Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout: Coffee
Griffin Claw Brewing Company in Birmingham, Michigan, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Pastry / Flavoured - Imperial Rotating Out of Production|
Score
7.32
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Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Bottle thanks to Flanders Ned - Pours black tan head. Nose/taste of bourbon, coffee, sweet milk chocolate, sweet vanilla, oak and nutty coffee roast - medium body
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
22 ounce bottle into snifter, 2014 vintage. Pours dense pitch black color with a 2 finger dense tan head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big dark roasted coffee, milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toast, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, oak, light coconut, and oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roasted malt, coffee, and bourbon barrel notes; with good strength. Taste of big dark roasted coffee, milk chocolate, caramel, brown sugar, toast, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, oak, light coconut, and oak/toasted earthiness. Light roast/oaky bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of coffee, milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toast, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, oak, light coconut, and oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, balance, and robustness dark/roasted malt, coffee, and bourbon barrel flavors; with a nice roasted bitterness/sweetness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very smooth, creamy, and slightly slick/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is well hidden with only a light warming present after the finish. Overall this is an awesome barrel aged imperial coffee stout. All around great complexity, balance, and robustness of dark/roasted malt, coffee, and bourbon barrel flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the big ABV. A highly enjoyable offering.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Draft - Chocolate, tons of vanilla and light bourbon sweetness. Jet black with a thin brown head. Lots of bourbon, in fact that is it. Chocolate, cherry, boozy bourbon. Smells great but flavor is overwhelming.