Polaris
Rising Tide Brewing Company

PolarisPolaris
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From:
Rising Tide Brewing Company
 
Maine, United States
Style:
American Stout
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.91 | pDev: 12.79%
Reviews:
25
Ratings:
100
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 19, 2017
Added:
Nov 10, 2011
Wants:
  10
Gots:
  13
Polaris is our first special release beer—a wheat stout aged in Jim Beam bourbon barrels. We started with our winter weizen stout Ursa Minor, fermenting it to completion in steel before barrel aging it for 5 months. Hints of the base beer remain but with the added complexity of vanilla, raisin, bourbon, and oak notes. Conditioned to a moderately low level of carbonation in the bottle, this beer is a perfect cold-evening sipper.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by jlindros:
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

3.97/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
not sure if I've ever had a wheat based stout before, esp aged in bourbon barrels, so this should be interesting.

Pours a darker colored bubbly fluffy 1 finger head that fades pretty quickly with all the big bubbles popping, leaves just a bit of lacing which surprises me a bit, over almost pitch black beer with slight hints of ruby light sneaking through the edges.

Nose brings a nice blend of malts and bourbon barrel, starting with a bit of a roasty dark malt with hints of coffee, then dark chocolate and baker's choc plus cocoa, then plenty of bourbon to match the malts, a bit of an oak barrel with vanilla and light woody shelf sawdust like barrel aromas, then more malts with caramel, toffee, molasses, and a strange malty softness I can only attribute to the wheat.

Taste starts with slight esters from the wood actually, but then quickly moves to the barrel flavors, some nice bourbon with a light toasty oak and more wood shelf flavors, and a light vanilla and oak chip like. Then malts kick in, some chocolate but not as much as I expected, light baker's chocolate, a bit of roast with hint of coffee, some caramel and light toasty brown malt flavors, toffee, molasses, etc. It gets a very slight burnt malt quality that adds a hint of briny roasty quality that brings it down a bit. It does have a creamy almost oatmeal like feel and flavor, with perhaps a touch of lactose, and a nice soft malt cushion. Some bitterness is brought in with the roasty flavors but also a bit of an earthy hop kick. I also gets very slight hints of dark fruit and even a caramelized banana flavor which is really interesting, and I'm not making that up!!! It finishes sticky and a bit syrupy but slightly drier, with more dark malts, hints of chocolate and caramel, as well as bourbon and barrel woody esters, and a creamy feel all lingering.

Mouth is full bodied, a bit creamy, no real booze, and decent enough carb for the style although its lower than usual.

Overall really interesting, a nice profile with nice malts, a bit more chocolate would have been nice, the roast hits well but just a hair too much burntness, bourbon comes on nice but fades too quickly, and the barrel brings a good profile. there are some hints of wheat with the soft feel and hints of banana like fruits and softness overall, and a bit of a creamy oatmeal or lactose feel. The hints of bitterness and hops play in well and not too much, but maybe a hint more would kick this up a notch.
Feb 20, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of mmorris15
Reviewed by mmorris15 from Maine

4.04/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours almost-black with a head that recedes quickly. Aroma of whiskey, wood, cocoa, and yeast. Flavors of banana, cocoa, clove, and a hint of barrel-presence. Feel is on the thinner side. Overall, pretty solid beer from Rising Tide.
Feb 19, 2017
 
Rated: 3.94 by smanson56 from New Hampshire

Feb 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by AirBob from Massachusetts

Jan 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4.08 by LostHighway from Minnesota

Jan 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.94 by Prost76 from New Hampshire

Sep 15, 2016
Photo of michaelpearson
Reviewed by michaelpearson from North Carolina

4.31/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Well done Rising Tide -- this held up exceptionally well! Admittedly, I didn't cellar this properly and was pleasantly surprised how good this beer was, especially given the preceding. Lovely,
high carbonation that pops the cork with head that lingers like the lacing of an Americano. Nose is subtle and blended reminiscent of chocolate pot de creme. Mouthfeel is velvety smooth and full bodied without any heaviness. Tastes like dark chocolate with a wonderful subtle bourbon coating. Overall this beer is disappearing far too quickly from my glass. Wish I had another one stashed...
Jul 22, 2016
Photo of Bowdoinbeerboy
Reviewed by Bowdoinbeerboy from Maine

4.43/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours with a huge head that lingers forever. Beer itself is totally opaque and midnight black. The head is a creme brulee color. The nose is somewhat coffee-like, but, unlike some other stouts it seems rather subdue with some very rich oaky-vanilla notes. The taste is exceptionally smooth, none of the harsh burnt flavor that most stouts have. The first flavor is a surprisingly sweet maltiness, this becomes chocolaty, with lots of vanilla, and just a bit of boozy heat on the head.

Overall this is an excellent stout and I really don't like stouts. Flavor profile is fairly standard stout, but with a bit more booze and a really nice vanilla oak smoothness.
Dec 04, 2015
Photo of Bugs318
Reviewed by Bugs318 from Canada (QC)

3.92/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Yeast presence offers banana up front mixed with some cocoa. As fizzy beige head recedes, barrel comes forward with Vanilla and more chocolate. Taste is similar with a rich and moderately sweet complexity, balancing fruity yeast, roasty grain, and Barrel woody and vanilla qualities. A touch thin, but solid.
Jun 17, 2015
 
Rated: 4.09 by braican from Massachusetts

May 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.94 by paresis from Massachusetts

May 09, 2015
 
Rated: 4.04 by Faxmesomehalibut from New Hampshire

Apr 22, 2015
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

3.86/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Rim bubbles come from the small head. No lace. Deep, deep brown where no light shines through.

Dark, nearly burnt toast smell. Biscuity.

Think brandy and stout blended. It's tasty. Chewy but not too full a body. Higher carbonation.
Feb 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.4 by VTCombi from Vermont

Feb 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.65 by rderedin from Maine

Feb 07, 2015
 
Rated: 3.96 by hopley from Massachusetts

Jan 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3.9 by ScottP from New Hampshire

Jan 29, 2015
 
Rated: 4.18 by struttinj from North Carolina

Jan 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by Electros from Canada (ON)

Jan 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4.41 by emptyglassagain from Massachusetts

Jan 10, 2015
Polaris from Rising Tide Brewing Company
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 100 ratings