Black Tuesday - Reserve
The Bruery in Placentia, California, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Imperial Rotating Out of Production|
Score
8.02
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Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels
With Bruery culture comes tradition, and Black Tuesday Reserve is back for another delectably rare release. Brewed in 2018, this iteration of our iconic imperial stout was aged in two separate sets of hand-chosen bourbon barrels for two consecutive years, emerging a uniquely-developed and sophisticatedly bold stout worthy of the classification ‘Reserve.’
With Bruery culture comes tradition, and Black Tuesday Reserve is back for another delectably rare release. Brewed in 2018, this iteration of our iconic imperial stout was aged in two separate sets of hand-chosen bourbon barrels for two consecutive years, emerging a uniquely-developed and sophisticatedly bold stout worthy of the classification ‘Reserve.’
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9.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 10
The Bruery's famous enormous stout aged in two different bourbon barrels; sampled from a bottle of exactly two years old at B.U.M.B.A. in Antwerp. Virtually no head is left, colour is a very dark but still translucent, deep burgundy-hued, near-blackish bronze. Intense, highly intoxicating bouquet of old sweet sherry, walnut liqueur, caramel sauce, toasted hazelnuts, vanilla-ish oak, lots of bourbon, candied banana, cognac, leather, figs soaked in brown rum, amaretto, sweet white wine. Sweet onset, dried dates, sweet blue grapes, balanced by a blackberry-ish sourishness, very light soy sauce-like umami touch, low carbo but still softly tingling, thick oily and syrupy, very vinous body. Caramelly and hazelnutty, big maltiness, leading to a complex finish in which some bitter chocolate, toasted nuts, vanilla-ish oak, old sherry-like onsetting maderisation, some spicy hops and a lot of heating, obviously bourbon- but also rum-like alcohol are all involved. Evidently very boozy, to be treated like an apéritif like a fine sherry or madera, but clearly two years of aging shaved off the sharpest edges and brought this 'super stout' to its full potential - in fact, in spite of the heavy bourbon factor, this feels less astringently alcoholic than other, younger Black Tuesday variations I had, including the regular. Majestic masterpiece, a stout acting like a noble, aged barleywine - among the best Bruery offerings I ever had the pleasure to taste.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Oct 2017
at 15:32
8.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9.5
Bottle at Hopishop 2017. Black pour. Aroma of heavy bourbon vanilla, chocolate, caramel fudge, maple and vanilla. Taste is really full, with bourbon vanilla, caramel fudge, chocolate, soft cherry, booze and a long flavorful delicious finish. It's black tuesday with extra bourbon aging, and that's exactly what it tastes like. Fantastic.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Oct 2017
at 14:07
8.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Thanks Paul(a) for sharing the bottle! Poured into a snifter showing pitch black with no head. The nose shows a lot of dark chocolate and molasses with a minty background. The palate is full bodied with barely any carbonation. Strong but harmonious alcoholic spiciness, strong chocolate flavors with a minty mouthfeel. No sweetness but reminds me of brownies.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Apr 2017
at 22:54
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle - pours black tan head - nose and taste of bourbon, booze, chocolate, brandy and caramelized dates - medium body
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Apr 2017
at 23:39
8.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
Bottle. Big, lovely nose of vanilla, bourbon, blueberry, chocolate, maple syrup. Shiny black with a bit of lace. Great berries in the flavor, quite tart, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, wood. The tartness balances the sweetness and that 20.5% is really well hidden and deceptive. This is awesome. So much better than the regular one, which feels much more sticky-sweet.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Mar 2017
at 22:09
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
[1/27/17] Bottle/Can/Crowler/Growler at a bottle share at Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa. Black. Bourbon, dark chocolate, vanilla, roast, sweet, boozy. Full-bodied.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Feb 2017
at 13:31
7.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle shared by bytemesis. Thanks Mike! It pours a dark brown color with no head. The aroma is super dessert-like with cherry cordials and a little bourbon. The flavor is the same. Cherry, bourbon and fudge. Super thick body. A real treat in small doses.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Aug 2016
at 20:37
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8
Bottle. Pours opaque black, small tan head, decent lacing. Aroma is rich cocoa, bourbon, vanilla, marshmallow, cherry. Flavor is fully sweet, rich, holy shit. Medium plus body. Shockingly not hot. Whoah.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Aug 2016
at 23:52
8.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
750ml bottle thanks to Darrel. Pours out black with no head. Nose is super sweet tons of bourbon molasses vanilla marshmallow a bit hot. Taste is thick rich roasted malts tons of sweetness bourbon barrel vanilla coffee vanilla brown sugar chocolate and everything sweet you could ever imagine. Wow this is tuff but very good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Nov 2015
at 20:35
9.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 10
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 10
