nuttiness and charred malts in the aroma; toasty, sour-mash barrel character with soft edges; the core shows maple syrup and chewy, dried dark fruits, which really prevent any acrid or harsh notes appearing from the heavily roasted character; soft, velvety, inky, inviting. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: a cola and dark chocolate presence takes over here, with some nougat and raisins and plums there in the core sweetness; the barrel aging provides a tangy sour-mash character and a nice toasty and charred character; this doesn’t have the density of examples like Expedition or Old Rasputin, but it’s a highly drinkable, soft-edged barrel-aged rendition of an already excellent beer. Again, there are creamy, dried dark fruits and developed sweetness at the core that really temper the light tang of the barrel; solidly done, with minimal if any alcohol showing here. Lasting finish of roasted malts, chocolate (dark), with hints of coffee and nuts; the dry toastiness underneath is great.

Bottle thanks to bu11zeye. The look is brown to black in color with a beige colored head. The smell its oats, malts, vanillla, alcohol, coffee, chocolate, and good. The taste is coffee, chocolate, syrup, malts, and great.

Bottle. Pours a deep black color with a thin dark khaki head. Moderate burnt roast and some light alcohol notes on the aroma, a light raisin tone also. Taste is slightly sweet with some small alcohol heat, chocolate cookie, roast, coffee. Balanced but doesn’t display much of the barrel aging.

Bottle shared by MrPickles - Tasted next to the regular BORIS. Pours dark black with clear on the edges. Has a small tan head. Smells of sharp booze and buttery oak, but there’s just too much alcohol on the nose. Taste is overwhelming booze that recedes a bit as it gets warmer and the other flavors round it out. There’s dark roast underneath the booze, with coffee, toffee, and a bitter finish. Thinner and more watery than the original. Man, I really wanted to like both these beers, but I was really unimpressed.

Bottle. Bishops Arms Järntorget, Porterveckan. Black colour with a brown head. Aroma: roasted malt, sweetness, vanilla, cocos, bourbon, oak, chocolate. Flavor: Roasted, sweet and very smooth. Bourbon, oak, vanilla, cocos, toffee, chocolate, coffee. Damn, this was good!