Barley's Saint Joan's Revenge Imperial Stout
Smokehouse Brewing Co.

Really enjoyed this beer it hid the ABV well.

Bourbon, coffee, some chocolate, mild roasted malt. Rather creamy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dry-hopped with Hallerteau

On cask in a tulip at the Smokehouse on 2/27/10

Dark brown with a few lighter brown highlights. ½ inch tan head. Bubbles rise slowly for a few minutes. The head thins but retention is solid. Impressive lacing.

Nice aroma - lots of roasted malts & dark chocolate. Dark sugars & hints of coffee. Earthy hop notes. Very smooth.

The taste is a more prominent version of the nose. Modest hop bitterness quickly gives way to smooth roasted maltiness. Swaths of milk chocolate & dark sugars; maybe brown sugar & molasses. There are a few subtle hints of coffee. Burnt undertones. It is far drier than it is sweet.

Full bodied with appropriately low carbonation. Slick, inky feel is accentuated by grittiness that rolls o'er the tongue. Lingering on the finish are roasted undertones that are just shy of burnt.

Phenomenal drinkability; there are a lot of good qualities to be had with this beer. Easily recommended.

Growler obtained via Growling at the Moon from bb8189. Thanks for the opportunity.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" dark brown head over the opaque dark brown/black brew. Dense head falls ever-so slowly, with coating lace. Aroma is dark malt, vanilla, and piercing alcohol.

Taste is oaty dark malts upfront, a peek of dried fruit in the middle, and a barrel-tinged close with surprisingly minimal alcohol character. Aftereffect warmth is in ample supply. however.

Mouthfeel is super creamy and suh-moooth, and drinkability is excellent, possibly dangerous, for the style. Nice brew.

A - Appears black and opaque with a generous head. Retention and lacing were both impressive.

S - Roasted notes dominate followed by a warming alcohol aroma. One the back end there is a mild coffee aroma.

T - First thing that stands out is a bourbon-like alcohol flavor that warms the palate. Then the typical stout flavors start to come through. Roasted flavors are strong and mixed with some dark fruit. Mild espresso notes are on the end.

M - Medium bodied and strong. Carbonation was good.

D - This one was a good strong sipper that I enjoyed trying. It takes a while to get through one but still makes for a good time. Recommended.

Picked up a growler on the way back from visiting my lady's aunt who lives in Galloway outside of Columbus. Anyway good excuse to swing by the ol' local brewpub for a beer or two right? Appears a dark black almost opaque except when held up to the light you see brown-ruby edges that shine through. Aromatics dark roasted coffee and chocolate notes, dark cocoa at that with creamy latte' highlights. Full flavor fruit highlights with roasty chocolate and slightly burnt coffee notes abound damn good with intricate plum and other ripe fruits in the finish. Mild herbal hops with a nice alcoholic anise and licorice kick to it all. Mouthfeel is full bodied carbonation is smooth as all hell continue to enjoy this one with lasting dry roasted malts and a touch of underlying caramelized brown sugar noted. Drinkability is way too easy to drain a growler especially with a friend or significant other who would have thought my g/f would have been converted to these dark beers.

My second beer at Barley's. It arrived with a 1/2 creamy tan head over a jet black liquid.

The aroma was of dark chocolate with a hint of fruity sweetness.

The taste was quite good. I liked the dark chocolate with a hint of sweetness. However, the thing that reached out and grabbed me was the alcohol finish. Kind of like someone added a shot of smooth burbon to my beer.... OK... not a shot... but just a hint...quite good.

Mouthfeel was quite good too. The smooth alcohol finish gave a bit of a warming sensation as I drained the glass. Carbonation was on the low side.... which is appropriate for an RIS.

Drinkability: One or two at a time... might wear you down.

From the snifter to the brew, the presentation is great. The deep black with a touch of a tan head that levels quickly, a warm coffee look that has a light bourbon, coffee & nut aroma that has a taste as smooth as a silk pillow. It has a nice feel, cold with a touch of warmth from the alcohol, almost a brandy feel that goes down very nice with a wonderful lingering coffee aftertaste. Too bad you can only have two per sitting, runs higher on the percent.

From a growler at our Michigan game tailgate party on the morning of Nov. 18. Perhaps not the ideal conditions, but oh well...

A: Dark, almost black. Not much head, and it pours thick and viscous.

S: Wow. Rich, but not the roasted coffee aroma I would expect from an imperial stout. It's a little sweeter, and the hops have more of a presence.

T: Definitely more of a barleywine than an imperial stout. Very rich, leaning towards sweet with mild fruit blending with the hops. And there's a little alcohol there as well.

M: Thick and creamy. Yum.

D: I had only one glass, because I wanted to be conscious for the game. If that wasn't an issue, I would be tempted to enjoy several. But St. Joan will kick your butt if you're not careful with her.

Growler. Thank you very much, Joe. Aroma is an overtly fruity affair with hints of pineapple, vanilla, cooked dark cherries, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, baked chocolate cake, buttered and toasted sweet bread and traces of bourbon. Smells nice and has a great mix of aromas, but the concentration leans toward toasty, buttery and roast elements. The body is a very deep black and holds a rapidly diminishing bubbly mocha head. Very nice dark chocolate and cocoa fore is accented by a very mild burnt/toasted bitterness. Hints of stewed dark fruits appear, but the overwheling flavor profile is chocolate/cocoa with suggestion of esspresso toward the finish. Low carbonation makes it feel a touch syrupy, but not crazily so. Very tasty all in all if not perfectly realized.

Black with minimal, almost no head, served in a snifter. The aroma is caramel, chocolate, and just a hint of wood.

The flavor consists of caramel, bourbon, and chocolate--very little, really no perceived malt, hops, or coffee--which I find quite pleasing, differentiating itself from the usual RIS. The mouth is very creamy and smooth, yet still hits you with a strong warming finish due to the boubon.

It's an unique brew that I never pass up whether it be on-tap, in the cask, or in the firkin.

On-tap at the Smokehouse...

Aroma: Vanilla, oak, and coconut. No hop, malt, or yeast presence noted. Solvent-like backbone. I fear that the Jack Daniel's Barrel will mask anything that this beer could showcase.

Appearance: Midnight black with a thin sudsy head that doesn't retain well. It quickly fades and diminishes to a partial collar around the glass.

Flavor: More oak, coconut, and vanilla. Just a hint of roasted barley as the beer warms. Solvent flavors coat, numb, and destroy the lips and palate making it hard to detect any nuances in the beer. Some hints of almond try to peak out through the session.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, slick, alcohol-laden, and a burning feeling that becomes quite annoying.

Overall impression: I just can't get past the Jack Daniels in the beer. Barrel aging has masked any malt or hop profile. The barrel aging should accentuate and in this case it dominates. Quite a disappointment from a brewpub with an otherwise outstanding line of beers. Avoid.