Cold Brew Coffee Barrel Noir
Almanac Beer Company in Alameda, California, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Pastry / Flavoured - Imperial Regular Out of Production|
Score
7.89
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The first in our new Barrel Noir Series, Cold Brew Coffee Barrel Noir combines three of our favorite things: coffee, bourbon and beer. We started by aging an imperial stout in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels for 18 months, allowing it to mature and develop bourbon notes and oak’s natural vanilla aromas. Next, we steeped the beer with vanilla beans and Sightglass Coffee’s Banner and Finca beans to create a “cold brewed” coffee stout. The result is a rich and velvety coffee bomb. Pair with french toast, brisket, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Sample at Local Option. Hazy brown-black color with a medium thin tan head that dissipates steadily to a film. Stringy lacing. Aroma of bourbon, coffee, vanilla and malt. Full-bodied with flavors of oaky bourbon, roasted coffee, chocolate malt and vanilla. The finish is sweet with a bourbon and vanilla mocha aftertaste. Good beer all around.
Tried
on 21 Sep 2016
at 20:54
7.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Draught at Lulu’s, 8/4/16.
Medium-sized tan head tops a dark cocoa-ebony body of indeterminable clarity. Seems pretty thick...retention is good.
Strong whiskey in the nose but it’s "soft" I suppose you might say, despite its richness and allows the malt and coffee room to maneuver. Fudge, chocolatey roast and rich nougat-like notes balance the spicy, whiskey "dry" notes and there is light vinousness as well. A touch of alcohol but doesnt seem hot (no glue, sharpness, fusels, etc...). Not a ton of finesse but yet nor is it an overdone mess.
In the mouth, fudge-laden base malts mix with dry roast and chocolatey, earthy coffee as spicy, liquorous whiskey notes add brightness and dry, woody notes. It’s sumptuous and chewy but not underattenuated or too thick. Decent balance though I will admit to wanting a little more dryness and slightly less whiskey. But given the ingredients, size, etc...this could have been a disaster. Instead it’s clean, with a huge malt depth and fun flavors.
Medium-sized tan head tops a dark cocoa-ebony body of indeterminable clarity. Seems pretty thick...retention is good.
Strong whiskey in the nose but it’s "soft" I suppose you might say, despite its richness and allows the malt and coffee room to maneuver. Fudge, chocolatey roast and rich nougat-like notes balance the spicy, whiskey "dry" notes and there is light vinousness as well. A touch of alcohol but doesnt seem hot (no glue, sharpness, fusels, etc...). Not a ton of finesse but yet nor is it an overdone mess.
In the mouth, fudge-laden base malts mix with dry roast and chocolatey, earthy coffee as spicy, liquorous whiskey notes add brightness and dry, woody notes. It’s sumptuous and chewy but not underattenuated or too thick. Decent balance though I will admit to wanting a little more dryness and slightly less whiskey. But given the ingredients, size, etc...this could have been a disaster. Instead it’s clean, with a huge malt depth and fun flavors.
Tried
on 14 Aug 2016
at 18:17
7.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
On tap at Real, Wild & Woody Beer Festival, pours black with a small tan head. Aroma brings out cold brew coffee that dominates, not much else here. Flavour is sweet, with loads of coffee upfront dominating. A little boozy but it works. Nice stuff.
Tried
from Draft
on 26 Jul 2016
at 13:10
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Draft pour to a schooner at Elliott Bay pizza. Love cold brew. Near black pour with a tan ring head. Big chocolate cream, coffee aroma. Bitter bite coffee up front, with a smooth finish. Late bourbon impression rounds this out nicely. It’s always refreshing to get in on the non sour offerings from these guys. They know what they are doing. Very nice imperial.
Tried
from Draft
on 05 Jul 2016
at 19:35