Plead the 5th - Bourbon Barrel Aged Spicy Hot Chocolate Stout
Dark Horse Brewing Company

02/10/23 can @ home

Appearance - The vicious black pour produced a half-inch tan head.

Smell - Chocolate and cinnamon highlighted in the nose. The bourbon took the backseat.

Taste - I had the regular bourbon barrel on tap earlier in the week. In general, this is the same chocolate and bourbon as the base beer. Cinnamon and other milder spices were in the background. It reminded me of Mexican Cake. Cinnamon lingered in the finish. A little bit more would improve this.

Mouthfeel - Nobody seem to be better than the base beer. Not sure how this is possible.

Overall - This was a well-designed variant, with exception of the body.

 

Brief Review:

O: From 4Elf 2021, here comes the first released variant of BB Plead. BB Plead itself has fallen off over the years, and unfortunately this one falls victim to its original's mistakes. Too thin, too hot, too muted. Not a complete drain pour, but certainly nothing to write home about here.

Recommendation: Nearly all of the 4Elf beers this past year have been disappointment. Can't find many reasons to recommend this beer.

A - Pours a motor oil black with a fizzy tan head. The head fades into a thin ring leaving light soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is heavy cinnamon, chocolate and bourbon.

T - The taste is dark chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, light pepper heat, light bourbon and a heavy amount of oak.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a soft dry finish.

O - Really solid. Tons of barrel with a nice amount of cinnamon and chocolate. Light pepper heat on the finish.

Earlier this year, I tried Plead the 5th BA for the first time and was very impressed with the execution. They recently released this Mexican hot chocolate variant so I scooped it up. The spice and cocoa come through to make it much more unique. The classic BA still takes the cake.

 

 

12oz can poured into a tulip. Pours almost black; fluffy khaki head that falls leaving decent retention and lacing. The aromas are malt forward. Hints of cocoa and vanilla. Very subtle hints of cinnamon. The bourbon basically goes unnoticed in the aroma department for the most part. The aromas really open up as it warms a bit. The flavors are much bolder than the nose might indicate. Lots of cinnamon sugar blending well with the chocolate. Other spices that don't dominate or takeover. There's no heat and it's not spicy at all. The bourbon is there, but it's pretty subtle and blends well with everything. Solid malt backbone. Subtle warmth in the finish, but the alcohol is well hidden for the most part. Mouthfeel is nice. It's full-bodied with moderate carbonation. It's fluffy, slightly creamy and velvety, smooth and ultimately dangerously drinkable.

This is a great stout. The cinnamon flavors are awesome, they absolutely nailed that aspect. The cinnamon and spices are the star without being overwhelming. The bourbon does its thing while almost becoming an afterthought. At the end of the day, this is a great beer. Nice balance. Great flavors. I like this much more than their current barrel-aged Plead The 5th which was canned and released with this one. They have a special beer with this one. Well done. I love it. This beer would be perfect during the holiday season, but it's fine for any time of the year.

Update 7/10/22: Had another one today and found that the heat from the pepper has faded since my last experience is all but gone now. The cinnamon is more noticeable. It's still a very good beer. No change in my ratings.

The spiciness in this beer is less than other beers of this 'style' that I've had, which is a good thing for me, and that's why I like it so much. There's a nice balance between the malt, chocolate and the bourbon flavors, and the spiciness does not detract from that.