-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Bottleworks XI Anniversary Ale
Big Sky Brewing Company
- 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:
- 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 t0rin0:
More User Ratings:
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
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, 2019Dark 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
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
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, 2017A: 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.
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
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, 2014Pours 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.
Reviewed by BarrytheBear from Wisconsin
2.41/5 rDev -37.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
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, 2014This is a chore..a small taste was more than enough...the a bottle...drainzilla.
Rated by HuskyinPDX from Washington
3.25/5 rDev -15.6%
3.25/5 rDev -15.6%
Bottle opened on 6.18.14
Tart wine, chocolate, mild bourbon. Way past its prime.
Aug 15, 2014Tart wine, chocolate, mild bourbon. Way past its prime.
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida
2.71/5 rDev -29.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
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, 2014Appearance - 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.
Bottleworks XI Anniversary Ale from Big Sky Brewing Company
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
67 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!