Kern River Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout

Brewed by Kern River Brewing
Style: Imperial Stout
Kernville, California USA

Sampled on 12/4/2009. Thanks to whoever brought this to the Strong Ale Fest. This Imperial Stout pours a dark black color from a 22oz bottle. Small to medium sized tan foamy head. The aroma is bourbon, chocolate and coffee and sweet. A medium to full bodied Imperial Stout. The malts are chocolate, coffee and bourbon. Lots of vanilla and oak. The hops are earthy. Nice bourbon flavors, they really smooth out the roasty malts and coffee flavors. Nicely balanced. Very smooth tasting. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Same batch as before, only this has now sat in the barrel 17 months. On tap, now called "Batch No. 1." Nitro pour, black-bodied, and the creamy tan head was two fingers and lasting. A foot away from the glass my nose picks up on sweet caramelly bourbon, and lots of it. Good vanilla and oak blending with the caramel, and some dark chocolate, roast, and alcohol coming from behind. Pretty bourbonated, but so far working quite well. Flavor is much boozier, almost like a shot of whiskey was dropped in--but the beer inside still tries to maintain all of its character, with some success. Still some chocolate, still some caramel, and some roast. There was also a tinge of anise.Semi-dry finish with bitterness @ a 2-3. Medium full body with light carbonation. A good--but overbourbonated--double milk stout. The bottles were corked and caged in February, so they will have the 8 months barrel-aged.

Nitros at o’briens SD. Bourbon blast! Almost too much at 1st. Dark rich color, sweet, would like to see this with some age. Warming, nice length, not super complex. but boom bourbon flavors dominate, carmel, vanilla. Nitros creams it out. 10oz pour was plenty.

On draft at O’Brien’s. Pours dark brown hue with magenta highlights, big tan creamy head sustains. Aroma is milk chocolate sweetness with a touch of dark berries, bourbon, molasses, and brown sugar. Flavor follows suit, this could double as a chocolate milkshake with the creamy smoothness, light tinge of molasses and maple syrup, lingering tones of bourbon, oak, and light hop bitterness creep in near mid-taste, finishes with light sweetness and a touch of alcohol warming. Palate is full-bodied, velvet creamy texture, and smooth carbonation. An overall amazingly smooth stout, one of the best I’ve had in ages! Very high drinkability given the ABV, I could drink this all night long, wonderful and surprising treat!

Black with a thin off white head. Aroma is bourbon, chocolate, malt, light alcohol. Taste is bourbon, chocolate, light caramel, roastiness. Bit too strong on bourbon.

(growler by way of irishboy)dark brown body with no head.the aroma is a nice mix of bourbon,vanilla,caramel,chocolate,and slight alcohol.flavor is much of the same with some gram crackers thrown in.the bourbon is very well balanced in the flavor and the alcohol is well hidden.

Draft at the brewpub!! Nose of light bourbon (really heavenly smell of bourbon not the cheap and overdone smell some other BB stouts have), chocolate, and light caramel. Black with a semi hazy brown edge and a medium glass lacing beige head of tiny bubbles. Flavor of chocolate, bourbon, and more chocolate. Body is medium thick and creamy. Finish is light bourbon flavor without the alcohol heat. My favorite KRB beer so far! Dec 12 09 18 months in the barrel now and on draft at the brewpub! Still great and even more Heavens Hill Bourbon especially in the flavor. Great stuff! Too bad it’s almost all gone!