Rain Shadow - Single Barrel Brandy (2023)
Buxton Brewery in Buxton, Derbyshire, England 🏴
Stout - Imperial Special Out of Production|
Score
7.44
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This is Single Barrel Rain Shadow; our straight-up Barrel Aged Imperial Stout. This year, we've developed it into two distinct expressions.
This is the Brandy variant, aged in Brandy barrels in our barrel store for a year. We've aged it so you don't have to - ready to enjoy!
This is the Brandy variant, aged in Brandy barrels in our barrel store for a year. We've aged it so you don't have to - ready to enjoy!
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7.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 5.5
Flavor 8
Texture 7
Overall 8
pours dark brown with a fine drak brown smooth small lasting head.
surprisingly mild aroma, only hints of booze and hints of roasted malts. strongest notes are the kind of notes you get when barrelling too long, sort of glue like.
flavor is dry hard roasted malts, charred wood (but not smoked malts) nice faint touch from the brandy. flavor is a bit delicate and subdued but truly very very nice roasted malty with the other flavors just enhancing the experience. the wood is easy to detect with the charred woody note being the strongest tell. end is roasted malty and charred woody. Very good flavor. Totally unlike the very boring aroma.
surprisingly mild aroma, only hints of booze and hints of roasted malts. strongest notes are the kind of notes you get when barrelling too long, sort of glue like.
flavor is dry hard roasted malts, charred wood (but not smoked malts) nice faint touch from the brandy. flavor is a bit delicate and subdued but truly very very nice roasted malty with the other flavors just enhancing the experience. the wood is easy to detect with the charred woody note being the strongest tell. end is roasted malty and charred woody. Very good flavor. Totally unlike the very boring aroma.
Tried
from Bottle
from
Kihoskh
on 27 Sep 2025
at 11:33
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
330ml bottle from Buxton Brewery online shop. A almost black coloured pour with a thinnish beige head on top. Rich, sweet, roasty, malty, chocolate, caramel, taste and aroma. Pretty good but got incredibly sweet as it went on.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Aug 2024
at 13:03
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
Bottle. Buxton online. Viscous pour sits black. Viscous tan foam to match. Looks well. Nose has sweet brandy up front. Boozy grape and light oak. Dark chocolate malt. Taste has a flicker of roast malt sweetness turning charred and robust oak bitterness. Slick but not necessarily too rich on the palate. Buxton bitterness to finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Feb 2024
at 21:55
7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottle picked up from Beerdome webshop Grootegast, Netherlands and consumed at home Thursday 8th February 2024 listening to Tom Ravenscroft and Deb Grant on New Music Fix on 6Music and then Gideon Coe. We had a wonderful Lamb Curry for tea. Pours black with a tan head that soon disappeared to a filmy rim, bitter roasty maltiness, smooth in the mouth, bitter chocolate. The barrel ageing (brandy) is for me on the harsh side and rather than elevating the base beer it does the opposite and spoils the party. It's certainly not a bad beer, but it's not something that I would seek out again in a hurry.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Feb 2024
at 03:28
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Panda at home, thanks to Kenny, 16/11/23. Pitch black with a tan head that dissipates to a swirl. Nose is ripe dark fruit esters, brandy hit, spice, molasses, dates, chocolate melt, dark malts. Taste comprises fruit cake mix, cacao nibs, spice, roasted bite, dates, figs, brandy barrel, earthy fruit rinds, charr. Full bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a balanced kiss of alcohol. Solid kit.
Tried
on 16 Nov 2023
at 20:17
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
6th November 2023
Opaque dark brown beer, small bubbly tan head. Smooth and airy palate, mildly dry, decent fine carbonation. Mellow dark malts, modest dark chocolate, mild biscuit. Modest barrel vanilla and wood. Soft, and mildly fruity brandy. Light smooth finish. Nice if pretty polite. I suppose 'refined' would be a better description.
Opaque dark brown beer, small bubbly tan head. Smooth and airy palate, mildly dry, decent fine carbonation. Mellow dark malts, modest dark chocolate, mild biscuit. Modest barrel vanilla and wood. Soft, and mildly fruity brandy. Light smooth finish. Nice if pretty polite. I suppose 'refined' would be a better description.
Tried
on 06 Nov 2023
at 23:35
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Dark brown, small tan head. Aroma of dried dark fruits, vanilla, chocolate. Taste of caramel, coffee, chocolate
Tried
on 08 Sep 2023
at 21:23
8/10
Bottle at home. Dark black... Thin tan lacing... Sweet chocolate.. Rich chocolate roast malts.. Dark sweet chocolate...
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Aug 2023
at 19:54
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
330 ml bottle. Pours black with short tan head. Aromas of oak, alcohol, raisins and bread crust. Flavors follow same with emphasis on dry oaky brandy. Might need to sit for a bit.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Apr 2023
at 17:56
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle at home. Pours black, nose is chocolate, toffee, vanilla, fruity, taste is sweet toffee, chewy, vanilla, chocolate, brandy. --- Beer merged from original tick of Single Barrel Rain Shadow Brandy 2023 on 27 Mar 2023 at 20:38 - Score: 8
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Mar 2023
at 19:39