Stone Bourbon Barrel 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial Stout
Escondido, California USA

On tap at Brouwer’s Back in Black Stout Fest for SBW. Pours black with a decent light brown head. Smells and tastes like tart oak, leather, tobacco, and cherry, in addition to the typical roasty coffee/chocolate stout notes. Good stuff- I liked it a little better than the bourbon IRS but not as much as the Founders Canadian Breakfast.

On tap at Ashley’s. Opaque black-brown with a minimal brown head. Nose is bourbon, dark chocolate, and roasty malt, with alcohol and a bit of a vinous character. Flavor had a lot of bourbon in it, with all the oaky, vanilla goodness that goes with it. Underneath that was dark chocolate, coffee, and alcohol. Nicely balanced mild sweetness and good bitterness. Very smooth, thick mouthfeel.

Had at the EBF 09 in Boston. Poured dark brown with a small brown head. The aroma were similar to the original with chocolate, vanilla, some caramel and a nice bourbon note. Seemed to me, it was a little more drinkable than the original. Nice velvet smooth mouth feel with a full body. It was one of my favorites at the show. Other solid Stone offering.

On tap at Brouwer’s "Back in Black" stout night 09. This one was remarkably similar to the Stone Boubron Barrel RIS - with so much sweetness and flavor added by the bourbon barrels, the naturally sweeter 12th Anniversary ale doesn’t have such a distinct flavor. Pours black, with a smallish mocha head. Tons of bourbon and oak in the nose and the flavor, with perhaps a bit more chocolate in this one. The sweetness is a bit more earthy. Not quite as hot as the RIS, either - the slightly lower abv serves this one well. Really good, and at the end of the day, I think I might like this one a bit better.

Draft at Brouwer’s Back in Black ’09. Bourbon dominates the aroma with maple and caramel slightly hidden and a touch of chocolate. Pours jet black with a dark tan head. Bourbon is slightly overpowering, but there are nice chocolate undertones to balance. A very rich full-bodied bear with some great roasted malts. Slightly bitter finish for balance. Great beer, but the Russian Imperial is better in my opinion.

Strangely enough I found this more balanced than the original, the sweetness of the bourbon went a long way towards balancing the almost astringent character of the original.

Loved this one. Went to Brouwer’s stout night with this as my first choice, as I love bourbon aged stouts. Great looking, near black with a tan creamy head that leaves lots of lacing. Aroma is malty, caramel, toasted vanilla, and a slight cherry--no soap whatsoever. The bourbon and caramel balanced very well together, creating a very smooth taste, sweet but with a slight bitter finish to round it out.

Draft at Brouwer’s. Jet black. Loose caramelly burnt-tan ring. Big bourbon and maply nose. That combination gives it a sourness that’s almost salty. Big, thick, creamy body. Roasty, tons of char, some maple syrup, burnt toast, and sharp dark-roasted coffee beans, along with a bit of bourbon and vanilla. Nice, but still young and raw.