8 Maids-A-Milking - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
The Bruery

750ml bottle with an etched-on date of 10/21/16. Cannot believe this survived, forgot I even had it in a box in a closet. Thanksgiving 2024 was a good opportunity to finally open this up. At this point likely indistinguishable from the original beer or even the fresh version of this barrel aged edition. Sipped it slowly while cooking so now it’s truly room temp and still shines. Super mellow with very little carbonation yet a seriously complex flavor profile. Each sip involves a ton of wet wooden barrel, dark chocolate, very dark coffee, molasses, dark cherry, and tobacco. Super boozy, sharp nose that is harsh with a deep inhale. Hints of bourbon are still present. For an 8 year old BBA milk stout, this is impressive. A fun beer to enjoy over hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whatever a barrel-aged Belgian milk stout is, I like it. The taste is a confusing mash up of flavors—roasted malt, milk stout sweetness, oak and vanilla from the barrel, dark fruits, yeast. But somehow it all comes together for a complex and coherent experience.

 

2020 vintage
375ml bottle poured into a tulip

A- pours black in color with a one-finger foamy khaki head that reduces to a ring around the edge

S- roasted barley and milk chocolate on the nose, with undertones of char and caramel. Hint of oaky bourbon and barrel juice to close it out

T- the barrel comes through much more on the taste, with an immediately blast of oaky bourbon barrel, which is followed quickly by a mix of caramel and milk chocolate. Mid-palate gives more barrel juice, with undertones of coconut, figs and maybe some Belgian candi sugar? Lingers of bourbon and milk chocolate

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that continues into a slightly warming finish

O- plenty of barrel makes a nice compliment to the base beer

 

 

A: Poured into a snifter to a black beer topped by a dense and slightly rocky two finger light tan head which fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S: Smells of chocolate and roasted malts with some boozy barrel notes.
T: Taste is chocolate, roasted malts, hints of coffee, charred wood along with some hints of peppery yeast with a little bit of fruitiness. Hints of caramel, vanilla and oak from the barrels as well. On the swallow there's a lot of vanilla, caramel and oak along with some more peppery yeast, chocolate and roasted malts.
M: This beer is on the heavier side of medium in body with a creamy feel on the palate. Carbonation is on the low side of things but it is adequate for the style while the beer has a drying finish.
O: Overall this beer is pretty solid but there's a surprising amount of heat for a sub 14% beer that has about four years of time in the bottle. It still tastes good though. Otherwise the beer has a nice amount of complexity and good flavors which blend well together.

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a Bruery tulip glass.

Pours a dark brown body with a fluffy off-white head that reduces pretty slowly to leave spotty lacing and nice retention.

Aromas or caramel and milk chocolate, lightly boozy bourbon, vanilla, butterscotch, dark fruits in the background.

On the tongue, sweet caramel and vanilla chocolate, roasty coffee, light toasty malt on the follow through, bourbon booziness on the finish, syrupy sweetness on the aftertaste. Medium-heavy body with low carbonation. Lingering aftertaste of toasted malt which I like.

Still drinking great!

 

 

aint bad, but didnt age as well as the Choc Rain and the BT

 

 

Split with JLindros.

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a nice dark black with a thin head.

S - Aromas of vanilla and light bourbon. Little bit of chocolate.

T - Taste is similar to the nose with nice caramel and vanilla. Pleasant chocolate with light alcohol.

M - Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated, creamy, alcohol hidden nicely.

O - Overall this was a very solid stout. Surprisingly nice caramel notes. How can the base be so different??

Serving Type: bottle