Chocolate Salty BBLS
The Bruery

Chocolate Salty BBLSChocolate Salty BBLS
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From:
The Bruery
 
California, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
16.4%
Score:
94
Avg:
4.27 | pDev: 6.79%
Reviews:
32
Ratings:
170
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 27, 2021
Added:
Dec 02, 2015
Wants:
  46
Gots:
  45
This imperial stout was aged in bourbon barrels, with vanilla beans, cacao nibs and salt added for extra succulence.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by waddellc2:
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Rated by waddellc2 from Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Oct 18, 2016
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by jschott75 from Illinois

Mar 27, 2021
Photo of StraightNoChaser
Reviewed by StraightNoChaser from Georgia

4.59/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Look: deep dark ruby. Sparse mocha head
Smell: rich salted chocolate, bourbon.
Taste: much like the nose. Delicious, decadent gourmet chocolate. Another great massive stout from the Bruery.
Jan 30, 2021
 
Rated: 4.06 by BirdsandHops from Oregon

Dec 29, 2020
 
Rated: 4.29 by InfernoBoss from California

Nov 27, 2020
 
Rated: 4.33 by warrendietrich2001 from Nevada

Feb 20, 2020
 
Rated: 4.21 by nataku00 from California

Dec 24, 2019
 
Rated: 3.99 by ThatAmateurBeerDrinker from New York

Apr 25, 2019
 
Rated: 3.92 by edthehead from Maryland

Mar 17, 2019
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.34/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Bottled 11/24/15; drank 10/20/16 @ Harvest Hop Haus.

Black/brown appearance.

Minimal tan head; minimal lace.

Vanilla, milk chocolate, oak & faint bourbon heat notes in the nose.

Thick mouthfeel.

Milk chocolate, vanilla, oak & molasses flavors up front; mild brandy heat notes on the finish.

A delicious, substantial dessert treat.
Feb 24, 2019
 
Rated: 3.9 by Winston3737 from Michigan

Jan 04, 2019
 
Rated: 4.44 by JamieDuncan from Maryland

Dec 26, 2018
 
Rated: 4.13 by StoutSnob40 from California

Nov 18, 2018
Photo of PhineasMcClintock
Reviewed by PhineasMcClintock from Massachusetts

4.16/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Has the look and mouth feel of an old ale or a porter, not an Imperial Stout. Very thin, and not viscous at all. Small thin head on initial pour, but dead after that.
Nose is very solid, but definitely bourbon heavy. Chocolate and vanilla notes are present.
Taste is a little more muted than the nose, but I do get the salt on the back end.
Overall, this is a tasty beer. Alcohol and bourbon are definitely present, but at 18.6%, it is hidden as well as can be.
Oct 12, 2018
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

4.07/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Suck on my chocolate salty bbls! Now that is out of that the way, let's proceed. Pours a dark brown color for the most part, almost stout esque, but there is some like, brown ale or something else going on, just doesn't hit that dark roasty porter/stout level of black and viscosity. Could be cool, sometimes beers with less malt showcase the barrel better. About 1/3" beige head that doesn't have a lot in terms of retention.

The aroma brings the noise, plenty of vanilla, caramel, bourbon and chocolate. The salt isn't really in the nose. But the nose hits the good stuff for sure. The taste does start to bring more of the salt and caramel aspect of the beer. Mouthfeel doesn't let a massive abv jump your bones, you can taste the nuance and deft hand without sledgehammer like impact from the alcohol (on the taste, it will catch up to you in terms of the effects of alcohol). I would buy this at $1 an ounce, that is hefty praise. Its a lot like their anniversary beers in terms of base (like an old ale more than a porter/stout), but with lots of vanilla, cocao and salt on top of that bourbon booziness cracker jack mold. Cracker jacks with bourbon, vanilla & salt = this beer.
Sep 17, 2018
 
Rated: 4.52 by Bammer21 from Illinois

Sep 17, 2018
 
Rated: 4.21 by BrueryDC from California

Aug 28, 2018
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 ml bottle into snifter; 2018 vintage, bottled on 1/24/2018. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger dense and fluffy khaki head with poor retention, that reduces to nothing eventually. Minimal lacing on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, vanilla, toffee, brown sugar, bourbon, toasted oak, marshmallow, fudge, brownie batter, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, coffee, molasses, licorice, raisin, prune, salt, smoke, tobacco, and roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Increasing booze in the aromas as it warmed, but not too overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt, cocoa, vanilla, and bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, vanilla, toffee, brown sugar, bourbon, toasted oak, marshmallow, fudge, brownie batter, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, coffee, molasses, licorice, raisin, prune, salt, smoke, tobacco, and roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Light herbal/roast bitterness and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, vanilla, toffee, brown sugar, bourbon, toasted oak, marshmallow, fudge, brownie batter, dark/brown bread, light licorice/molasses/dark fruit, tobacco, and roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, cocoa, vanilla, and bourbon barrel flavors; with a great roasted bitter/sweet and bourbon/oak spicness balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering roast bitterness and bourbon/oak/alcohol spiciness. Medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a smooth, creamy/bready, fairly sticky/chalky/tannic, and lightly slick/syrupy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Lightly increasing warmth of 18.6%, with mild barrel booze lingering after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic flavored barrel aged imperial stout. All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, cocoa, vanilla, and bourbon barrel flavors; smooth and dangerously easy to sip on slowly for the enormous ABV; with the mildly bitter/tannic/drying finish. Right in line with a majority of the BT variants. Impressive, but not mind blowing. Outstanding balance of rich malts and flavorings; with great barrel integration. Not overly boozy/tannic for the young age. Bruery imperial stouts are unique in that they are not very roasty/charred on malts like most others; but also insanely high in alcohol. Very similar to Black Tuesday with added flavorings. Not overdone on salt which enhanced flavors, and not overly sweet/heavy for the ABV from lingering bitter/spicy/alcohol dryness. A highly enjoyable offering as expected.
Aug 11, 2018
 
Rated: 4.14 by Bum4ever from California

Jun 09, 2018
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Reviewed by HattedClassic from Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
The beer pours a brown head that dissipates quickly. The beer itself is an opaque black with a slight brown hue and it looks pretty nice.

The smell is good. It has a good peanut butter note mixed with a good chocolate and moderate salty note through the smell. It's a good smell with a very good balance between all the different notes. There is also a moderate caramel note through it all.

The taste is pretty good. It has the same notes as the smell but with a stronger and more lasting peanut butter note. The taste has a salt note underneath all of this into the finish.

The feel is pretty good. It feels thin and is fairly drinkable with a good carbonation.

Overall, a damn fine beer and definitely one of their best. Go for it.
May 27, 2018
Chocolate Salty BBLS from The Bruery
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 170 ratings