T.O.R.I.S. The Tyrant - Barrel-Aged
Hoppin' Frog Brewery

4.45/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle into a snifter. Had 5/31/19.

Pours a very dark brown, definitely opaque, with a short head and some spotty cling. Aromas of bourbon, dark roast malt, char, molasses, chocolate, cocoa, oak, raisins, some caramel, light figs and prunes, some smoke. Smells great. The flavor is similar, and just as great- bourbon, roasted malt, chocolate, cocoa, molasses, raisins, some caramel and prunes, char, light vanilla. Very smooth, a great full body, well carbonated.

The bourbon escalates the already great base beer, lots of aromas and flavors, as roasty as you want an RIS to be. Very enjoyable and well worth a purchase.

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4.29/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours a motor oil black with a one finger brown head. Light soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is dark chocolate, vanilla and bourbon.

T - The taste is dark chocolate, espresso, roasted malts, molasses, vanilla, oak and bourbon.

M - Full body with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a crisp dry finish.

O - This is a huge BA stout. Tons of dark roasty flavors with a good amount of bourbon heat in the finish.

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4.2/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle from debierliefhebber.nl enjoyed at home. Pours a pitch black colour with a dark brown head that has a small layer retention. Aroma's are dark chocolate, bourbon, bonbons, vanilla, slightly alcoholic. Retronasal it's roasted malts, dark chocolate, a bit alcohol, light toffee. Flavour is roasted moderate bitter and moderate sweet. Strong alcohol feel, warming the mouth and throat for a long time. A bit too hot actually. Full bodied. Long finish with roast, moderate bitter. Good stuff, despite the alcohol heat.

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4.57/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Sent in a NBS BIF ninja from ozzylizzard

Look: pitch black with a dark brown head. Good lacing throughout.

Smell: great mix of oak, bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, coffee and hints of caramel.

Taste: follows the nose with a great blend of everything. The barrel is really helping balance the strength of the base beer.

Feel: full-bodied and creamy. Nice dry finish.

Overall: just a really done BA oatmeal stout.

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4.26/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Serving: Bottle
No date (Consumed May-14)


A:
It pours about as thick and black as could be with barely a suggestion of head. No retention; no lacing. (3.5)

S:
Thick cocoa and dark fruits aroma with molasses, vanillins, roast nuts, coffee, bourbon sweetness and rye-like zip. (4.25)

T:
Chocolate-covered figs, cognac, espresso cream, cherries, sweet-spice combo from the barrel, baker's chocolate, general roast/alcohol bite. (4.5)

M:
Big bodied, a little thin though, prickly carbonation, lingering warmth and whiskey spiciness. (3.75)

O:
At once very nice and very disjointed.
This is a behemoth, no doubt about it. It pours pretty crappy looking. The aroma is immediately sticky and unctuous with dried dark fruits and chocolate, coffee acridness and general big roast character. The flavor is along the same lines. Big barrel character, chocolate and coffee notes, some highlights and sweet-tart cherry flavor and a fairly boozy finish. It is a monster to drink and I feel like the carbonation is a little much for as big as it is, but the beer on the whole and the feel in particular kind of smooth out as it warms. On the whole this is a decent beer. It is great in some ways and left me wanting in others. I guess that after a certain point with the Boris beers they have to get a bit out of whack since they are damn substantial to begin with. If this was a little smoother, more balanced and looked better it would be another home run in my book. I do want to note here that I served it at 50º and it consistently mellowed, richified and generally improved as it got closer to room temp. As with the others, don't be afraid to drink it practically warm. It was not my favorite of the BORIS beers but it is definitely a nice beer that is worth looking for. As it is, though, it is "just" very good. These are all nice beers and this one just happens to be the most tyrannical I guess. (4.25)

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4.44/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Jet black body; head is thin and fizzy. Excellent blends of whiskey, baker's chocolate, charred grain and oats in the aroma. The taste is rich and dark, highlighting notes of cocoa and chocolate chip cookies; definite whiskey flavor; bitter; faint hint of dates. Heavy body; thick and chewy; definite alcohol warmth burning through the residual sugars.

Like a previous reviewer, I wasn't sure whether to review this beer here or create a new listing. But, since the base beer is barrel-aged T.O.R.I.S and the ABV are the same, I guess this is the best spot for it. In this case, this version is "Rocky Mountain Barrel Aged" T.O.R.I.S. The label does state this beer is "(a)ged in very special Colorado whiskey barrels..." and is a "...rare version...". Without a doubt, this is one powerful and tasty dark beer, rich and complex, with a distinct barrel aged whiskey kick. Good stuff...

