Ancient One B-Bomb
Fremont Brewing Company

Ancient One B-BombAncient One B-Bomb
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From:
Fremont Brewing Company
 
Washington, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
14%
Score:
97
Avg:
4.47 | pDev: 7.83%
Reviews:
21
Ratings:
65
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 02, 2024
Added:
May 15, 2016
Wants:
  41
Gots:
  18
Ancient One B-Bomb is a blend of 18 and 30-month B-Bomb aged in 12 and 35-year old bourbon barrels. When we happened upon these rare, 35-year old bourbon barrels, we knew they would add an extra layer of intensity and complexity to B-bomb’s bourbon, oak, cacao, leather, and dark coffee notes. Each barrel contributes a different note and combining each barrel to create a coherent tone is a distinct art and true pleasure.

65 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by aleigator:
Photo of aleigator
Reviewed by aleigator from Germany

4.56/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75
Pours coal black with a medium sized, bubbly and stable light brown head.

Smells like opening an old liquour cabinet - incredibly complex oak profile up front followed by a light booze bite, which lingers up the nostrils with leather and old books. Got a nice, peppery spiciness to it, with roasted coconut and dried wild berries, toned down by dusty cocoa nibs and earthy coffee. Lots of danish licorice and dried tobacco blend into this unique melange, creating easily one of the most complex smelling beers I‘ve encountered so far.

Drinks still, soft, with no carbonation left. This establishes a medium mouthfeel with a slowly evolving alcohol warmth, which is pungent enough to almost overpower my whiskey and scotch tanned palate. This is hot. Somehow, this is able to maintain a well rounded balance, making this challenging on the tongue, but not as boozy, as to overpower any of the more subtle flavors of the beer.

Tastes like licking on old, dusty, spirit soaked oak. Right from the very beginning this one seems closer to Bourbon than to beer, if it wasn‘t for the multi layered chocolate-toffee foundation in this. The tongue is on fire early on, due to a peppery, clean and sharp bourbon profile, unfolding rapidly on the tongue in all its demanding facetts. Bitter dark chocolate and glazed caramel are able to withstand the booze onslaught though and establish a balance, which reminds me more of a silk barley wine than of a strong ale. Whipped cream and brittle oak create a unique flavor synergy, which, just for a short glance, lets the drinker forget, how decadent and strong headed this is. It adds a lofty momentum to a behemoth, which never comes close to being a palate wrecker. Quite the opposite is the case, this one keeps you drinking, because it tickles your curiosity. Within each sip, something new and exeptional is to be found, arising from the unique barrel profile.

Tobacco, char, toasty nuts, licorice, caramel, whipped cream, bitter chocolate - this and so much more is to be found in here. Much of it is hard to decipher, since this is so far away from your typical barrel aged beer (if there is such a thing) and there is so much going on on the palate at the same time. It drinks like a 750ml bottle but you can‘t stop sipping. Every single flavor seems emphasized so damn well, its just marvellous to feel them blend together on the palate, creating nothing short of a firework.
Feb 26, 2018
More User Ratings:
Photo of Treyliff
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia

4.61/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
2016 Vintage
Poured into a snifter

A- pours deep brown in color with a one-finger foamy khaki head that reduces to a ring

S- aroma is bursting with deep, woody intense bourbon, full of oak and barrel juice. As it warms, sharp notes of leather and pipe tobacco emerge, as well as chocolate, caramel and some peanut notes coming from the barrel/bourbon. Light undertones of dark cherry, black licorice, prune, vanilla & some peppery spice, almost cinnamon-like. This smells like walking into an old leather-bound book store, in the best way possible.

T- as with the nose, intense barrel flavors up front; wet old oak, sharp peanutty bourbon, caramel and booze. Mid-palate brings out some dark fruit notes of fig and black cherry. The finish gives notes of cherry pipe tobacco, peppery wood, chocolate & vanilla. Lingers of old oak that almost gives a tannic quality long after the finish

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a slightly foamy mouthfeel that turns creamy into a velvety, silky warming finish

O- intense and flavorful, but no overpowering with the barrel. Another winner from Fremont.
Feb 02, 2024
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.85/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle at share. Near black pour, ring of beige head. Sweet aroma, chocolate Taste is sweet, alcohol burn, light chocolate. Lots of ABV, but not a lot backing it up.
Dec 27, 2023
Photo of jrc1093
Reviewed by jrc1093 from Connecticut

4.18/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
2016 vintage; consumed on 4/22/2022

Pours a silky jet-mahogany body capped with a finger and a half of rocky, khaki-hued foam; solid head retention yields a few spotty chunks of cap, a large, frothy collar, and minimal-no lacing holding to the walls of the glass.

Aromas open to fruity dark coffee and raisin accents layered over fading bourbon steadily overtaken by shreds of oak and barrel over time, intensely layered and expressive with sandal and pine wood fuse into the darker roast profile before peaking with underlying bakers cocoa lingering through the olfactories.

Taste highlights baking spice phasing into layers of oak upfront as charry malts linger into smooth leather and mild tobacco over the mid-palate; soft baked cherry notes lean into edges of sandalwood into the back end, finishing with fresh bakers chocolate on the swallow.

Mouthfeel sees a medium-full body with a soft carbonation dispersing to a pillowy char as a delicately attenuated acridity invigorates sinewy textures of oak through the mid-palate, belying otherwise gritty sensations into a slickness on back end and a warming, consistent creaminess on the finish.

A showcase of unrelenting barrel surpassing its waning whiskey imbuement to meet the nuances of a hearty winter ale base softened by years in the bottle; oak and time define this deftly unique sipper, a skillful marriage of elements presently both approachably aggressive and intriguingly complex.
Apr 23, 2022
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.71/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
This one pours a very dark brown color, with a small head, and not much lacing.

