Bourbon Barrel Stout
Anderson Valley Brewing Company

 

Serving: 12 oz can poured into a 9 oz Libbey Embassy snifter.

Appearance: Deep dark brown with a thick head of tan foam; spotty lacing.

Smell: Caramel, roasted grains, vanilla and subtle booze.

Taste: Lighter but balanced roasted grains, cocoa, vanilla, dark fruit, leather, salty caramel and gentle alcohol warmth.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, smooth and creamy feel with moderate carbonation.

Overall: Lighter, drinkable stout with nice barrel notes, but not the punch of higher ABV.

Dark brown, topped with a massive tan head. Aroma: chocolate, malt & vanilla. Flavors: a fair amount of chocolate & malt, vanilla, Mexican hot chocolate. I couldn’t find any barrel flavors other than vanilla or the bourbon was missing too. Excellent carbonation but feel is somewhat thin for a stout. Quite a bit of stomach heat for such low ABV. Overall: who put malt balls in my beer?

If you enjoy stouts with hint of bourbon, especially a barrel-aged variety that is nearly ‘Sessionable’ this brew will strike your fancy.
At 6.9 abv: as expected there is no alcohol ‘burn’, a pretty light mouthfeel, and a lack of complexity.
More suitable as an autumn treat than a winter, in-front-of-the-fire-sipper.

A very fragrant Stout that is perhaps a little bit too thin in terms of body and with a slight sour aftertaste that I can't tell if it's by design or not.

 

 

Review: 2401
Name: Bourbon Barrel Stout
Brewery: Anderson Valley
Location: Boonville, CA
Style: Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
ABV: 6.9%
Canned: Unknown
Date: 18 May 2025.
The beer has no date; I do know this beer is at least four or five years old. I tried Bourbon Barrel Stout fresh and was less than impressed with it. Prying the cap off, a volcano of beer erupted. Putting my finger in the hole to prevent a further eruption. I am serving it at 50 degrees in a tulip glass. The pour created a two-fingered, light tan head with above-average retention. The slow dissipation left a ring around the glass. The color is jet black with dark rusty brown hues. It is opaque and charting at SRM 36. Overall, it has an average appearance for a stout.
Nosing the glass, I smell bourbon, chocolate, char, dark roasted malts, leather, malty sweetness, raisins, caramel, vanilla, dried orange peel, and phenolic.
Sipping the glass, I taste bourbon, chocolate, dark roasted malts, leather, caramel, malty sweetness, raisins, vanilla, oak, and phenol.
The mouthfeel is airy and finishes dry. The body is medium-light and has high carbonation.
Unfortunately, age has not improved this stout. The only thing age did was temper the abv, although it was relatively low already. The beer has a terrible mouthfeel; it is not thick or coating. This beer is the problem I often encounter: a solidly built brewery turning out mediocre beers at best. The beer has not improved at all; it is still not a good showing; it is average at best.

 

 

The pour is matte black with a tan & frothy head of foam. The taste is roasted malt, toasted grains, bourbon barrel oak, along with some hints of toffee & vanilla. Cheers! A-

Bourbon Barrel Stout pours an almost black color with a long-lasting, large, tan, fizzy head. The aroma is a little metallic. The flavor is smooth and easy, with lots of bourbon flavors. Good feel. Overall, it is a lighter barrel-aged stout with great bourbon flavors.

 

Pours black. Small brown head that dissipates rather quickly.

Aroma of burnt marshmallow. Dark chocolate. Some bourbon in the background.

Taste is sweet malts, dark chocolate. Burnt marshmallow. No real bourbon taste, which is surprising and somewhat disappointing.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and lightly cleansing.

Overall, a nice brew and well worth a try.

High carb., 2 fingers, dark tan, quick to vanish.
Chocolate-roast scent, strong dry Fig suggestion.
Creamy, silky fig, brief Oak hint?
Carbs merge in instant cellared pleasure.
Subtle chocolate booze, stealthy serene.
Wild Stout, punches above it's ABV.

 

A.V. Bourbon Barrel Stout has a very thick, beige head and a dark brown appearance, with some lacing. The aroma is of bourbon barrel and brown bread crust. The flavor is of those elements, with low bitterness. A.V. bourbon Barrel Stout has a medium body and a dry finish.

RJT

 

 

This taste like a stout mixed with bourbon without all of the alcohol that comes with drinking bourbon. It’s quite surprising. Doesn’t taste like beer though. Tastes more like a beer mixed drink.