B.O.R.I.S. - Gazebo Barrel-Aged
Hoppin' Frog Brewery
- From:
- Hoppin' Frog Brewery
- Ohio, United States
- Style:
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 9.4%
- Score:
- +9 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 4.21 | pDev: 0%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jan 13, 2018
- Added:
- Jan 13, 2018
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
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-
Picked by the Cleveland Bourbon Club at Jim Beam distillery for its great taste, this single, specially-selected Knob Creek barrel was aged longer than usual, and was given the unique name Gazebo.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio
4.21/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.21/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Draft pour on release day is stark 8 ball black with a thick and puffy two-finger light mocha head.
Aroma is muted but I do get an immediate smell of licorice, along with some smooth roast and an almost amaretto-like cocoa dusted almond.
Taste right up front has a certain punch that is almost like a cinnamon bark note to the oak. This is paired with a lightly chocolatey roasted malt, a peppery bourbon swallow and a touch of root beer. Cocoa dusted almond comes out in the after taste.
A very smooth round body has a mild but soft carbononation with a semi-dry finish and a slight sting. There is more barrel character here than their regular barrel aged beers, yet it's also less hot and boozy with way more body than BCBS Reserve, which is similarly a special Knob Creek barrel aged stout.
---
Having this from the bottle about 6 months later, the complexity only seems to have increased exponentially, as often is the case with Hoppin Frog beers, which are usually released the very moment they're able to be consumed. The bourbon barrel is absolutely massive, with tons of potent charred peppery whiskey notes the likes of which I don't think a Frog stout has ever exhibited. The aroma is kicked up a million notches with a stinging chocolate bourbon punch, while on the palate, notes of vanilla nougat and maple seem to radiate endlessly after the swallow. The feel is exceedingly tingly, almost full of sparks, while the classic BORIS chocolately indulgence is firmly in place, yet pushed back by the formidable barrel presence. This one is on another level.
Jan 13, 2018Aroma is muted but I do get an immediate smell of licorice, along with some smooth roast and an almost amaretto-like cocoa dusted almond.
Taste right up front has a certain punch that is almost like a cinnamon bark note to the oak. This is paired with a lightly chocolatey roasted malt, a peppery bourbon swallow and a touch of root beer. Cocoa dusted almond comes out in the after taste.
A very smooth round body has a mild but soft carbononation with a semi-dry finish and a slight sting. There is more barrel character here than their regular barrel aged beers, yet it's also less hot and boozy with way more body than BCBS Reserve, which is similarly a special Knob Creek barrel aged stout.
---
Having this from the bottle about 6 months later, the complexity only seems to have increased exponentially, as often is the case with Hoppin Frog beers, which are usually released the very moment they're able to be consumed. The bourbon barrel is absolutely massive, with tons of potent charred peppery whiskey notes the likes of which I don't think a Frog stout has ever exhibited. The aroma is kicked up a million notches with a stinging chocolate bourbon punch, while on the palate, notes of vanilla nougat and maple seem to radiate endlessly after the swallow. The feel is exceedingly tingly, almost full of sparks, while the classic BORIS chocolately indulgence is firmly in place, yet pushed back by the formidable barrel presence. This one is on another level.
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