Dark Secret - BliS Maple Barrels
BrickStone Restaurant & Brewery

12oz can poured into stemless glass. Vintage 2018.

Appearance: Dark midnight black body. 2 fingers tall dark brown cap that recedes to a ring of head around the glass. Nice legs noted after each sip. Scant lacing is clinging to the glass.

Smell: You really smell the maple from those bliss barrels. Milk chocolates and roasty malts. Hints of oak and bourbon.

Taste: Chocolate and earthy oak. Hints of vanilla with stronger hints of earthy maple and smooth bourbon. Leathery, tobacco, brown sugar, and molasses. Finishes with a lighter barrel char & smoky note that seems to linger into light bitterness.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with low carbonation. Viscous and silky texture. Light warming alcohol presence as it warms. Very smooth to drink barrel aged stout.

Overall: Dark secret has such a great base stout for barrel aging. Awesome texture with just the right amount of thickness. I really enjoy the single origin editions that they are bringing to the table. For 2018 I think I like the Heaven Hills barrels a little bit more than the BLIS barrels, but this BA stout is no slouch. It is a nice & Welcomed addition to the BA Dark Secret portfolio.

2018 vintage tasted in a snifter from draft at Whole Foods Market on March 29, 2019. Look is nearly black with a foamy tan head. Smell and taste is maple and oak. Feel is full in body.

12oz van poured into glass
L-pours very thick, no head at all, jet black color
S-sweet chocolate
T-deep stout flavor very nice with sweet notes as well, can’t quite make out the maple syrup flavor, just seems sweetened
F-nice thick feel in the mouth

First beer from this brewery, good flavors very powerful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Had on tap. So disappointed with this one. I love dark secret and I love those blis maple syrup barrels, but here they just didn't get along in the taste, giving off a smokey and more like honey sweet finish that is jarring. In general the flavors taste separated from each other. Too bad because the taste has warm and boozy maple with dark chocolate malts, molasses and slight brown sugar, and the look is the usual viscous dark secret.

Taste: complex and super smooth, darkest chocolate, oak, maple, semi sweet, malty molasses, raisins, some boozy finish. Same with the bold nose. Black, opaque, tan head delicate lace on glass. Full but not heavy body.