Bourbon Barrel Aged BORIS Buff
Hoppin' Frog Brewery
- From:
- Hoppin' Frog Brewery
- Ohio, United States
- Style:
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 9.4%
- Score:
- +4 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 4.2 | pDev: 5.24%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 4
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Apr 20, 2026
- Added:
- Aug 30, 2018
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
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-
SCORE!! Experimental, super-aromatic 13-year old wheated-Bourbon barrels from an iconic whiskey distillery! BOOM!!! Immediately we thought, Rare Beer Club!! We decided BORIS Stout would be best to perfectly capture the character from these barrels. RESULT: BA BORIS BUFF has an amazing combination of aromas and flavors worthy of high distinction now, and for many years to come.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)
3.85/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
11.5% on this 2025 can from the source. Balanced with lots of bourbon,resembles a barleywine, out of the fridge. Warmed up we get more booze character and oatmeal very roasted stout flavour, barrel aggressive.
Apr 20, 2026
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania
4.1/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.1/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bourbon Barrel Aged BORIS BUFF – from Hoppin’ Frog. 12 oz bottle picked up at the brewery (Rare Beer Club from 2018). In reefer at store, purchased 02/08/23, $ 12.73 (Including tax), $ 1.06/fl oz. Reviewed 08/08/23 (Review 3145). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated bottle. Stored at 34 degrees at home. Served at 59.7 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 63.5 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Deep Brown (SRM 30), barely translucent.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear lite, same.
Head: Small (Maximum 0.8 cm, aggressive center pour), copper, high density, quickly contracting to a 0.15 cm crown and no cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4 – Very weak roasted malt and bourbon. No yeast, no hops. No ethanol (9.4 % ABV according to the label).
Flavor – 4.25 – Begins slightly sweet but basically BORIS. No yeast, no hops. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Moderate gastric burning but otherwise very smooth.
Palate – 4 – Full; creamy; soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4 (After deducting 0.25 point for an undated container) Does the picture on the label hint at the origin of the barrels or is it totally spurious? I’m not a connoissseur of bourbon and am sure I miss many nuances, but at five plus years old, this is getting long in the tooth (Do buffalo get long in the tooth?). Not bad as a one-off but overpriced as a routine drinking beer.
Aug 08, 2023Undated bottle. Stored at 34 degrees at home. Served at 59.7 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 63.5 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Deep Brown (SRM 30), barely translucent.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear lite, same.
Head: Small (Maximum 0.8 cm, aggressive center pour), copper, high density, quickly contracting to a 0.15 cm crown and no cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4 – Very weak roasted malt and bourbon. No yeast, no hops. No ethanol (9.4 % ABV according to the label).
Flavor – 4.25 – Begins slightly sweet but basically BORIS. No yeast, no hops. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Moderate gastric burning but otherwise very smooth.
Palate – 4 – Full; creamy; soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4 (After deducting 0.25 point for an undated container) Does the picture on the label hint at the origin of the barrels or is it totally spurious? I’m not a connoissseur of bourbon and am sure I miss many nuances, but at five plus years old, this is getting long in the tooth (Do buffalo get long in the tooth?). Not bad as a one-off but overpriced as a routine drinking beer.
Reviewed by npolachek from New York
4.35/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.35/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: Pours black with a small head on a center pour. Almost no head on a side pour. Head is mocha colored.
S: Smell is unique to this beer. Chocolate, with a hint of oak (likely form the aging barrel).
T: Tastes of Chocolate and bourbon. Some mild spiciness and vanilla.
F: Extremely smooth mouthfeel. Pleasant medium length aftertaste with bourbon like sharpness.
O: Terrific overall beer. Well balanced sharpness and sweetness. Smell is truly unique and worth tasting to experience.
Dec 30, 2018S: Smell is unique to this beer. Chocolate, with a hint of oak (likely form the aging barrel).
T: Tastes of Chocolate and bourbon. Some mild spiciness and vanilla.
F: Extremely smooth mouthfeel. Pleasant medium length aftertaste with bourbon like sharpness.
O: Terrific overall beer. Well balanced sharpness and sweetness. Smell is truly unique and worth tasting to experience.
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio
4.38/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.38/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Viscous almost sludgy black with a slow to build, creamy mocha blanket that settles to a persistently thick collar.
Smell brings to mind peanut butter right away, but with a roasty, luscious and thickly milk chocolate drizzle, before verging into spiked cake batter with a charred oak accent.
Taste is really chocolatey, but also spicy and peppery. The barrel is quite forward, bringing an almost black licorice accent, but coming back to charred oak and punchy bourbon. This is easily one of the most bourbon-influenced BA stouts of theirs. An underlying peanutty roast glides into a fairly hot yet numbing finish, bringing a warming vanilla exhale not unlike that which a neat swig of solid bourbon would bring.
That classic thick and velvety BORIS body survives the aging, with maybe a thinner, sharper carbonation, finishing with a semi-dry, boozy sting.
More charred wood emerges as it ages (enjoying on draft 3 years later). It's just delicious, with a very nice dryness, and less hoppy now, becoming damn near perfect.
Aug 31, 2018Smell brings to mind peanut butter right away, but with a roasty, luscious and thickly milk chocolate drizzle, before verging into spiked cake batter with a charred oak accent.
Taste is really chocolatey, but also spicy and peppery. The barrel is quite forward, bringing an almost black licorice accent, but coming back to charred oak and punchy bourbon. This is easily one of the most bourbon-influenced BA stouts of theirs. An underlying peanutty roast glides into a fairly hot yet numbing finish, bringing a warming vanilla exhale not unlike that which a neat swig of solid bourbon would bring.
That classic thick and velvety BORIS body survives the aging, with maybe a thinner, sharper carbonation, finishing with a semi-dry, boozy sting.
More charred wood emerges as it ages (enjoying on draft 3 years later). It's just delicious, with a very nice dryness, and less hoppy now, becoming damn near perfect.
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