Kerplunk! - Bourbon Barrel-Aged - Vanilla Beans And Cacao Nibs
Spring House Brewing Company
Beer Geek Stats:
| Print Shelf Talker
- Style:
- Stout - American Imperial
- ABV:
- 14.2%
- Score:
- 89
- Avg:
- 3.86 | pDev: 14.51%
- Reviews:
- 7
- Ratings:
- From:
- Spring House Brewing Company
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Avail:
- Retired (no longer brewed)
- Wants
- 13
- Gots
- 15
SCORE
89
Very Good
89
Very Good
Notes:
Reviews: 7
| Ratings: 54
| Log in to view all ratings and sort
Reviews by Rifugium:
Rifugium from North Dakota
3.46/5 rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Bottle from the brewery.
Opened with a hiss, and poured a dark brown-black color with a full three inches of foamy tan head; good retention and sheets of lacing. In the nose, roasty dark malts, raw cacao, coffee grounds, slight hint of sour fruits...almost like the very first tiny hints of this beer edging towards infection. Taste was pretty basic, roasty dark malts, cacao, bitter coffee, dry oak; the vanilla was virtually undetectable at first, but it came out a bit as the beer warmed. It lacked any full smooth bourbon notes, with more of a solvent alcohol / cheap booze taste coming through. Some of those slightly sour fruit hints came through a bit...at this point, it wasn't too bad, but it might behoove folks to drink this one sooner rather than later. Medium body, not quite fleshed out, dry and woody, over-carbed, moderate alcohol burn. Decent, but not great.
Jul 22, 2014
3.46/5 rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Bottle from the brewery.
Opened with a hiss, and poured a dark brown-black color with a full three inches of foamy tan head; good retention and sheets of lacing. In the nose, roasty dark malts, raw cacao, coffee grounds, slight hint of sour fruits...almost like the very first tiny hints of this beer edging towards infection. Taste was pretty basic, roasty dark malts, cacao, bitter coffee, dry oak; the vanilla was virtually undetectable at first, but it came out a bit as the beer warmed. It lacked any full smooth bourbon notes, with more of a solvent alcohol / cheap booze taste coming through. Some of those slightly sour fruit hints came through a bit...at this point, it wasn't too bad, but it might behoove folks to drink this one sooner rather than later. Medium body, not quite fleshed out, dry and woody, over-carbed, moderate alcohol burn. Decent, but not great.
Jul 22, 2014
More User Reviews:
stereosforgeeks from Virginia
3/5 rDev -22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Sep 30, 2016
3/5 rDev -22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Sep 30, 2016
Siggy125 from California
3.53/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Feb 08, 2015
3.53/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Feb 08, 2015
BradC from Pennsylvania
3.85/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a dark opaque brown color with a thick tan head that falls to about 1/4"
Smells of light bourbon and a little chocolate.
Taste...I don't get much of the vanilla or chocolate here, there is some bourbon but I expected more of the choco and vanilla to come through. I certainly hides the 14% well.
Medium carbonation and medium body, this is really easy to drink despite the 14% ABV
Overall, a decent barrel aged brew, I'll sit on the second bottle I have for a bit and see what develops. I expected more of an appearance from the adjuncts but just didn't get the chocolate and/or vanilla beans here.
Jul 16, 2014
3.85/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a dark opaque brown color with a thick tan head that falls to about 1/4"
Smells of light bourbon and a little chocolate.
Taste...I don't get much of the vanilla or chocolate here, there is some bourbon but I expected more of the choco and vanilla to come through. I certainly hides the 14% well.
Medium carbonation and medium body, this is really easy to drink despite the 14% ABV
Overall, a decent barrel aged brew, I'll sit on the second bottle I have for a bit and see what develops. I expected more of an appearance from the adjuncts but just didn't get the chocolate and/or vanilla beans here.
Jul 16, 2014
stakem from Pennsylvania
2.6/5 rDev -32.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 3
750ml waxed bottle poured into a snifter. The brew appears black in color with a rich brown head that surges up to fill the glass and slowly fades leaving patchy lace on the glass. Overall, the presentation here looks great. Unfortunately, the looks are the only good thing about this.
The initial aromas are tangy with a fruity sort of cheap bourbon feel that fills the nose with warming alcohol notes. It is mostly solvent feeling without much actual whiskey character. It is somewhat earthen and roasted with almost an aerosol aspect like you spray yourself in the face with bug spray. As it warms up and breaths a bit, a faint anise aspect comes out.
