Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star
Fremont Brewing Company

Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark StarBourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star
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From:
Fremont Brewing Company
 
Washington, United States
Style:
Oatmeal Stout
Ranked #3
ABV:
14.1%
Score:
98
Ranked #367
Avg:
4.43 | pDev: 6.55%
Reviews:
218
Ratings:
1,191
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 29, 2023
Added:
May 12, 2012
Wants:
  551
Gots:
  306
Formerly known as Kentucky Dark Star (KDS), Imperial Oatmeal Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels.

2022: Blend of 24, 18, 12, and 8-month Bourbon Barrel-Aged Dark Star in 7-12-year old Kentucky bourbon barrels. 14.1 ABV
2020: Blend of 24, 18, 12 and 8-month Bourbon Barrel-Aged Dark Star in 7-12-year old Kentucky bourbon barrels. 12.7%
2019: Blend of 24, 18, 12, and 8-month Bourbon Barrel-Aged Dark Star in 7-12 year old Kentucky bourbon barrels. 13.1%
2018: Blend of 24, 18, 12 and 8-month Bourbon Barrel-Aged Dark Star in 7-12-year old Kentucky bourbon barrels. 13.6%
2017: Blend of 18, 12 and 8-month Bourbon Barrel-Aged Dark Star in 12-year old Kentucky bourbon barrels. 13.1%
2016: Blend of 18, 12 and 8-month bourbon barrel-aged Dark Star in 12-year old Kentucky Bourbon barrels. 14.5%
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of pathman
Rated by pathman from Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
10/28/23 bottle @ home (2021 vintage)
Oct 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.48 by kkarimi from Texas

Jul 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4.75 by FLBeerGuy from Florida

May 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4.52 by GClarkage from California

May 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4.53 by Gkruszewski from New York

Mar 04, 2023
Photo of drdiesel9483
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2016 in 2023
look - black thick nice rimming
Smell - barrel chocoate
Taste - chocolate oat and nice barrel
Feel - medium full body ligher medium carb
Overall - really quality ba oat stout
Feb 20, 2023
Photo of Christianriveraaa
Reviewed by Christianriveraaa

4.45/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Second time reviewing this:
L: Jet black poured from a 22oz bomber into a sniffer - Very little head appeared. Some lacing left behind from the 1/4 cm head poured.
S: Getting notes of chocolate, dark malts, dark fruit, vanilla, slight toffee, and of course the whiskey barrels.
T: Same as the notes but the dark malts and dark fruits are slightly stronger then the rest. You get chocolate, vanilla, toffee along with the whiskey barrel taste. Very nice. Definitely well complexed the 2022 version but like I said - the malts and dark fruits you can definitely taste more over the others slightly more.
F: Easy to drink, sipper as a 14%, medium to heavy bodied, thick.
O: This doesn't taste like a 14.1% beer, it tastes like a 8-9% beer. This is quite nice! I wish they would increase the chocolate and vanilla taste a tad bit to balance this one out more but this is still a solid 9/10 due to the drinkability, sweetness, and ability to cover that ABV up a lot. If they were to balance everything out a bit more it would definitely be a 10. Still good job Fremont. Thanks for this awesome beer.
Dec 08, 2022
 
Rated: 4.44 by DaveCash from New York

Dec 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4.35 by BeerBeast from Florida

Nov 16, 2022
Photo of dafla67
Reviewed by dafla67 from Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours dark brown. Aroma is wonderful, includes chocolate, oakiness, vanilla & hints of bourbon. Taste follows nose - chocolate, vanilla, bourbon & caramel. Mouthfeel is medium. Incredible stout.
Nov 13, 2022
Photo of Furlinator
Rated by Furlinator from California

4.38/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
2018 vintage. From the bottle at home on 10/14/22.
Oct 19, 2022
 
Rated: 4.4 by mdfb79 from New York

Oct 13, 2022
Photo of hops_for_thought
Reviewed by hops_for_thought from New York

4.6/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2019 BA Dark Star

Poured from a bottle into a tasting glass

L: pours a very dark black brown, moderately viscous, with a moderate dark khaki head. Fades after a minute or so, but not entirely. Solid legs with each sip

S: rich, full nose that steers clear of being too much. Lots of bitter baking chocolate leads, healthy amount of barrel influence close behind. Get caramel, vanilla, oak. Bit of alcohol to round it out - quite nice and layered

T: follows the nose well, big wave of bitter chocolate to open. A refreshing departure from pastry stouts, as the aroma suggested. After that first wave of chocolate there’s a healthy amount of bourbon barrel - vanilla; caramel; oak; some straight bourbon too. Abv heat pleasantly present. Bitterness sticks around throughout, leading to a long finish

F: medium+ body; medium/- carbonation. Smooth - not overly full but no means thin

O: really excellent, full flavored stout that demonstrates what’s possible without adjuncts. No signs of oxidation. More bitter and less “thiccc” than the usual stouts of today, just good!
Sep 07, 2022
Photo of EMV
Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2016 edition, poured from a black-wax topped bomber into a Tree House tulip

L: Inky black pour with thin mocha colored head. Falls fast... thin ring of lacing.

S: Rich and roasty. Big chocolate and vanilla... bourbon and roast. Baked dark fruit, tobacco, and more cocoa. Smooth... medium bodied and sticky. Low carbonation... warming, with lingering roast and chocolate to finish.

O: An elite BBA stout, and held up very well in the cellar for a few years. Definitely an early winter treat.
Jun 09, 2022
Photo of CaptainHate
Reviewed by CaptainHate from Ohio

4.74/5  rDev +7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
My daughter gave me this 2021 as a Christmas present so it's only right that I split it with her husband (no lie, I thought I tried this previously because if something like this is new to me I drink alone). Just an outstanding oatmeal stout. Very bourbon and chocolate forward but still very much in balance. If I had ready access to this it would be a permanent cellar resident.
Jun 03, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by BigIronH from Michigan

May 18, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by shigg85 from Japan

May 08, 2022
 
Rated: 4.68 by bigpoppa67 from Wisconsin

Mar 18, 2022
 
Rated: 4.38 by Mikexw from New York

Mar 13, 2022
Photo of jonphisher
Reviewed by jonphisher from New Jersey

4.52/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Very viscous looking pour, it yields a nice thick head that lingers much longer than most barrel stouts. Settles to thin layer of light brown with some islands of more dense congregations of bubbles. Upon swirling it really sticks to the glass and the light brown head grows and laces a little.

First thing that popped into my head after initial smell was chocolate ice cream, some oaky coconut, slightest nose tickle of alcohol, some leather.

Taste is very fudgy chocolate forward with some vanilla and oak, dark fruit notes as well.

This drinks so decadent; it’s full on viscous with mouth feeling thick, low and smooth carbonation, mouth coating, just the slightest warming sensation in tinkle in the throat, a slight roasty bitterness.
Feb 28, 2022
Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star from Fremont Brewing Company
Beer rating: 98 out of 100 with 1191 ratings