Flying Buffalo Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
Griffin Claw Brewing Company in Birmingham, Michigan, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Imperial Rotating|
Score
7.76
|
|
Flying Buffalo Original Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout: 14% ABV – The prestigious Flying Buffalo Imperial Stout is transferred to freshly emptied bourbon barrels immediately after fermentation where it rests for 9 months in our climate controlled Barrel House under the strict supervision of our brewers and cellar people.
Sign up to add a tick or review
7.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 9
Bottle shared at THT December ‘18. Black with a ring tan head. Aroma of vanilla, milk chocolate, oak, bourbon, caramel, toffee. Flavour is heavy sweet. Light full bodied with alcohol warmth in the finish and soft carbonation.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Dec 2018
at 20:01
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Xmas THT. Bottle. Dark brown, offwhite head. Sweet roasted malts, gingerbread, alcohol, bourbon, vanilla, dried fruits, cinnamon, oak. Big sweet and bitter. Full body and soft carbonation.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Dec 2018
at 19:59
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle sampled at THT December. Almost clear deep reddish brown with dark beige head. Thick boozy bourbon, light flowery, milk chocolate, dark toasty malts, dank herbs, cognac, dried orange peel. Over medium sweet, medium bitter. Almost full bodied with boozy finish. Nice but a bit boozy and thin in the finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Dec 2018
at 19:59
8.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
22 ounce bottle into snifter, 2017 vintage bottling. Pours nearly opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, fudge, marshmallow, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, and dark/brown bread; with light notes of molasses, licorice, raisin, plum, fig, smoke, oak char, and roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Touch of booze in the aroma as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt and bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, fudge, marshmallow, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, and dark/brown bread; with light notes of molasses, licorice, raisin, plum, fig, smoke, oak char, and roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Light roast bitterness and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, fudge, marshmallow, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, dark/brown bread, light molasses/dark fruit, and roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and bourbon barrel flavors; with a nice roasted bitter/sweet and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with zero cloying/acrid flavors after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering roast bitterness and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness. Medium carbonation and full body; with very smooth, creamy, silky, velvety, and rich mouthfeel that is fantastic. Slight slickness, chalky roast, and oak tannins. Alcohol is very well hidden; a mildly increasing warmth of 14%, with minimal barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an amazing barrel aged imperial stout! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV. Perfectly balanced rich malt complexity and bourbon barrel integration. Never overly boozy, tannic, or drying. A highly enjoyable offering as expected from this year's flavored variations.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Mar 2018
at 23:41
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
Large bottle split two ways at fridge temp. Thanks Jeff for sending this over! Totally oily black. Small head. The aroma is fantastic. Oily cocoa and a roasted espresso bean, licorice And vanilla. Hmmm. That is a very roasty stout ! Vanilla at front. Faded to booze and then intense licorice and old coffee at the finish. Barely any sweetness.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Jun 2017
at 10:17