Ottos Bourbon-Barrel Aged Jolly Roger Imperial Stout

Brewed by Ottos Pub & Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
State College, Pennsylvania USA

Cask at the brewpub. Pours super black with huge, lasting reddish tan head. The aroma is bourbon, bitter chocolate, espresso, lots of sweet vanilla/oak/char barrel notes, some distant red wine hints, and even a suggestion of smoked brisket. The flavor is unbelievably smooth and velvety. Overt bourbon, vanilla, bitter chocolate, espresso, and loads of toasted oak meld gracefully. The finish is mellow and warm. A little bit of smokiness starts to come through with time, both from the bourbon and from the smoked malts in the beer. This is beer is a lesson on how to properly bourbon age a beer. Hands down this is the smoothest, most balanced, and most nuanced bourbon-barrel RIS I’ve had. Great beer. Just great.

On cask at the brewpub. Throws a fresh, warm bourbon-cherry, hot fruit and sweet oak aroma. Backed with blackstrap, caramel candies, and some hazlenut cream. Dense cream in the nose. Pours a ridiculous black, leaving a syrupy oil lace of mahogany behind a thick, oily black-brown pour. A tall head of jiggly coffee cream. The has got to be one of the smoothest barrel-aged Imperial Stouts ever. There’s a very graceful meeting of beer, oak, bourbon and warmth that’s really satisfying. I find it balanced. Even yet, there’s a palpable, lightly resinous hop character that backs up the beer. Palate is deft and not cloying, hot or too bitter. A delicate delight. Fresh and bubbly. There’s a wet bit of umami from the oak and the char in the beer, that adds a unique twist the backend. I love how much hop flavor persists in this. Delicious! The real blend of all the characters leaves this holding up to the anticipation I had for it.

On cask at the brewpub. Poured into a nice big brandy snifter filled a bit more than halfway. Nice deep black with some ruby clear highlights and a fluffy cloudy dark tan head which fades to an oily lasting film and great lace. Aroma is light but noticeable bourbon which doesn’t cover up or dominate the other powerful stouty aromas or roasted barley, coffee, Thick dark chocolate, sweet caramel, tons of toffee and nice dried fruity esters. Flavor have a moderate amount of bourbon, roasted barley, chocolate and caramel malts, lightly smokey, toffee, molasses, tobacco, and a nice acrid burnt malt and bitter finish. Mouthfeel is thick, slightly syrupy and a sticky finish. Rich, full bodied and everything working together. One of the best Imperial stouts I have had.

This is the most impressive thing I have had from this brewer. Sampled on draft at the brewery this beer poured a dark black color with a large creamy dark brown head. The aroma is sweet and vaguely spicy with notes of bourbon, sugar and port wine. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. The flavor starts with port wine and ripe fruits the evolve slowly to roasty malts followed by definite notes of bourbon, wood, spice and a roasty finish. The flavors are complex and constantly changing as they wash over you. Marvelous.

On cask at brewpub. Pitch black pour with a rather odd looking creamy and blotchy covering of dark brown head. Served really effin’ cold for a cask beer, not sure what was up with that. Aroma is heavy on the bourbon with some burnt malt, chocolate fudge, oak, and light alcohol. A little bit more depth than the Full Sail Bourbon Barrel Black Gold. Flavor is a mix of bourbon, vanilla, oak, chocolate, and roast. The alcohol makes itself known on the finish but very lightly. Great balance and just the right amount of barrel influence. Mouthfeel is full bodied with great cask conditioned mouthfeel. Minimal to no carbonation yet still raises a a great head with a gentle swirl. Just shy of oily in texture. Overall, this was very well done. Perfect amount of bourbon, and the cask serving method puts this over the top for me.

When I saw mjames review of this, and confirmed that it was still vaailable, and knew I’d be visiting my parents over Labor Day, who live 45 minutes from State College, I knew the planets had aligned for me, and with Pluto’s sacrifice comes my gain. This one, which I got a double sample of followed by a goblet, pours ebony, raven black, with a uniform tan head. Great look. The aroma is roasty malty, with heavy oaky bourbon, matched by a huge chocoffy smell, plus loads of molasses. The palate is hefty, complex, and balanced, with flavors of initial chocolate syrup, followed by roasty malt, then the oaky bourbon, then some nutty ovaltiny hints. The whole thing goes together masterfully. This one is so good that I’ll be going back tomorrow for more.

Cask at the brewery, August 2006. Black. Creamy. Nose is just phenomenal. Bourbon, oak, cedar, cream. Sharp, fresh, intense bourbon with a ridiculously smooth and rich soft-serve body. Lightly hot, somewhat peppery and creamy in the nose. The oak, cedar and smoked wood notes are an intense blend. Smoked malts and bourbon and wood, it melts in your mouth.

Multiple cask pours on a visit in May 2009: as good as ever. Luscious, decadent, creamy, filling, rich, simply amazing.

One of the best imperial stouts I’ve ever had.