Gravedigger Billy
Revolution Brewing

4.47/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by DIM from Pennsylvania

Thanks FBarber for this treat! Canned 1/19/22. 14.2% ABV


This is a wonderful bourbon barrel showcase. Some smoke, earthy cherry, caramel, and peats do peek through the robust bourbon, oaky char, and vanilla. Warming and satisfying. Revolution's barrel program continues to impress.

Mar 12, 2022

4.54/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
by Sabtos from Ohio

Appearing a dark brown mahogany at a distance, it's actually a clear reddish-purple up close and under sunlight. Its short khaki head settles out to a thin chain around a blanket of uneven cola bubbles.

An excellent nose of sticky bourbon continues well on into the palate as it meets an almost rye-like spice with some mixed nuts. Digging further in, salted caramels are contrasted by a bitter root-like quality in the warming finish.

The medium body's mild bubbliness comes to a semi-dry, lightly sticky and quite warming finish.

Feb 11, 2022

4.54/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
by barnzy78 from Illinois

12oz can
filled JAN/19/2022
L: mahogany colored ale with a thinner tan head that disappears quickly
S: boozy bourbon, oak, malty caramel, smoke, peat
T: sweet & boozy; loads of caramel & toffee, bourbon & oak, smoke & peat, vanilla, earthy hops
F: so smooth; full body, ample carbonation, a boozy sipper, finishes on the sweet side
O: another amazing barrel aged beer from the Deep Wood Series. Glad they brought this one back

Feb 06, 2022

4.08/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by thebeers from Pennsylvania

Ruddy brown with two fingers of airy, tan head. The head dissipates fairly quickly leaving a wisp across the top, a soupy crown and sloppy lacing.

Nice vanilla, toffee and leather show first in the nose, with slight kisses of medicinal cherry, smoke and earthy hops.

Leather, and to a lesser degree, some of the vanilla and the toffee from the nose carry to the taste. There’s a stronger meatiness, which the aroma only hinted at, as well as more of the cherry notes, the hops and some modest alcohol burn. The more I drink, the more I get cherry wood smoke as the dominant impression.

Medium bodied and slick feeling with a little zip from the carbonation.

The smokey/meaty qualities here aren’t my personal favorite, but this is a high-quality beer with plenty of depth, nonetheless. 11-21-18 canning date.

Feb 15, 2020

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by Dragginballs76 from South Carolina

Appearance - Pours deep mahogany with a dense tan head that settles to a thick cap, great retention. Random spots of lacing.

Aroma - Barrel, peat, caramel, slightly sweet and smoky, nice char, malt.

Taste - Great caramel, smoke and char, barrel, bourbon, peat, slight dark fruit really complex and super smooth well balanced flavors. Light brown sugar.

Feel - Medium bodied smooth velvet feel, slight arming from the alcohol but super smooth and easy drinking for the ABV.

Overall - Really well done scotch ale, great flavors smooth complex.

May 30, 2019

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
by Stevedore from Oregon

12oz can, snifter glass. Darker brown body, amber-caramel hue, one finger white head, plenty of retention and even a bit of lacing. Smell is big caramel and toffee, smooth barrel heat, light vanillin, a dab of smoke, more caramel. Sweet on both the nose and the palate, but with a lot of intense flavours coming from the barrel. Complex blend of vanilla, caramel, a dab of toasted coconut, light smoke, fair bit of bourbon heat, a bit of bitter oak through the finish. Medium bodied, good carbonation.

Feb 27, 2019

4.38/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
by JBowenGeorgia from Georgia

Reddish brown pour with a finger of tan head that dissipated pretty quickly.
Initially had a heavy barrel smell that subsided a bit as it warmed. Caramel, a bit of sweet malts.
Taste follows, caramel, brown sugar, a bit of plum, hints of bourbon.
Medium body, slight warming but not overly so for the ABV.
Overall a pretty tasty Scotch Ale.

Jan 29, 2019

4.11/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 2.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
by russpowell from Arkansas

Pours an effervescent copper-hued brown with a thumb+ of tan head. A trace of head retention & lacing

S: Figs, a little bourbon, a little raisin once warm

T: Follows the now, a touch of peatyness & booze warmth & some brown sugar sweetness up front. Brown sugar, caramel, leafy hops, a little peatyness & barrel warmth/dryness once warm. Finishes with peaty & woody notes, plus some booze warmth, also a little fig & general jammyness

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation, warming

At first the Bourbon step this a little bit, Then the Wee Heavy takes over to provide a very nice take on the style

Jan 18, 2019

4.34/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
by GuyFawkes from Illinois

Canned 11/21/18; drank 12/16/18 @ the Yarchives.

See-through purple/orange appearance.

A violent pour yielded a nice khaki head; nice lace.

Caramel, oak, bourbon heat, mild peat & faint orange citrus notes in the nose.

Creamy, thick mouthfeel.

Cream, caramel & oak flavors up front; mild smoke & faint bourbon heat notes on the finish.

Smokier in the nose than on the tongue, this is a balanced, fine scotch ale. I'd have another.

Dec 17, 2018

4.59/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by StanleysCup from Maryland

Cellared bottle originally purchased in October 2015. Opened at a NYE party hosted by a friend who is a funeral director. Couldn’t be more apropos.

L: dark brown, some reddish hue. Neary opaque.
S: overwhelmed me at first with a boozy bourbon waft. I was worried it had sat too long and/or was going to seem heavier than the 10% ABV. Also noted scents of rum, cocoa, toffee, toasted malts and some prunes.

T/F: simply amazing. Picked up all of the scents above but the alcohol presence was not as pronounced as I originally feared. The malts and barrel aging really stood out as the beer aerated and warmed closer to room temperature. Carbonated was subdued as expected for a high octane beer. No bourbon burn on the way down, either.

O: one of my fave beers in recent memory. I’m glad I saved it for a special occasion and would definitely seek it out again.

Dec 31, 2017

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

Bottle: Poured a deep brown color ale with a medium size light brown foamy head with light retention and some minimal lacing. Aroma of caramelized malt with some residual sugar and light oak notes is pleasant enough. Taste is a good mix of caramelized malt with residual brown sugar notes and light oak notes and light alcohol phenols are also noticeable. Body is about average for style with good carbonation and light warming alcohol notes are also noticeable. Solid scotch ale but lacking some depth.

May 22, 2017