Hoppin Frog Barrel Aged BORIS The Crusher

Brewed by Hoppin Frog
Style: Imperial Stout
Akron, Ohio USA

I was kinda surprised how much I liked this one. The use of bourbon is extremely subtle. Well, maybe not "extremely", but more subtle than I was expecting. Actually, several people who tasted remarked that they could pick up an oaky note slightly more than a bourbon-y note, and I’m inclined to agree. Anyway, the whole beer came off as a well blended combination og chocolate and coffee, bourbon and oak, and understated background notes of raisin, pune, and vanilla. Tasty stuff.

Bottle. Black liquid with a small, brown head. Rich, almost pungent aroma with notes of dill, vanilla, wood and alcohol. Taste is dominated by dill and oak barrel, with a roasted background and some alcohol. Feels a bit thin to stand up to the barrel notes, but still a good beer.

Bottle Pours a nice brown with a thin tan head which disapates quickly. Leaves rings of spotty lacing. Has a good aroma of alcohol, roast, coffee, and whiskey. Has a light carbonation. The flavor is awesome. The whiskey barrel aging really comes through. Has a nice burn. Has a thick texture. This is balance very well. Has a full body. The finish is strong with plenty of lingering aftertaste. This is real good. I liked it without the barrel aging but this is awesome stuff.

Big thanks to Brigadier for this trade. Brown-black pour. Thick, creamy, coffee-brown head fades to a film, leaves a few spots of lace. Aromas of cellar-dust, mint, vanilla, barrel, some of the brighter roasty elements, well harmonized but not particularly strong. Very thick, smooth palate. Flavor-wise, this is a banana split of a beer, fruity overtones meld with the rich, sweet chocolate malt base, bits of leather underneath, anise and cherry above. Long, warm finish with a bit of minty fire.

22oz bottle. I needed something good and a little stronger to take the stress out of learning my Job is going away in April of ’10. Poured a dark black color with brown edges and an averaged sized brownish head. Aromas of whiskey, vanilla, chocolate, lighter wood, and dark fruits. Tastes of chocolate, whiskey, vanilla, wood, dark fruits, and caramel. Light to medium alcohol in the finish.

Botella. Pitch black colour with a small rather short lasting dark brown head leaving a good lacing. Plenty of chocolate and alcohol in the roasty malty aroma along with dark fruits and some wood. Good filling mouthfeel. Sweet dark fruity chocolate roasty malty flavour with a pleasant bitterness. Roasty malty chocolate dark fruity woodish finish.

Bottle shared by Nick3 on BA at a tasting. Thanks, Nick! This beer definitely lived up to expectations. Pours jet black and thick with a small tan head and some good lacing. Aroma is caramel, toffee, whiskey, roast, wood, and chocolate. Flavor is similarly complex, yet balanced. All the typical imperial stout notes are in there - roast, chocolate, and coffee - as well as oak, whiskey, dark fruits, and spice. Whiskey flavor is balanced however and does not overpower like it does in some barrel-aged beers. Very smooth and creamy palate with low carbonation and fairly full body. Not at all boozy. Excellent beer overall.

22oz. Bottle: Aroma of chocolate, malts, slight vanilla, light roasting, and the slightest hint of alcohol. I was expecting a more complex, more bourbon-filled aroma. Poured pitch black in color with a small to medium-sized, creamy, dense, dark brown head that diminished but lasted throughout as a film on top of the beer. Opaque. Slightly sparkling. Tiny lacing. Tastes of roasted malts, chocolate, cookies and cream, slight bourbon, light vanilla, slight alcohol, slight wood, and a hint of maple. Medium to full body. Slick, then lightly dry texture. Average carbonation. Roasted malt, chocolate, light vanilla, and slight wood finish is lightly dry. 9.4%ABV is present in the aroma only, and barely at that.