Beer Geek Breakfast 7.5% (Bourbon Edition)

Aroma of roasted malts, caramel, chocolate, hint of smoke, coffee, some vanilla, some peaty notes, espresso, hint of Bourbon. Flavour is light to moderate sweet with a moderate bitter finish. The Bourbon touch is subtle.Very smooth and enjoyable.

Shared at Dangerous Bottleshare #7. Pours pitch black with a small dark brown head. Aromas of coffee, light smoke, licorice, bourbon, some vanilla, oats, chocolate, some green-ish notes. Taste is roasted, licorice, salmiak, light green coffee, chocolate, vanilla, very little bourbon, dry woody finish. Slightly disappointing.

The 7.5% ABV version of the bourbon edition of Mikkeller’s famous oatmeal stout, brewed at Lervig; bottle from Gedeelde Vreugde – with high expectations considering previous experiences with the Beer Geek Breakfast series and the producers attached to it. Very thick and dense, creamy, membranous lacing, ruddy beige head thinning very slowly but retaining for a very long time; black robe (with visually viscous pour) with burgundy edges. Aroma of melting fondant chocolate, green coffee beans, fresh oak wood, toffee, burnt toast, lots of black bitter coffee, pronounced ‘blood’ iron, bourbon, walnut shells, mocha ice cream, leather, granola, beef stock cubes, roasted chicory, cigars. Thickly nutty maltiness from the onset onwards, dried plum and fig notes, sweetish with a beef stock-like umami hint but not too strong, sourish roasted grain undercurrent, softish carb, very thickly oily mouthfeel – with the creaminess added by the oats being very apparent, adding a well-fitting silky smoothness to a beautiful roasted nut-, black chocolate- and toffee-like ‘black’ malt body which acquires a strong roasty, very coffeeish bitterness in the latter part of the palate, lasting for a long time, a bit ashy even and accentuated by a firm peppercorny hop bitterness. The bourbon part remains altogether subtle and so does the tannic woodiness of it, but both flavours are present and add extra complexity. Ends with the expected warming alcoholic effect, but in a subtle way, well-buried under this lovely, oily nuttiness and roasty coffee bitterness, without becoming too explicit as the actual ‘bourbon booze’ you often get in this type of beers. Altogether quite restrained for a decidedly non-restrained premise, slender and elegant, with very high drinkability and a perfect balance of flavours – less exuberant perhaps than many other stouts one finds today in the craft beer market, but just because of its restraint, balance and elegance, achieving perfection within its own specific goal.

Backlog --- Beer merged from original tick of Beer Geek Breakfast Bourbon 2008 on 05 Sep 2018 at 10:06 - Score: 8. Original review text: Backlog

Bottle- pours black tan head - nose and taste of coffee, chocolate, roasted oat and bourbon - medium body