Schlafly Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

Brewed by Saint Louis Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Maplewood, Missouri USA

Appearance: Pours a dark brown, near black body with a small, frothy, off-white head. Smell: Sweet-smelling, bourbony aroma with notes of chocolate sauce, caramel, and vanilla. Taste: Dark, roasty maltiness with a high degree of sweetness, like taking a gulp of simple syrup. The bourbon character rises in the flavor, becoming a bit hot even, though it still imparts tastes of wood and vanilla. Drizzle of chocolate syrup and caramel with more of that almost coarse, toothsome sweetness. Hot, syrupy finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: An adequate barrel-aged imperial stout, though I felt the overwhelming alcohol and crippling sweetness really ran over all the more subtler flavors in the brew.

Bottle, courtesy kevster, shared with several folks at Oldsmar Tap House. Cheers. Pitch black pour, brown highlights, creamy lacing and a thick head. Looks delicious. Bourbon notes in the nose, roasted notes, big coffee, and some chocolate. Flavor is awesome, with big, thick gooey chocolate, vanilla, roasted malts, and just tons of delicious goodness pounding the palate. Thin-bodied though, which surprised me. So easy to drink all things considered, with a smooth, dry finish. Would love to try it again.

750 ml bottle. Pours a slightly thin looking, well for an Impy Stout anyway, black body with a foamy light beige head. Aroma makes up for the less then stellar appearance with strong notes of vanilla and wood from the bourbon, so strong that it has slight coconut character as well, underlying roastiness but the vanilla is so strong that it takes over most of the usualy aromas, still in a good way though. Full bodied with average carbonation and only slight alcohol warming, especially considering the 10.5%, slightly creamy at times too. Flavor has lots of bourbon, vanilla, wood, roastiness, and bourbon. Not bad....not bad at all I’m almost regreting sending my extras out in trades.

’07 Bottle: Pours a dark mahogany with some touches of ruby around the edges and a medium-sized tan head...Very sweet nose with hints of vanilla, bourbon, oak, chocolate and dark malts. Even though the body on this wasn’t to my satisfaction being that it was a bit thin, it still managed to step it up in the flavor department. Again, bourbon and vanilla dominated with some subtle notes of chocolate and other dark malts. Overall a pretty solid BB Stout that had a very nice drinkability factor.

Thanks for sharing this bottle Cliff (SDbruboy). Pours wtih a black body with a reddish hue, topped by a medium thick head with some lacing left behind. It’s slightly sweet and malty with a nice roasty note and a hint of bitter sweet chocolate. Medium to full bodied and warming.

750 ml bottle, from drmatt - thanks man! Pours dark brown, clear with amber hiighlights when held to light. Aroma of dark fruits, bourbon barrel, oak, vanilla, alcohol, roasty and hints of chocolate. Nicely balanced, chocolate, dark fruits, roasty malts, bourbon and herbs. Full body and easy carbonation.

750ml bottle, 2007 vintage. thanks johnycorkscrew for this one. pours black with creamy beige head. looks good but a little thin. aroma of dark fruits, oak, coffee, chocolate. flavor is slightly oak and bourbon but a big coffee push with some chocolate and dark fruits, a tad alcy. mouth feel is a bit thin. pretty tasty brew that could use some age.

Sample at the Most Honorable SuperHappyFun Stout Tasting. Bottle from Party Source (2007 bottle). This beer, part of the "Reserve" series, pours nearly black with a medium thin tan head that dissipates slowly. Patches of lacing on the glass. Aroma of chocolate malt, bourbon and coffee. Rich, chewy body with flavors of chocolate liquer, dark fruit and malt plus some coffee. The finish is rich and malty with a coffee aftertaste. Solid all around.