The Hammer - Barrel Aged
Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.

The Hammer - Barrel AgedThe Hammer - Barrel Aged
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From:
Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.
 
British Columbia, Canada
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
ABV:
8.3%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.09 | pDev: 9.05%
Reviews:
26
Ratings:
55
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 08, 2018
Added:
Jan 16, 2011
Wants:
  8
Gots:
  7
Smooth with oak and smoke notes, this special version of the Hammer is aged in Bourbon barrels, yielding a more mellow version of the Imperial Stout.

2017 Notes
This year’s vintage was carefully aged in freshly emptied bourbon barrels. It pours a deep earthy brown colour and features a full-bodied, roasted flavour profile with hints of dark chocolate, vanilla and coconut. This beer pairs beautifully with dark winter nights, or if you have the patience, is a great candidate to make disappear for awhile in your beer cellar gulag.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Ericbeech_87:
Photo of Ericbeech_87
Rated by Ericbeech_87 from Canada (BC)

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Jan 29, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of Tolosa
Reviewed by Tolosa from Canada (AB)

4.38/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
It's a lovely brew :) I wish this beer was available all year long, even if it is definitely even better when enjoyed during cold weather. Because that is one rich stout :)
Feb 08, 2018
 
Rated: 4.29 by JoshuaJerrid from Canada (BC)

Jan 29, 2017
 
Rated: 5 by MilkLeg from Canada (AB)

Feb 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.65 by Whatup14 from Canada (QC)

Jan 29, 2016
Photo of Trosevear
Reviewed by Trosevear from Canada (AB)

4.49/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
L: Pitch black with a slight brown head that disappeared quickly.

S: It's smells like a mix of tequila and bourbon with a slight dark chocolate coffee notes to it.

T: Very strong bourbon taste, after that it has a strong dark chocolate and finishes with a milk chocolate and slight coffee. Very complex actually.

F: High carbination, and a full body feel, after swishing around in my mouth leaves a tingly feeling in my mouth and leaves a super sweet bourbon taste in the mouth.

O: A fantastic beer I really wish this was a permanent beer on there line up.
Jan 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.99 by alew_os from Canada (BC)

Dec 29, 2015
 
Rated: 4.12 by Tivlavrie from Canada (AB)

Dec 25, 2015
Photo of Hat_Fulla_Beer
Reviewed by Hat_Fulla_Beer from Canada (AB)

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Day 20 of the Phillips Snowcase advent calendar. 341ml bottle poured into tulip.

Pours a solid crude oil black with a thin, loose head of light brown foam that leaves a small ring of chunky lace as it recedes.

Smells like roasted chocolate malt, black coffee and faint black licorice.

Tastes of melted black chocolate, lightly creamed coffee, brown sugar, more faint licorice and some gentle boozy wood.

Feels smooth and heavy with faint carbonation. Finishes with bittersweet chocolate and wood.

Verdict: Recommended. Would have been nice to taste more bourbon, but this is a big, tasty, relatively easy beer that'll warm you right up.
Dec 22, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by Howlader from Canada (AB)

Aug 23, 2015
Photo of TheSevenDuffs
Reviewed by TheSevenDuffs from Canada (ON)

3.2/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25
A - Poured black with a thin layer of mocha coloured head.

S - Roast, bitter espresso and a hint of licorice. The nose doesn't even leave a trace of barrel.

T - Bitter dark roast, baker's chocolate, light licorice. The barrel presence shows up in the palate, but still takes a back seat to the base beer qualities.

M - Very light; watery. Carbonation is almost non-existent. Drinks more like a 5% porter than an imperial stout.

O - Disappointing. The mouthfeel was the big let down here. But the barrel was also more subdued than it should be in a barrel aged stout.
Jul 13, 2015
Photo of LampertLand
Reviewed by LampertLand from Canada (BC)

4.31/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Phillips Brewing 'The Hammer' Barrel Aged Imperial Stout @ 8.3% , served from a lot of 650 ml bottle purchased for $6-8
A-pour is a dark cola brown from the bottle to an oily black in the glass with a small tan head which is quickly dissapating leaving a lace film along the pint/snifter after every sip
S-mellow roasted barley malt , bourbon especially the '14 vintage
T-way smoother than the original Hammer , mellowed by the barrel aging perhaps , definate bourbon aftertaste/bite ,
MF-low carbonation , full bodied
Ov-a much smoother sipping beer than the original Hammer , not quite the best beer buzz ever but a damn fine one , vintages sampled '12 & '13 with one year in the cellar , '14 & '15 with two years in the cellar
prost LampertLand
Apr 24, 2015
Photo of Bunman3
Reviewed by Bunman3 from Canada (AB)

4.02/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Oh, so good. This is truly one of my favourite styles, and Philips absolutely gets this one right. I love the look of this brew - pure black, with a substantial dark head. The dark, smooth nature of this beer is everything I love in a stout - chocolate, smoke, roasted malt and the faintest hint of wood. The high alcohol content doesn't pop its head up until you are well into the glass, a quality I enjoy. Definitely one of my top ten beers.
Apr 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.81 by Jerplamo

Feb 21, 2015
 
Rated: 4.01 by D_Min from Canada (BC)

Feb 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.27 by Beervana from Canada (BC)

Feb 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.16 by Erik-P from Canada (BC)

Feb 07, 2015
Photo of Svingjo
Reviewed by Svingjo from Canada (BC)

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The barrel aged version of The Hammer poured black like it's counterpart. I did find the head was more brown than the tan of the regular version. The head also stuck around until I finished the beer. The nose was much the same as the original with but slightly more vanilla up front to go with the wood notes. The flavour was rich and chocolatey, with vanilla and coconut notes. It was mildly carbonated. I believe I said the original lacked a bit of something on the mouthfeel, but this one hits it on the head. This was actually my favourite of the calendar so far.
Dec 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by EastVanBeerNerd from Canada (BC)

Nov 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by KAF from Iowa

Oct 07, 2014
The Hammer - Barrel Aged from Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 55 ratings