Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star: Coffee, Cacao, Vanilla
Fremont Brewing Company

Gratefully obtained a bottle via Tavour recently. Poured out at 50degrees F into my Bishop’s Arms tulip. Initially a big disappointed in the somewhat bubbly tan head disappearing very rapidly. However the deep dark base threw off beautiful burnt orange/ruby port accents to light.
The nose was excellent. Full rich powerful scents of chocolate, espresso, dark fruit, toffee, hints of vanilla and oak. Flavor mirrored with more bourbon evident. Hints of leather, charcoal and tobacco arrived with airing and warming. Wonderfully complex. Delicious if not as powerful as the nose. Body was medium full, and silky. Carbonation was soft but a bit bright and when added to some alcohol burn they distracted from the silky smoothness.
Overall a wonderfully complex and delicious BBAIS. The adjuncts really combine and complement. The multiple barreling drew a wide cascade of enhancements in nose and flavor. More than met the hype. Brought back great memories of visits to the original Fremont tasting room and trying their one offs and barreled experiments.

Review: 2535
Name: Dark Star Coffee Cocoa Vanilla
Brewery: Fremont Brewing
Location: Seattle, WA
Style: Imperial Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 12.5%
Canned: 2021
Date: 15 January 2026
I remember purchasing this bottle in Nampa and was excited to see it on tap. Serving it at 54 degrees in a Bruery tulip glass, the pour formed a frothy, two-fingered tan head with average retention. Its dark brown, opaque appearance with rich mahogany hues and an SRM of 36 is visually appealing, though I wish the head lasted longer to enhance the presentation.
Smelling the glass, I pick up rich notes of dark chocolate, raisins, medium-roasted malt, vanilla, coffee, anise, tobacco, earthy dirt, bourbon, char, toasted bread crust, malty sweetness, toffee, and oatmeal. After a moment, the aroma deepens with hints of oak, leather, and molasses, revealing its layered complexity.
The first sip hits with prominent dark chocolate, toffee, earthy coffee, vanilla, bourbon, and oak. Subsequent sips reveal a complex blend of leather, dark chocolate, tobacco, coffee, molasses, raisins, earthy dirt, oak, bourbon, char, and caramel, showcasing the beer's rich, layered profile.
The mouthfeel is chewy, with a substantial, heavy body that leaves a lasting impression, finishing a bit warm and creamy. The medium-low carbonation complements this richness, inviting enthusiasts to savor each sip.
Final Impression: The Dark Star conjures up something from the Empire, but only a righteous Jedi can partake. My mind may have wandered too far. This barrel-aged oatmeal stout is especially satisfying in cold weather, with big coffee, chocolate, and vanilla flavors that pair beautifully with the barrel aging. Enjoyed sipping on this beer as the temperatures dip below the 30's, making it perfect for cozy nights.

 

 

Look: very dark, no highlights when held to light. Fat, creamy mocha head on the pour.
Smell: subtle hints of all the adjuncts.
Taste: ditto. Super easy drinker, all the flavors there but not in your face.

Acquired a bomber via trade with @BMBCLT 4-1-23. 2021 bottling consumed 4-14-24.

Beer poured black with a very nice tan head with the original pour.

Nose is very nice, coffee forward with some notes of leather and vanilla.

Taste is near perfection as the large malt base garners a very appropriate amount of the barrel given me impressions of leather and vanilla. Coffee is prominent and well blended in 3 years after bottling. Finishes perfectly balanced with no trace of overt sweetness.

Mouthfeel is large bodied with each sip being smooth and satisfying.

Overall a wonderful beer, world class for sure!

 

 

 

 

Pours deep, dark brown. Aroma is complex combination of bourbon, chocolate & coffee with hints of vanilla & some malts. Flavor matches nose with addition of coffee. Incredibly balances & layered. Medium bodied. Incredible stout.

 

 

2021 draught hit at Apex Bar in Portland OR.
Everything is on point with this beautiful Stout. The adjuncts work in perfect harmony, each gets a moment to shine, and the barrel flavors are distinct. Love the little touch of bitterness on the side of the tongue from masterful hopping. The mouthfeel is silky and luxurious. Pinpoint perfect sweetness. Great finish. Damn fine effort.,

Appearance - The beer was black in appearance with a frothy dark tan head.

Smell- The nose smelled of sweet syrupy bourbon and dark chocolate.

Taste - At the front, the profile was led by frothy chocolate oats. Notes of burnt sugar, vanilla, and prunes followed. The finish was like chocolate covered vanilla bean with a slight warming sensation.

Mouthfeel - The body was appropriate for the style,

Overall - It was not the best Dark Star variant, but very drinkable.

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque black in the glass with a quarter finger, dark khaki head with light lacing. Aroma is dark toasted malt, coffee, bourbon, light vanilla and cocoa; enticing. Flavor follows, with dark toasted malt, rich coffee, bourbon, light vanilla and chocolate. Medium bodied with a light to moderate creaminess. This was in the back fridge for a year even though I decided a long time ago to drink coffee stouts without aging. Fortunately, the coffee appeared to be unaffected, in fact, I think this is quite a bit more coffee forward than the regular coffee version many years ago. This has the really rich, full malt base of the BA Dark Star series which once again supports the other flavors very nicely. The vanilla and cocoa take a back seat to the coffee, but make a pleasant contribution. I look forward to the new variants and Spice Wars every year. A stellar stout.