Dark Secret - Vanilla Espresso (2020)
BrickStone Restaurant & Brewery
- From:
- BrickStone Restaurant & Brewery
- Illinois, United States
- Style:
- Imperial Pastry Stout
- ABV:
- 13%
- Score:
- +5 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 4.35 | pDev: 4.37%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 3
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- May 07, 2026
- Added:
- Dec 22, 2020
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
Imperial stout aged in Weller bourbon barrels with vanilla and dark matter espresso.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by 4DAloveofSTOUT from Illinois
4.48/5 rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.48/5 rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
12oz can poured into Stemless Deep woods glass.
Appearance: dark black body. Thick cap of dark brown head that recedes to a defined ring around the glass. Booze legs noted with each sip. Glass staining darkness is there as well. No lacing.
Smell: Rich dark chocolates with hints of mocha. Lots of oak and earth aromas. hints of bourbon and vanilla.
Taste: Sweetness upfront transitioning to a bittersweet middle and finishing with increasing sweetness. The main flavors that you get here is an affagato with dark chocolates and light bourbon flavors. Deep rich earth and oak, just like the aroma. Finish tastes like a flourless chocolate cake blending topped with a vanilla frosting with light bourbon and oak flavors. Coffee taste is much stronger as this stout nears warmer drinking temperatures.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied stout with low carbonation levels. This dark secret variant feels a bit thinner than the usual barrel aged dark secret variants. It might feel thinner because it has a tad more booze than usual for barrel aged dark secret variants. Booze heat is not off-putting and actually seems about right for the listed 13%abv.
Overall: Really enjoyed this barrel aged dark secret variant. Mouthfeel is not as good as usual, but the flavors are improved/better compared to other barrel aged dark secret variants that I have tried.
May 30, 2021Appearance: dark black body. Thick cap of dark brown head that recedes to a defined ring around the glass. Booze legs noted with each sip. Glass staining darkness is there as well. No lacing.
Smell: Rich dark chocolates with hints of mocha. Lots of oak and earth aromas. hints of bourbon and vanilla.
Taste: Sweetness upfront transitioning to a bittersweet middle and finishing with increasing sweetness. The main flavors that you get here is an affagato with dark chocolates and light bourbon flavors. Deep rich earth and oak, just like the aroma. Finish tastes like a flourless chocolate cake blending topped with a vanilla frosting with light bourbon and oak flavors. Coffee taste is much stronger as this stout nears warmer drinking temperatures.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied stout with low carbonation levels. This dark secret variant feels a bit thinner than the usual barrel aged dark secret variants. It might feel thinner because it has a tad more booze than usual for barrel aged dark secret variants. Booze heat is not off-putting and actually seems about right for the listed 13%abv.
Overall: Really enjoyed this barrel aged dark secret variant. Mouthfeel is not as good as usual, but the flavors are improved/better compared to other barrel aged dark secret variants that I have tried.
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois
4.17/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.17/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Midnight black body, finger of brown foam. Bourbon with coffee, smoke, and earth create an expressive base for the vanilla and oak to play with in the nose. Taste has more of the espresso flavoring than the nose, vanilla also brightens the bourbon barrel flavors, good earthiness and chocolate cake on finish to balance. Booze is omnipresent but never gets out of control. Lighter body, has an elevated feel while still getting influences from barrel.
Mar 12, 2021
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
4.25/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Released 12/19/20; drank 2/4/21 @ the Yarchives.
Black appearance.
A violent pour yielded a nice dark tan head; almost no lace.
Rich espresso, vanilla, chocolate syrup & faint hop bite notes in the nose.
Creamy, medium thick mouthfeel.
Creamy vanilla, chocolate syrup, rich espresso & faint hop bite flavors.
Decadent yet easy to drink; unlike the other Dark Secrets, the thinner mouthfeel works here to keep the bold, sweet flavors from overwhelming your taste buds. A winner!
Feb 06, 2021Black appearance.
A violent pour yielded a nice dark tan head; almost no lace.
Rich espresso, vanilla, chocolate syrup & faint hop bite notes in the nose.
Creamy, medium thick mouthfeel.
Creamy vanilla, chocolate syrup, rich espresso & faint hop bite flavors.
Decadent yet easy to drink; unlike the other Dark Secrets, the thinner mouthfeel works here to keep the bold, sweet flavors from overwhelming your taste buds. A winner!
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