Sweetwater Brewing Company Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

 

Sweetwater Brewing Company in Atlanta, Georgia, United States 🇺🇸

  Stout - Imperial Regular
Score
7.59
ABV: 11.2% IBU: 70 Ticks: 13
This is the second edition from the brewery’s Cork & Cage series, a high-gravity, small-batch line-up that explores the edges of classic beer styles including barrel-aged beers, sours and wild ales. Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout is a supremely rich, full-bodied imperial stout laced with subtle notes of chocolate and bourbon, acquired while aging in bourbon barrels. A big beer at 11.2%, this is the highest ABV creation SweetWater will release this year.
 

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7.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Big bottle. Poured dark with a small quickly disappearing head. Chocolate coffee, vanilla, oak. Pretty nice

Tried from Bottle on 20 May 2025 at 01:46


8.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8.5

Pours black with a very small tan head. The aroma is heavy on the oaky bourbonalong with roast malt and chocolate. The flavor is sweet with ample bourbon and notes of vanilla, oak, roast malt, and chocolate. Full body. Well balanced. Excellent.

Tried on 28 Jun 2022 at 13:02


6.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle shared by Brad, thanks! Pours black with a brown head that dissipates quickly and nearly completely. Aroma has dark grains and roast with bourbon and a hint of chocolate underlying. Flavor has has earthy dark grains, a touch of soy sauce and roast with growing bourbon.

Tried from Bottle on 02 Feb 2020 at 02:27


8.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8.5

Rich deep dark brown coloured body with a nice oily glow and a thick, three to four centimetre tall light brown head, with the body about 90% opaque in an oily slick, but some light does pass through on the edges, especially. Aroma of incredibly aromatic vanilla, bourbon, whiskey, grain, alcohol, cedar and lightly earthy notes with a ton of roasted malt and anise as well. Full-bodied; Supremely rich body with a great vanilla and bourbon flavour up front that really show through along with some roasted malt, caramelised sugars, lactose and a ton of alcohol near the finish to show the strength. Aftertaste is deep, robust, earthy and spicey but very sweet and complex throughout, especially with a focus at the tail end of the bourbon and whiskey notes. Overall, a very nicely aged Bourbon-based Imperial Stout with a ton of flavour and complexities, while still being very easy-to-drink, having a good body (not too thin) and a bit of smoothness, even with the alcohol, spices and punch that this provides. I sampled this 75 cL corked and caged bottle purchased from Costco in Pentagon City (Arlington), Virginia on 13-July-2016 for US$12,99 sampled at home almost exactly two years later on 04-July-2018 while at home watching the Fireworks over our Nation's Capital.

Tried from Bottle on 07 Jul 2018 at 06:34


7.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

750 ml bottle thanks to Aramchandler. 2015 vintage from what we researched as it sat in Adam's fridge for at least 2 years. Fast vanishing head on a pitch black liquid. The aroma with notes of roasted malt, chocolate, caramel and dark fruit. Starts with mild roasted malt, and light oak. Barrel seems to have faded. The full body and slick, viscous mouthfeel. Good, probably should have been opened a year ago.

Tried from Bottle on 16 Jun 2018 at 23:55


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

750ML. I've had this in my fridge for at least 3 years. Acquired in a trade and lost track of it. Mohagony and brown color, no light shining through. looks milk-shake like, 1 finger oreo cookie head. Aroma is coconut and vanilla heavy with whiskey and charred oak. Very tasty. It's thick/dense, oily, sweet finish with a really nice balance of espresso roast. I'm digging the balance here. Nothing sticking out. just melded.

Tried on 16 Jun 2018 at 23:50


7.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Flat 750 ml bottle from Lost Abbey? (flat like some of Tommy’s beers of yore) but actually from Tavour. Black with a tiny partial layer of tan bubbles. Nose is chocolate, very light vanilla, tobacco, and bourbon. Flavor is lightly sweet with a hint of bourbon and a mild alcohol warmth. Decent and drinkable.

Tried from Bottle on 23 Feb 2017 at 16:34


7.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Growler from Pat’s. Pours black with thin brown head. Aromas of bourbon, roasted malt, chocolate, and some dark fruit. Big bourbon and sweet chocolate flavors with roasted malt. Full body with minimal carbonation and a syrupy mouthfeel.

Tried from Growler on 09 Jan 2017 at 20:15


7.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 7.5

Draft: Fudge, bourbon nose aroma. Mahogany, thin tan head. Chocolate syrup, fudge, bourbon, pecan. Full body, easy carbonation, hot. Great if you like liquor, I suppose.

Tried from Draft on 24 Jun 2016 at 19:57


7.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Sampled on draft at Hough’s this beer poured a black color with a medium sized creamy dark brown head that left decent lacing. The aroma was chocolate, toasted caramel and a bit of yeast. The flavor was chocolate, bourbon, a solid boozy presence, maple syrup and toasted caramel. Very long finish. Full bodied. Booziness grows but it works. Very nice.

Tried from Draft on 15 Jun 2016 at 13:47