The Rusty Nail
(has 9 batches)
Fremont Brewing Company in Seattle, Washington, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Pastry / Flavoured - Imperial Regular|
Score
8.24
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The Rusty Nail begins life as The First Nail, an oatmeal stout of epic proportions with brewer’s licorice, smoked barley, and pale malt and is then aged on cinnamon bark. She becomes The Rusty Nail after spending 15 months in 12-year old bourbon barrels. The Rusty Nail pounds your palate, challenges your perception of all that you’ve known of beer, and leaves you wanting … another sip. “A fine beer may be judged by one sip, but it’s better to be thoroughly sure.” – VWP.
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8.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8.5
Texture 7
Overall 9
dark brown, almost black, brown head with various kinds of brown and light brown streaks.
aroma is coconut chocolate and bourbon and wood, roasted malts. was i blind tasting this i would've guess borbon BA imp stout. rich, deep and complex aroma, does not come off as artificial but rather as quality aroma derived from quality ingredients. very very faint cellary almost oxidized notes. it's 2026 so 5+ years in the bottle probably - but overall fresher than a macro stored half a year.
flavor is booze, licorice, bourbon, chocolate, coffee like notes, barley wine malty note. by flavor i would definetly put this in "dark barley wine" category, not BA bourbon imp stout. This is a very complex and powerful dark barleywine. also notes of dried dark fruits. cinnamon, aftertaste is lingering and multi faceted.
What a beer. one of the best dark bw i've had, and i've been around.
aroma is coconut chocolate and bourbon and wood, roasted malts. was i blind tasting this i would've guess borbon BA imp stout. rich, deep and complex aroma, does not come off as artificial but rather as quality aroma derived from quality ingredients. very very faint cellary almost oxidized notes. it's 2026 so 5+ years in the bottle probably - but overall fresher than a macro stored half a year.
flavor is booze, licorice, bourbon, chocolate, coffee like notes, barley wine malty note. by flavor i would definetly put this in "dark barley wine" category, not BA bourbon imp stout. This is a very complex and powerful dark barleywine. also notes of dried dark fruits. cinnamon, aftertaste is lingering and multi faceted.
What a beer. one of the best dark bw i've had, and i've been around.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Jul 2026
at 12:05
8.5/10
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Appearance 9
Aroma 8
Flavor 8.5
Texture 10
Overall 8
Opaque petroleum black with a small tan head. toasted malt, roasted barley, chocolate, coffee, dried fruit, vanilla, oak tannins, light smoke, floral hop, warming alcohol. Light sweet & bitter. Balanced. Dense. Very good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Jan 2026
at 15:57
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
2023 edition. Very dark brown body, no head. Licorice and cinnamon on caramel in the aroma, didn't get much smoke. Lean, dry taste, pleasant, again licorice and cinnamon over light chocolate. Fresh-seeming, dryish, pretty nice! Dare I say excellent?
Tried
on 24 Nov 2024
at 07:49