This smells like intense oak spice and oaky char, chocolate, cinnamon, tobacco, boozy heat, coffee, and caramel.

This has a massive barrel presence to it, which makes sense. It's obviously much more pronounced than regular B-Bomb, with the 35 year old barrels adding some smoke, leather, and intense oak spice to the beer. It's almost as if cinnamon bark was added to this, in a good way. The base B-Bomb still gives those coffee, chocolate, caramel, dark bready notes, and the chocolate and caramel seem to be amplified by the barrel here.

This is medium bodied, with a long bitter finish, and a bit of booziness. If it's boozy still 4 years later, I wonder how boozy it was on release.

I am extremely privileged to be able to try a beer like this. It's intense and it won't be for everybody, but I think it's one of the coolest barrel aged beers I've ever tried.
Oct 15, 2020
Photo of jacobdunne
Rated by jacobdunne from Colorado

4.85/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
The cinnamon and coffee combo is drool-worthy! Very well done. Cheers!
Jan 02, 2019
 
Rated: 4.42 by shelby415 from Oregon

Jan 01, 2019
Photo of DefenCorps
Reviewed by DefenCorps from Oregon

4.34/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Bottle pour at Imperial on Alberta for their Fremont event last night.

A very dark brown with a dark brown head with good retention and lacing, this looks solid. Soy and leather notes are present but a noticeably less so than in the AO Dark Star. Mild spice, vanilla, bourbon, roast grain. Palate is a little disjointed, though - the individual flavors are excellent but don't necessarily come together . Heat, leather and wet tobacco are present.
Dec 23, 2018
 
Rated: 4.35 by mrn1ceguy from Illinois

Oct 25, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by Radcpa from Washington

Oct 12, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by mattreitz49 from Florida

Jun 21, 2018
 
Rated: 4.58 by rab53 from Washington

Mar 29, 2018
 
Rated: 4.29 by kingjohnh from New Mexico

Jan 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4.19 by taospowder from New Mexico

Jan 09, 2018
 
Rated: 3.62 by nmann08 from Virginia

Dec 03, 2017
 
Rated: 4.53 by CheapBeerBuzz from California

Oct 22, 2017
Photo of SadMachine
Reviewed by SadMachine from New Jersey

4.51/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Rate #4000!!!

Pours almost completely black with only hints of brown when held to the light. A small, light tan head retains well, leaving minimal lacing. Some intense alcohol legs can be seen when this is swirled.

Holy bourbon Batman! This is one of the most bourbon forward beers I've ever smelled, but rather than being hot and abrasive it is rich and refined. Old oak, pure vanilla bean, raw honey, figs, prunes, dark chocolate, caramel, and even slight notes of berry and coffee beans. As it warms raspberry dark chocolate is at the forefront. Fremont really brought it with this one!

The flavor is deep and roasty. This isnt all stout, but rather a marriage of stout and American strong ale. Vanilla and oak dominate, with an assertive booziness. Slightly chocolatey, with a dry vinous finish.

Medium mouthfeel, which is a bit of a let down considering how big this beer is. It coats your mouth, but mostly with boozy bourbon. Moderate carbonation, and bone dry.

This is a really great beer, though it doesn't quite live up to the hype. I'd like more body, and a bit more of the stout flavors to come through and push past the booze.
Oct 22, 2017
Photo of PhilHarmstead
Reviewed by PhilHarmstead from New Jersey

4.54/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Opaque and black, save around the edges in the light where it appears to be a cola brown, half a finger head, medium brown with impressive retention, sparse lacing with thick, spidery legs; round and rich bourbon-forward nose gives way to oak, vanilla, milk and dark chocolates, raspberries, and leather, saddle shop; holy bourbon barrel, Batman! Rich milk and dark chocolates, berries, vanilla, tobacco, faint banana and clove; lightly chewy, slightly tannic, appropriate carbonation.

Overall: leaning against your dismounted saddle, enjoying chocolates, whiskey, and chewing tobacco by the fire after a long day horseback riding in the woods and prairie.
Oct 22, 2017
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

4.01/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Well here is the gem that Tuttle brought to March Madness 2017. Glad I got to try it. Pours a thick and dark ass black. Very thin 1/6" brown head on the top. How they classify this an old ale or barleywine, I dunno, looks and tastes like an imperial stout. Aroma wafted big time dark chocolate, bourbon, tobacco, vanilla and a minor amount of alcohol heat.

Taste was much the same as the nose but with a bigger amount of alcohol heat. It wasn't obstructive, but it was present, along with a sturdy amount of bitterness likely from the heavily roasted malt. Fudge like brownie and toffee continue on throughout the mouthfeel. I liked it, but it was definitely a sipper.

I guess these things go for an arm and a leg on the grey market. Buddy said the PacNW is really striving hard for some trade ammo. I guess I can see why they are hyping this one, it is good, it is in some old ass bourbon barrels. Ultimately though, its a little gimmicky, and doesn't add anything particularly unique in the flavor profile. A good beer, but KBS or BCS seems to be very comparable and at a fraction of the cost or opportunity cost.
Sep 06, 2017
Photo of dleiner
Reviewed by dleiner from New York

3.99/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Fremont is among my Top 5 favorite breweries, but this is a miss. Lots of alcohol burn at all temps. I was super excited to try this bit massively disappointed.
Sep 06, 2017
Ancient One B-Bomb from Fremont Brewing Company
Beer rating: 97 out of 100 with 65 ratings