Dark Secret - Weller Bourbon (2020)
BrickStone Restaurant & Brewery

 

The look on this beer was really dark and it looked "thick". I got a lot of chocolate in the aroma but also lots of vanilla. Not a whole lot of barrel though. Dark chocolate was the primary flavor in the taste but it also had a bit of earthiness to along with vanilla a just a touch of the barrel. Not overly hot for a 13% beer but I kinda wish it was.

12oz can poured into stemless deep woods glass.

Appearance: Menacing dark black body with thick and creamy khaki brown head.

Smell: dark chocolate and barrel notes all day.

Taste: This stout leads with big barrel char notes, tobacco, leather, and a rich / smooth bourbon. The dark chocolate base stout flavors really lets the rich deep barrel express itself without being over the top. Hints of earth as well. The barrel char and leather linger on well after the finish. The flavors get sweeter as it warms up.

Mouthfeel: No detectable abv in this stout. Medium-full bodied stout. low yet adequate carbonation. thick, creamy and smooth.

Overall: This very well might be my favorite barrel aged dark secret. This Dark Secret series has been a great series for a long time, but man this Weller was just the perfect barrel for Brickstone's signature stout. The last few years have made serious leaps and bounds for Dark Secret stouts and they have locked up some really great barrels recently. Hope this trend continues! Barrel Aged Dark Secret is a really underrated stout series.

I found this to be the prototypical weller BA stout. Black body, brown collar and webbing. Earth, rustic oak, char, black strap molasses, dark chocolate, roasted malt, and those big wheated bourbon nots make up the nose. Taste is much the same, add some vanillins and leather, still very rustic complexion, great depth. Feel is medium bodied, warm, oak shapes decently, earthy and rugged but not overly heavy or roasted. Best dark secret in years

 

Just a really outstanding barrel aged coffee stout. It’s all there—the mouthfeel, the barrel, the coffee is smooth and integrated. Just a super easy and a delight to drink.

Released 12/19/20; drank 2/3/21 @ the Yarchives.

Black appearance.

A violent pour yielded a small dark tan head; minimal lace.

Oak, fresh earth, dark chocolate & mild hop notes in the nose.

Creamy, medium thick mouthfeel.

Charred oak, dark chocolate & cream flavors; robust RIS vibes with a bit thinner, creamier mouthfeel.

Overall, a nice beer.