De Grote Black Tuesday Tasting: 13 Versions. For all versions: 750 ml. bottles sampled. 2011 Black Tasting (4.1/5) vs. 2013 Black Tuesday (4.3/5). Neither were gushers unlike the 2012 I tried once before. Both pour very dark brown with some black, virtually no head in both cases. Some lone bubbles with the 2011, nothing at all with the 2013. Alcohol is huge in both cases, a touch lower in the 2011, some light oxidation & varnish notes in the 2011, thick bourbon, mocha,… Alcohol is even bigger in the nose with the 2013, harsh & brutal. Raw white spirit almost. More mocha, sweeter chocolates & very thick mocha in the nose in the 2013. 2011 carries some light oxidation in the taste, less raw, big burning alcohol in the finish but overall a bit muted, some weird notes here, leaves, varnish, touch oxidation, making this one the lesser one of the two. You also get hugely thick molasses, harsh bourbon,… Body is low carbonation & molasses, pure syrup. Booze is huge, in the 2013, vodka, raw spirit, burns, the taste is niches, thick syrup, more cacao, chocolate, sweet cacao nibs, not getting oxidation here, molasses, chocolate syrup. Same thick molasses. Overall a fun beer due to its extremity but it is also bit of a caricature, too excessive. Overall I am not crazy about it but I do like but it far from all that impressive. Winefication I (4.2/5) + Winefication II (4.4/5) (obtained in a trade with AdamChandler. Thx!) side-by-side. Winefication I pours a very deep red Bordeaux, little bubbles. Nose is quite strange, the two components seem to clash a bit here, molasses, mocha, sweet, umami, big roasted oak, soy sauce with thick dry sweet red wine, odd. Taste is huge oak, massive roast, wine character dominates, this one is a bit hard to describe for me, raisins, huge dry strong boozy red wine with huge church incense taste, dry, red grape skins, touch plastic, fruit punch,… Thick & dry. Very much a strong basic red wine with some components that clash a bit, interesting to say the least. Winefication II is hugely different, also massively wine-like but just a different wine. This one is a better wine, less conflict here just a supper thick wine. Pours a very dark red Bordeaux, little bubbles. Nose is light mocha but largely hugely vinous, lots of oak, dry red grapes. Taste is huge oak, lots of roast (very much as was the case with the I), lots of roasted barrel, interesting mix of licorices, wine leaves, wine ranks, red grape, huge dry red frape spins, light plastic, vinous, warming (strangely tasted about as strong as I despite the huge ABV difference),.. Very thick, weird, unique & interesting. Melange #1 (4.5/5).Very dark brown, solid mocha head. Nose is huge red wine, balsamic vinegar, very tart, puckering red fruit,… Not getting any Black Tuesday here. Taste is puckering sour red grapes, wine, faint glue, balsamic vinegar, pomegranate, sour cherries,… Very thick body & puckering. Lovely. Not getting any Black Tuesday here oddly & like it more than Oude Tart. Quite simple but also very nice. This should be the 3rd batch made. Melange #3 (3.8/5): Very dark brown with a deep red hue and no head. Nose is weird, almost a bit like Black Tuesday (dominates heavily) with something sourish (White Sap I suppose), glue, bourbon, heavy alcohol, glue, oak, lots of bourbon. Taste is weird, faintly sour vanilla, thick bourbon, boozy Black Tuesday, molasses, thick basic licorice, syrup,… Thick, boozy. Strange mix. Doesn’t fully work for me. Least favorite of the 13. Chocolate Rain 2013 (4.7/5): Very dark brown to black, only some bubbles as is usual. Nose is huge thick sweet mocha, milk chocolate, vanilla, sweet bourbon, thick candy, molasses, thick & sweet. Taste is huge vanilla, bourbon, warming, mocha, vanilla, cacao, sweet chocolate, molasses, thick, sweet. Awesome, this is the 3rd time I have this beer, still surprised by how well it really works. So much better than the base beer. Grey Monday (4.2/5): Black / brown, zero head as usual. Hugely alcoholic nose, syrup, mocha, molasses. Taste is hugely boozy, molasses, thick syrup, very straightforward & basic, mocha, exotic sugar. Very basic, body is alcohol & molasses. Second time I have this beer & I am still not getting the hazelnuts. This one is still a bit pointless for me. 2013 Mocha Wednesday (4.4/5): Black, dark brown with no head. Nose is weird charcoal, ashes, burned wood & hugely roasted espresso beans. Taste & smell carries so much more roast & coffee than I remember this one having. Taste is burned mocha, charred barrels, huge roasted espresso, molasses, charcoal, mocha, sugar & molasses sweetness in the back. Basic but nice, quite an interesting heavily roasted espresso tastes & charred barrels. Thick body as usual. Rum (4/5), Madeira (4.4/5) & Port BA (4.4/5) versions next to each other. First two look as expected, very dark brown, dash black with basically no head. Port one has very dark red hue. Rum is the least one, even less than the base beer. Kind of pointless since the rum is far too muted & doesn’t seem to add much, the base beer sort of drowns it out. Nose is sweet booze, mocha, very basic, pretty much Black Tuesday without bourbon, more sugar. Taste is boozy overly syrupy, barrel, big oak, very alcoholic, basic brown sugar, candy, mocha, roast, brown sugar. Okay but less than regular Black Tuesday & clearly lesser than Madeira or Port. Madeira: nose is hugely sweet mocha, sweet sugar, light complimentary barrel, sweet light red wine, faint red fruits. Taste is hugely sweet, spirit, coated in oak, old strong wine, huge brown sugar, vinous alcohol, sugar, oak, molasses. Thick chewy. Works rather well. Better than regular Black Tuesday & prob. my fav. of these 3 (Rum, Madeira & Port). Hard to choose between this one & port. Port: nose is huge red wine, massively so with strong alcohol, candy & lots of barrel. Taste is huge port, red wine, booze, light molasses, plenty of barrel, roast, oak, light chocolate, thick. Quite interesting & nice, also better than the regular one for me. Final one: Black Tuesday Reserve (4.6/5). Usual appearance. Nose is huge bourbon, warming, toffee, molasses, bourbon, boozy but oddly less so than the regular one, this is one is much rounder, chocolate, caramel, fruity even. Taste is vanilla, huge mocha, chocolate, overripe fruit, molasses, cereal, sugar, warming, syrupy, finish is heavily booze but the booze is in the back here as opposed to everywhere in the regular, barrel, oak, cacao, mocha. So much rounder, richer. Way better than expected, nice surprise, very big beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Nov 2015
at 10:25