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4.84/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Not sure if this beer belongs here, but I will put here for now. Most of what I have tried from Hoppin Frog have been quaffable beer. This monster of a beer is Rocky Mountain Barrel Aged with high alcohol content. The beer is 54 degrees and served in a tulip glass. The pour on the beer produced a one finger dark tan head with decent retention. The beer's head dissipated somewhat slowly. The head was creamy and foamy and left no lacing on the glass. The color of the beer SRM 38 dark brown nearly black and opaque.

The aromas of the beer are caramel, dark roasted malts, figs, dark stone fruit, coffee, chocolate, wood, cinnamon, molasses, brown sugar, toasted sugar, earthy, grassy, floral, cereal grains, Maillard, alcohol, whiskey, anise, bready, and resin.

The flavors in the beer are bready, loads of oatmeal, caramel, toffee, dark roasted coffee, chocolate, cinnamon, oak, molasses, earthy, grassy, floral, smokiness, alcohol, tobacco, leather, whiskey, dark stone fruit, cinnamon, orange, char, dark roasted malts, and raisin.

The mouthfeel is creamy, intense, and coating.

The body of the beer is full, low carbonation, and a full finish.

This beer is incredible. As the beer rises past 60 degrees, the characteristics in the beer come alive. The beer is velvety, creamy, luscious and very intense. The alcohol in the beer is hidden. I am blown away by the complexity of this beer. I thought that it was overkill but give me this beer any day.

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4.5/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

look: lush dark brown with a dark mocha head. Nearly opaque. Messy lacing with an oily sheen.
smell: Rich with dark fruits, vanilla, bourbon, and dark chocolate.
taste: much like the nose. Some sweetness up front countered by a dry char bitterness in the finish.

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4.6/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Taste: Intense, massive dark malt, barrel woody notes, bittersweet coca, vanilla, dark fruit, warming finish. Complex, robust barrel oak, malty bold boozy nose. Black/Brown, opaque, no head just a "wine film on the snifter glass. Heavy full body. Match up to 3Floyd's Dark Lord R.I.S.

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4.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle into snifter, no bottle dating. Pours dense pitch black color with a 1 finger fairly dense and rocky dark brown head with solid retention, that reduces to a minimal ring of lace eventually. Minimal lacing on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, molasses, fudge, licorice, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, nuts, and dark bread; with lighter notes of smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/oaky earthiness. Increasing booze in the aromas as it warms, but not too overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malts, bourbon barrels, fruity yeast, and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of huge dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, molasses, fudge, licorice, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, nuts, and dark bread; with lighter notes of smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/oaky earthiness. Light pine/herbal hop, roast/char bitterness; and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, molasses, fudge, licorice, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, dark fruits, nuts, dark bread, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, bourbon barrels, fruity yeast, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with a great roast/char bitter/sweet, and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying/acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness, and bourbon/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and very full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/slick, and lightly sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Lightly increasing warmth of 13.8%, with mild barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an amazing barrel aged Russian imperial stout! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, bourbon barrels, fruity yeast, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV, with the mellowly bitter/charred/tannic/drying finish. Amazing balance of super rich malt complexity, fruity yeast, and bourbon barrel presence/integration; with nice earthy hop presence. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. Did not prefer it over the base beer, definitely more boozy. More mellowed out on the hop/char bitterness from barrel aging, but still retains a good amount of drying hop character overall. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing spot on style example as expected.

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4.16/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Big boozy aroma, this beer pours black with a thin dark brown head. This is a big beast of a beer, lots of roast and dark fruit notes as well as some vanilla and oak. There's more then a touch of alcohol heat here as well, with some real warming going through the chest after a swallow. The finish is full of roast and chocolate notes, with a little bit of toffee. This is definitely a sipping beer for a winter night. Full bodied, slick mouthfeel, and mild carbonation make it a bit heavy.

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4.45/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle from Sprayberry Bottle Shop (Marietta, GA). 22.99. No bottling date, purchased April 2018. Served in a Barrel and Barley teku. Enjoyed 5/10/18.

Pours oil black with a little under two fingers of deep khaki head. The thick veneer of bubbles slowly recede to a shallow cap and full halo, imparting only a couple small dots and dashes of lace.

Smells of chocolate, bourbon, caramel, roast and a little stone fruit.

Bold, deep, rich flavors. Heavily kilned malt, dark chocolate, whiskey, cooked sugar, black coffee, wet charred wood, dark fruit skins, a subtle but persistent bitter herbal note and an appropriately hearty slap of alcohol.