The taste is solvent and carbonic. You could literally take nearly any dark beer and screw it up by over-carbonating it and it will taste similar to this. Some fruity tang component is present like cheap whiskey blending to some roast and bitterness into the finish. As it breaths, it gets a minor hint of licorice across the back with warming alcohol. No chocolate or vanilla to speak of despite it being listed as included.
This is a light bodied brew that is excessively carbonated despite being put on ice for hours prior to consuming it. I think there is a lot going on wrong here...too much carbonation and a strange fruity aspect. This doesnt even seem like kerplunk, its just a plain stout sauced up with cheap spirit and a rediculously over-carbonated. Im not digging this at all.
Jul 29, 2014
2.6/5 rDev -32.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 3
750ml waxed bottle poured into a snifter. The brew appears black in color with a rich brown head that surges up to fill the glass and slowly fades leaving patchy lace on the glass. Overall, the presentation here looks great. Unfortunately, the looks are the only good thing about this.
The initial aromas are tangy with a fruity sort of cheap bourbon feel that fills the nose with warming alcohol notes. It is mostly solvent feeling without much actual whiskey character. It is somewhat earthen and roasted with almost an aerosol aspect like you spray yourself in the face with bug spray. As it warms up and breaths a bit, a faint anise aspect comes out.
The taste is solvent and carbonic. You could literally take nearly any dark beer and screw it up by over-carbonating it and it will taste similar to this. Some fruity tang component is present like cheap whiskey blending to some roast and bitterness into the finish. As it breaths, it gets a minor hint of licorice across the back with warming alcohol. No chocolate or vanilla to speak of despite it being listed as included.
This is a light bodied brew that is excessively carbonated despite being put on ice for hours prior to consuming it. I think there is a lot going on wrong here...too much carbonation and a strange fruity aspect. This doesnt even seem like kerplunk, its just a plain stout sauced up with cheap spirit and a rediculously over-carbonated. Im not digging this at all.
Jul 29, 2014
oline73 from Maryland
3/5 rDev -22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Oct 30, 2016
3/5 rDev -22.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Oct 30, 2016
orangesol from Pennsylvania
4/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks for the share FooFaa!
A - Pours pitch black with a nice one finger tall tan head, quickly dissipating down to a light film, leaving small trails of lace down the glass.
S - Smells of dark chocolate, vanilla, day old coffee grounds, dark roasted malt, oak and warm bourbon.
T - Starts off with bitter dark chocolate quickly being joined by the old coffee, oak, vanilla, warm bourbon and lots of dark roasted malt. Finish is pretty dry, lingering long after the finish.
M - Heavy body with moderate carbonation. Smooth, slightly chalky feel with a bit of burn at the end of each sip.
O - A nice variation on the normal kerplunk! Everything is there but it really doesn't wow me. Thanks again for the share Dan!
Jul 18, 2014
4/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks for the share FooFaa!
A - Pours pitch black with a nice one finger tall tan head, quickly dissipating down to a light film, leaving small trails of lace down the glass.
S - Smells of dark chocolate, vanilla, day old coffee grounds, dark roasted malt, oak and warm bourbon.
T - Starts off with bitter dark chocolate quickly being joined by the old coffee, oak, vanilla, warm bourbon and lots of dark roasted malt. Finish is pretty dry, lingering long after the finish.
M - Heavy body with moderate carbonation. Smooth, slightly chalky feel with a bit of burn at the end of each sip.
O - A nice variation on the normal kerplunk! Everything is there but it really doesn't wow me. Thanks again for the share Dan!
Jul 18, 2014
duceswild from Heard & McDonald Islands
2.75/5 rDev -28.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Dec 02, 2016
2.75/5 rDev -28.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Dec 02, 2016
BeerThursdays from Delaware
3.55/5 rDev -8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Jan 24, 2015
3.55/5 rDev -8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Jan 24, 2015
yergermeister from Pennsylvania
4.5/5 rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Mar 04, 2015
4.5/5 rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Mar 04, 2015
Kerplunk! - Bourbon Barrel-Aged - Vanilla Beans And Cacao Nibs from Spring House Brewing Company
Beer rating:
89 out of
100 with
54 ratings
0 characters. We love reviews! Turn your rating into one with ≥ 150 characters.
Explain why you're giving this rating. Your review must discuss the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) and your overall impression in order to indicate that you have legitimately tried the beer. Nonconstructive reviews may be removed without notice and action may be taken on your account.
Close