Bottleworks XI Anniversary Ale
Big Sky Brewing Company

Bottleworks XI Anniversary AleBottleworks XI Anniversary Ale
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From:
Big Sky Brewing Company
 
Montana, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
11%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.85 | pDev: 15.32%
Reviews:
32
Ratings:
67
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 06, 2019
Added:
Feb 24, 2010
Wants:
  42
Gots:
  8
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Brent:
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Reviewed by Brent from Kentucky

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Something a bit odd going on with this one. Deeply roasted malt flavor, with an discordant, acidic note. Others have described it as a red wine note, but perhaps to me more like grape must or seeds. Overall, this beer has a lot going for it, but the acidic note stands out like one out of tune violin in the orchestra.
Oct 05, 2010
More User Ratings:
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Reviewed by rand from California

3.41/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
I have a completely different take from the other reviews...this brew is infected, but it’s the only interesting thing going on here.

Dark brown ale with almost no carbonation and very low viscosity for the style. Pleasant, barrel-aged nose with notes of caramel, vanilla and yeasty oak. On the palate though, flavors are muddled and dull. You would think they were going for a sour stout, but the stout flavors are routine and hackneyed (I understand this brew has been cellared for eights years, but still). Long, disjointed finish.

750 mL bottle poured into Rare Barrel wine glass
Mar 06, 2019
Photo of scottfrie
Reviewed by scottfrie from California

2.77/5  rDev -28.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
750ml into snifter. Thanks for the tick, Jeff.

A: Pours a deep cola brown with an ample, dense, and frothy woody brown head that took forever to fade into a lasting cap of foam. The head and carbonation scream infection, and I'm surprised the bottle didn't gush.
S: Big, sweet, chewy, bourbon nose with equally as much thick chocolate fudge and bitter dark chocolate. I get hints of caramel, and light notes of infection in the form of tart red berries and slight acetic acid. There's just a hint of cardboard oxidation as the beer warms.
T: Follows the nose with rather smooth and delicious flavors of chocolate fudge, and tons caramel, raisin and dark fruit. I even get a background hint of tannic woody wine barrel perhaps. The infection isn't overpowering, but it's enough to be distracting. Sharp tart red berries and a touch of vinegar bite at my throat. The finish has flavors of vanilla and lingering leather and bourbon. No trace of alcohol warmth. This beer would be awesome aside from the infection.
M: Thick, chewy body, sweet and slick mouthfeel, fuzzy spritzy carbonation and obviously the tart vinegary bite.
O: Too bad this didn't hold up. It was still drinkable to an extent, and the infection wasn't rampant, but unfortunately most of this bottle went down the drain.
Oct 14, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by Bristopher89 from Texas

Jun 30, 2015
 
Rated: 4.27 by Liquidswordz from Texas

Jun 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3.85 by wethorseblanket from California

May 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.6 by jakewatt135 from Oregon

Mar 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4.47 by GClarkage from California

Jan 16, 2015
 
Rated: 3.4 by DCLAguy11 from California

Dec 28, 2014
Photo of UCLABrewN84
Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California

3.51/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to Tieman for sharing this one at Retsinis' tasting.

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Tiny dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is slightly sour with dark roasted malt, cocoa, wine grape, red wine, and wood aromas. Taste is much the same with sour cocoa, wine grape, and red wine flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of acidity on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with an interesting sourness that I am not sure is from the red wine barrel aging or from some sort of infection.

Serving type: bottle.
Dec 15, 2014
 
Rated: 3.92 by Wowcoolman from California

Dec 14, 2014
 
Rated: 2.25 by madtowndmb1 from Wisconsin

Oct 11, 2014
Photo of BarrytheBear
Reviewed by BarrytheBear from Wisconsin

2.41/5  rDev -37.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Big tarts, red cherry, would love for this to be the barrels..but damn if this fun try isn't a bit of a mess.

This is a chore..a small taste was more than enough...the a bottle...drainzilla.
Oct 10, 2014
Photo of HuskyinPDX
Rated by HuskyinPDX from Washington

3.25/5  rDev -15.6%
Bottle opened on 6.18.14

Tart wine, chocolate, mild bourbon. Way past its prime.
Aug 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by zestar from California

Aug 10, 2014
Photo of Alieniloquium
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida

2.71/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
750 mL bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Black body. Big khaki head. Wispy surface. Medium collar.

Smell - Yogurty lactic sourness. A little bit of wine. Chocolate.

Taste - Sharp sourness right up front. Red wine grapes. Yogurt. Lactic sourness.

Mouthfeel - Really sour. Tough to drink. Medium carbonation.

Overall - Way over the hill and too sour to be interesting.
Jul 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Gobzilla from California

May 02, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by LumpkinBrews from Colorado

Mar 24, 2014
 
Rated: 2 by Eighty from Washington

Mar 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by strongaf from Washington

Mar 09, 2014
Bottleworks XI Anniversary Ale from Big Sky Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 67 ratings