Huge, thick, almost chewy feel with fluffy carbonation. Finishes like rich whiskey glazed fudge with plenty of dark fruit.

I can’t say I’ve had a bad imperial stout from Hoppin’ Frog but this tops them all. Barrel Aged T.O.R.I.S. hits all the right notes for the style, delivering excellence in every category.

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4.43/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from fridge temp into a snifter. Pours a rich motor oil black with almost no sign of head. Nose is powerful, like the alcohol content (13.8%). Lots of rich dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla, oats, nuts, black licorice, and some nice roasted malts. Not a ton of dark fruit, but perhaps a bit of cherry in there. Definitely a hint of soy sauce. Nose is spot on for an awesome BA stout. Taste is on the next level. Huge roasted malts/charred wood up front. Slight bitterness with the burnt coffee. Tastes like one of my beyond French roast batches - way past second crack. Also getting some caramel, dark chocolate, and black licorice. The flavor is immense and deep. The complexity is wonderful, not off putting. Mouthfeel is thick and creamy. Overall, a spectacular BA stout.

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4.34/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This one pours with a very dark and very forbidding black hue, with the smallest quickly disappearing head, and no lacing.

This smells unbelievably burly- with spicy oak, heavy roast, leathery bourbon, vanilla, espresso shots, rye spice, smoke, bitter chocolate powder, and molasses.

I domed a full 22 oz bottle of this stuff, and that was very likely a big mistake. It's got a nice boozy quality to it that's luckily not super overwhelming. There's tons of barrel, mostly oak, with dark chocolate, ashy smoke, molasses, brown sugar, pine, char, and heavily roasted coffee. It's amazing that this is barrel-aged and 13.8%, and it finishes so dry. There's very little extra sweetness here, which is honestly a miracle.

This is pretty thick, but not really syrupy, which is nice. It's still 100% a slow sipper, though.

This is pretty fantastic, but not at all for people who like pastry stouts, as this is incredibly dark and evil.

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4.43/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Looking back at my review of the un-barreled T.O.R.I.S., I can't tell much difference with this version. It's still delightful, but I might ding it slightly on account of a greater oaked character that stands out a bit too much. I generally am a fan of barrel ageing, but this might be the rare occasion where I prefer the original.

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4.29/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a Darkstar November glass. Pours a very dark espresso with the thinnest light espresso head. Nose is mostly semi-sweet chocolate fudge, roast, and oak, with some toffee. Palate is similar, dominated by bitter chocolate fudge, roasted malt, and oak; somewhat tannic and not particularly sweet. Noticeable alcohol burn on the finish. Medium mouthfeel. Not bad, but nothing chaseworthy.

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4.49/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – Half finger head on a clear brown body that was nearly opaque.

Aroma – Strong rich malt with roasted overtones, milk chocolate, alcohol, and bourbon.

Taste – Rich malt, roasted barley, coffee, bitter chocolate, warm alcohol, bourbon at the end.

Mouthfeel – Smooth and creamy, somewhat thick.

Overall – Barrel aging did a world of wonders for this. Very good.

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4.5/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pitch black color with mocha head. Aroma has dark fruits, umami, roasted malts, quite light bourbon character. Taste has fudge, coffee, dark chocolate, a bit acidic, some whiskey, well balanced by a roasty bitterness on the finish. Body is on the heavier side but it is well carbonated. Some alcohol warmth as it goes down but overall it's a really well made imperial stout.

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4.12/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This beer pours like motor oil with a thick dense brown foam head and lacing. Bourbon, smoke, vanilla and cocoa in the nose.

Flavors of dark chocolate, mocha coffee, dark ripe fruit, vanilla, and clean alcohol blend well for one triple strength stout. Near perfect feel, with medium carbonation it is soft and silky. Flavors of deeply roasted malt linger on the palate. Overall, this was a beast of a beer with barrel aging that was really nice and really well done. A lot of these big barrel aged beers carry a lot of oxidation but this does not.

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4.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Really dark black with a burnt mocha ring and minimal creamy lace.

Smell is divine and rich dark chocolate mocha with vanilla, smooth oak, nuts and bourbon.

What hits me first on the palate is actually the feel--especially for a bourbon barrel stout--this is really thick and sticky, just totally luscious with a nice froth, but a dry chew and hot finish.

Taste is a roasty, savory nuttiness, with an almost salted chocolate. Wood, bourbon, dates and even a little fiery pine emerge with time.

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