Black Rhyno (VBS Barrel Select)
People's Brewing Company

 

 

Unlike the previous review, I thankfully am reviewing a bottle with no indication of any off notes or infection whatsoever. It still pours with very minimal head, but oddly enough it still leaves a bit of lacing on the glass when drunk. The beer itself is relatively carbonated on the tongue, however--an interesting trick aided by the bourbon which is certainly in evidence here. The nose is pleasant but not particularly intense or complex, with vanilla, roasted barley, dark chocolate, and pulpy wood notes leading the way: quite standard at this point for a barrel-aged stout. The flavors are much the same but with the chocolate and barrel tones coming more to the forefront. Quite a bit of barrel, in fact, compared to the regular version of Black Rhyno which I had on draft at a local bar shortly after its release.

The rye spice is also more prominent in the mouth than on the nose. On the one hand, it adds a more uncommon element to the beer that certainly makes it more memorable; on the other hand, it crowds out some of the sweetness and smoothness that many people look for in BBA stouts. I have a hard time discerning if those flavors are truly crowded out or whether they are simply not fully developed, but I lean towards the latter and score accordingly. This has potential to be marvelous if bumped up to 11-12% with the addition of [modest] vanilla or cacao nibs.

Considering that the Barrel Select version is priced the same as the regular, I do believe this is my preferred expression. There are other better regionally- or nationally-distributed BA stouts at the same price point, but this is a great effort for a local hometown brewery, well worth supporting if it will lead to a larger barrel program in the future.

Unlike the standard Black Rhyno, this poured thin without any head and smelled strongly of butter, which was mirrored on the palate with an unpleasant buttery taste. Overall, none of the positive notes of Black Rhyno shone through and it most certainly did not acquire any pleasant characteristics from VBS's Four Roses barrel. Perhaps this was just a bad bottle, perhaps the flavors have just melded in a way that does not compliment my particular preferences, but it most certainly did not taste like Black Rhyno and it most certainly did not taste like any Four Roses bourbon I've ever had.