Scoops On Dunn
The Bruery

I was very excited to try this - after trying it though, it was incredibly bitter (not my thing) but very, very complex and tasty. I love The Bruery's variety of imperial stouts but this was one was a wee too but bitter for me. Great mouth feel, love the ALC, but had to add a bit of salt to this one.

Draft pour. Surprisingly fizzy, just a ring of bubbles on the edge.

Smell is chocolate, sweet milk, touch of Bourbon. Not as strong as expected.

Taste is the same, was hoping for more.

Feel is as expected.

Overall not bad, but I think the added parts make it worse than the base beer.

Review: 2415
Name: Scoops on Dunn
Brewery: The Bruery
Location: Placentia, CA
Style: Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
ABV: 19.1
Canned: 2023
Date: 31 May 2025
I look forward to enjoying this blended barrel-aged stout with caramel and toffee. I am using a tulip glass and serving the beer at 50 degrees. Prying the cap off, I hear a lovely hiss emit with a sweet chocolate aroma. The pour created a half-fingered creamy light tan head with poor retention. The poor retention is not surprising; it is a high abv stout. The color is dark brown, nearly black, charting at SRM 34, and opaque. The appearance of the beer is average for this style.
Nosing the glass, I smell dark chocolate, bourbon, oak, anise, leather, caramel, vanilla, molasses, coffee, dried cherries, dark roasted malts, light char, a hint of Maillard, a skosh of tobacco, a faint note of soy sauce, malty sweetness, and wood resin.
Sipping the beer initially, I tasted the dark chocolate enveloping the barrel-aged imperial stout. The chocolates have this bittersweet note of cocoa, which is what you would expect from a gourmet chocolate bar. The Black Tuesday added gave the beer roundness and depth with notes of dark roasted malts, malty sweetness, coffee, a touch of bitterness, char, bourbon, oak resin, dried orange peel, molasses, raisins, dried cherries, tobacco, a hint of Maillard, and a skiff of smoke. The adjuncts enhanced the intended effect of the beer with caramel, toffee, butterscotch, vanilla, and brown sugar.
The body is heavy and has low carbonation. The mouthfeel is coating and chewy, finishing velvety smooth.
Final Thought: Scoops on Dunn is a perfect example of why the Brewers at The Bruery are masters at their craft. This beer is delicate yet full of flavor, with a high ABV that is deceptively disguised. I was expecting heat on the end, but it was a bluff. Scoops on Dunn is a shining example of how to hide the AVB and make the beer enjoyable. I have drank lower AVB stout, and the warming was evident—a delicious beer after nine holes of golf.

 

12.7 ounce bottle, 2023 edition, bottled 05/09/23. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both decent enough. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like coffee, dark fruit, roasted malt, vanilla, cream, bourbon and toffee. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some oak, burnt/charred malt, licorice, caramel and dark bread flavors. Good amount of barrel character in both the aroma and taste. All the flavors are well balanced with no one flavor overpowering the others. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's slick and syrupy with a moderate amount of carbonation. Doesn't seem like it's 19.1% ABV when drinking it but I know it'll hit me later. I thought this was a pretty good overall brew, definitely worth picking up if you're into bigger imperial stouts!