T.O.R.I.S. The Tyrant - Barrel-Aged | Hoppin' Frog Brewery
Brewed by:
Hoppin' Frog Brewery
Ohio, United States
hoppinfrog.com
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 13.80%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by Sabtos on 06-02-2017
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 41 | Reviews: 11
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.
2,857 characters
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.
2,857 characters
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.
495 characters
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.
495 characters
4.33/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very boozy. Very awesome. I cannot wait to open the bottle.
59 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very boozy. Very awesome. I cannot wait to open the bottle.
59 characters
4.5/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
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.
974 characters
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.
974 characters
4.29/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
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.
779 characters
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.
779 characters
4.25/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
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.
933 characters
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.
933 characters
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.
332 characters
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.
332 characters
4.5/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
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.
405 characters
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.
405 characters
4.43/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3.55/5 rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
4.49/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
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.
386 characters
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.
386 characters
4.31/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.24/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.66/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.42/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
T.O.R.I.S. The Tyrant - Barrel-Aged from Hoppin' Frog Brewery
Beer rating:
4.39 out of
5 with
41 ratings
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