Sustenance Black Beer - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Short's Brewing Company

Sustenance Black Beer - Bourbon Barrel-AgedSustenance Black Beer - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
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From:
Short's Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
Schwarzbier
ABV:
6.5%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.03 | pDev: 10.42%
Reviews:
84
Ratings:
209
Status:
Active
Rated:
Apr 25, 2021
Added:
Apr 28, 2008
Wants:
  59
Gots:
  26
Sustenance Black Beer aged it in bourbon barrels for 11 months.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Tripel_Threat
Reviewed by Tripel_Threat from Michigan

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Picked up a bomber at Short's Mart. Cola colored liquid with a small cap of foam. No retention. Aromas of dark fruit and earthy hops with just a touch of booze. Flavor carries the Bourbon aging in the finish, lightly sweet and woody; however, this one is more schwarzbier than anything else. Thin, almost watery feel.
Apr 25, 2021
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 5/2009. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and rocky light khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, apple, apricot, red grape, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, roasted nuts, bourbon, toasted oak, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, smoke, char, wood, herbal, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Minimal booziness in the aromas as it warms. Damn nice aromas with great complexity, and balance of black/roast/bready malts, bourbon barrels, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of big raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, apple, apricot, red grape, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, roasted nuts, bourbon, toasted oak, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, smoke, char, wood, herbal, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Light pine, smoke, char, wood, herbal, grass, peppercorn, smoke, charred bitterness; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness after the finish. Lingering notes of light/dark fruits, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, roasted nuts, bourbon, toasted oak, dark bread/crust, coconut, licorice, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, smoke, char, wood, herbal, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of black/roast/bready malts, bourbon barrels, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with a great great hop/char bitter/sweet and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying/acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Very clean on lager flavors, not overly fruity/yeasty. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness, and bourbon/oak spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/silky/bready/grainy, and fairly sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 8.5%, with minimal lingering booziness after the finish. Overall this is an excellent barrel aged schwarzbier style. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of black/roast/bready malts, bourbon barrels, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and easy to drink for the ABV, with the mellowly bitter/charred/tannic/drying finish. Great soft feel and lightly bitter/charred/tannic. Light residual sweetness with lingering charred/tannic dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and impressive style example. Aged really well for 11 years.
Dec 24, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by Rostie from Michigan

Feb 09, 2018
 
Rated: 4.12 by Buck_Jones from Michigan

Sep 29, 2017
Photo of udfan07
Reviewed by udfan07 from Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
A nice bourbon barrel beer. A nice dark beer and I smell raisins as well as maybe some vanilla. No bitterness on the finish and all around a pretty good beer.
May 12, 2017
 
Rated: 3.89 by JamesStreet from Louisiana

Mar 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.79 by Tracker83 from Michigan

Mar 18, 2017
Photo of mynie
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland

4.18/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Advertises itself as "Bourbon Barrel Soaked," which is a phrasing I like.

Pours very dark and still. VERY dark. Practically opaque. No head of which to speak.

Smells of bourbon vanilla, light barley char, and some raisins. Not the most variegated of bourbon-aged beers, but well composed.

Taste starts with raisiny, aged grain and a whiskey sharpness. This smooths into a middle of straight vanilla that lasts all the way through to the finish.

It's pretty good. Perhaps I let it age too long, but honestly I think age has brought forward some of its fruity complexities.
Feb 19, 2017
 
Rated: 3.26 by zaraspook from Illinois

Oct 26, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by jschott75 from Illinois

Jun 15, 2016
 
Rated: 4.14 by liamt07 from Canada (ON)

Sep 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.93 by krl2112 from Illinois

Jul 30, 2015
 
Rated: 4.23 by entenduintransit from Tennessee

May 29, 2015
 
Rated: 4.04 by Eziel from Ohio

Apr 22, 2015
 
Rated: 4.16 by KAF from Iowa

Apr 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by mrn1ceguy from Illinois

Feb 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.68 by Dicers from California

Feb 08, 2015
 
Rated: 4.75 by zachraymer from Michigan

Dec 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by EricTKole from Michigan

Nov 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.35 by JamesShoemaker from Michigan

Aug 26, 2014
Sustenance Black Beer - Bourbon Barrel-Aged from Short's Brewing Company
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 209 ratings