Rock Bottom Chicago Bourbon Barrel-Aged Porter

Brewed by Rock Bottom Chicago
Style: Porter
Chicago, Illinois USA

On tap at the brewpub 12/16/2005: Pours a mostly opaque black with dark brown edges and a thin tan head. Sweet bourbon and light nutmeg aroma has some nice dark chocolate notes. Starts with a sweet malt and earthy bourbon oak flavor with a lightly warming, yet smooth finish. An enjoyable and interesting brew.

Chicago. Really nice bourbon aroma; sweet. Completely opaque with a small, brown to light tan head. Excellent lace. Fairly strong beer with a relatively high alcohol profile. Very nice bourbon laced flavor. Rich, roasted malt; very well done. Not the best bourbon porter I’ve had but a damn good one! Chocolate caramel notes. This brew instantly put me in my happy place.

Chicago. Mostly opaque with medium chestnut brown hues when put to light. Lovely, creamy, light brown head and sticky lacing. Robust porter edges lead the aroma. Unsweetened chocolate inside of cracked walnut shells, dark chocolate shavings, and bourbon spilled on cardboard coasters paraphrase the rest of the aroma portion. Creamy and expansive as it registers on the palate. Astringent porter edge is apparent, but seemingly churns to sweet bourbon seamlessly. Lighter, titillating chocolate cake powder mix and some Hershey syrup drizzled on the tongue, followed by a shot of bourbon. Chalky snapshot of bourbon and dry chocolate in terms of palate performance. Uncanny in its ability to operate within the confines of said style while broadcasting complexity from the barrel aging process. Finishes like liqueur-filled milk chocolate truffles. Enjoyable indeed.

(12.27.05) Woodford Reserve oak barrel aged version available on tap at Rockbottom Chicago, Chicago, IL. Blacked hued porter having no discernable head. No discernable carbonation. Coffee and roasted malt aromas. Medium bodied that starts with smooth light malt sweetness and chocolate, roasted malt flavors. Finishes with pleasant light malt aftertaste and bitterness. Surprisingly flavorful and delicious porter, complexity and texture almost stout-like.

Tap at R.B. Chicago. There are a lot of barrel-aged beers on the RB chicago listing, so this one is definitely the "bourbon BA [house] porter". Probably my least favorite of the flight. It has a mostly dark, reddish color to it with minimal to no tan head. I think the problem is the light porter body. The bourbon comes in well blended indeed and does not overpower the porter. However, to me there isn’t a lot of complexity to the base. Slightly roasted with a bit of tartness, and sweet vanilla-y bourbon coming in at the end. I guess a bit thin, but overall, definitely still a good beer.

On tap at R.B. Chicago. Poured black with a short-lived cap of tan head. Aroma of roasty and toasty dark malts with chocolate, coffee, and light bourbon... delectable, but a little weak. Roasty chocolate, coffee, and a light herbal bitterness, vanilla and whiskey in the flavor... quite full. Smooth and creamy mouthfeel with a well-placed sweet bourbon bite around the edges and at the finish. Finish picked up burnt chocolate malts, coffee bitterness, and a reminder of the whiskey. Felt great, and very tasty.