Sprecher Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout

Brewed by Sprecher Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Glendale, Wisconsin USA

Bottle shared by Jason. Black body under a foamy tan head. Roast, caramel and bourbon in the nose. The flavor centers around strong roast malt, green wood and green alcohols. Sour milk sweetness & vanilla backs this up. Pretty crappy stuff.

Thanks to Jason for sharing. Dark black pour huge frothy dark tan head w/ nice lacing. Big barrelled aroma, tons of bourbon and sweet caramels and more bourbon then some more caramel and even a touch of oak. Decent mouth feel but just not big enough for what it is... it doesn’t coat the way it should for its size. Flavor is a light butterscotch, hints of caramel, a fair amount of bourbon.. pretty smooth I didn’t notice the wood an odd almost metallic finish. Ok but full of what I would call weak imitation flavors in a poor attempt at a big beer. I wont drink it again.

Bottle at the RBSG grand tasting on 6/23/07: Pours an opaque black with dark brown edges and a thin tan ring of head. Aroma of sweet sugary caramel with some earthy esters and a touch of butterscotchy bourbon. Body starts fairly full and sugary caramel sweet with some earthy dark caramel and chocolate malt before an oaky, fairly viscous bittersweet finish. An interesting brew, but needs more full malty flavor and not sugary adjuncts.

Liter bottle from Holiday. Pours a thick black color with a tan head that lasts forever and deposits lacing in the glass. The aroma is strong with anise, a smattering of whiskey and something evil(&yummy). The flavor is complex with black licorice, charcoal, molasses, chocolate, oak and more black licorice. The barrel aging really mellows this beer. The mouthfeel is full, smooth and creamy. The finish is long and dry with a bit of lingering bourbon laced licorice. Overall: I really am impressed by this concoction.There is a calming Zen mellowness to this drinking experience. Recommended.

Courtesy of Degarth. Pours a dark dark – opaque darkness with nice light brown head. The aroma is big with roasty malts to burnt malts that get swallowed by a pile of oak chips. I do get a hint of the bourbon too. The taste starts dry and roasty with hints of bourbon. Beyond that a sweetness kicks in along with a healthy dose of wood. It ends sweet burnt and roasty with a mild bourbon oakiness that lingers. Double yum.

Courtesy Degarth. He strikes again. Sweet looking liter bottle, appropriate and bold for an Imp Stout. Very, very dark black body with brown at the far edges. Creamy, rocky mocha colored head that lasts for quite a long time. Plenty of lacing coats the side of the glass as well. Impressive looking beer. Bourbon, woody/earthy notes, bitter dark chocolate, dark fruits, licorice and coffee grounds make up the huge aromatic bouquet. Flavor is somewhat of a tiny letdown after the aroma, but still very well done, and gets better and better as the beer warns. Dark chocolate, roasted/charred malts and beans, prunes and liquor soaked sweetbread. Creamy, very full mouthfeel. No heat from the bourbon is apparent, which is very nice. Woody/earthy finish, medium length, fading to a nice roasted bitterness. Very well done, just short of world class.

finally a bourbon barrel that’s not all bourbon smell and taste. respectable tan color lace head, hints of espresso and chocolate malt flavor at its finish. very smooth and flavorful. Nice bottle as well.

Bottle shared at Cbus tasting by Bgburdman. Dark pour, smell was all bourbon. Taste was chocolate, coffee and bourbon. I found this one particularly bad...I am not a fan of the barrel aged craze that everyone is doing. And this one didnt seem to be done that well.