Hipster Brunch Stout | Odd Side Ales
Brewed by:
Odd Side Ales
Michigan, United States
oddsideales.com
Style: American Imperial Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 11.00%
Availability: Fall
Notes / Commercial Description:
It's morning somewhere! This delectable stout has been aged in bourbon barrels with coffee, maple syrup, and bacon!
Added by Fargrow on 10-06-2014
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 831 | Reviews: 133
4.22/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Pours a beautiful black body with a strong dark brown head. Good retention.
Bourbon is strong on the nose, along with notes of coffee, chocolate, and maple syrup. Overall a sweet aromatic profile, but with plenty of depth.
Flavor follows, with maple and bourbon blending with a big roasty malt base. Notes of vanilla, chocolate, and burnt coffee accompany. Bacon really does come through on the finish, along with some oak, coffee, and roast, for a complex and satisfying overall profile. The more you sip at this, the more the bitter coffee and bacon come out earlier. Not a ton of bourbon, with the blend being quite nice; either the adjuncts take over, or the barrel aging was noticeably less than a year.
Full bodied; sticky and creamy, not quite chewy. No heat up front, but some lingers on the back end.
Obviously this style of beer has become somewhat in vogue (hence the name, even). It's quite a ton of stuff to toss into a beer at once, and then give it the BBA treatment. That said, this works, maybe better than most. Some noteworthy comparisons (based on my distro, I'm going with the Funky Buddha analogs):
MBCP: Hipster has a fuller malt base and accompanying flavor. MBCP is thinner. Obviously Hipster is BBA. Other than that, very similar across the profile.
WAIM: Despite being closer in ABV, these two beers are still pretty far apart. WAIM is intensely sweet, something that is much more restrained here. Hipster also has more bacon.
Morning Wood: Probably the closest beer in comparison: similar ABV, same adjuncts, and both BBA. The bourbon in MW is more prominent, but they're similar in terms of sweetness. Again, Hipster has more bacon presence.
In closing: is this beer as good as, better than, or worse than, what Funky Buddha pioneered? I'll just go with different. OddSide does a better job bringing out the bacon flavor; FB leans more heavily on the maple, with the result being that those beers are sweeter, but overall perhaps just a touch more enjoyable. This is, nonetheless, a very, very tasty beer.
2,050 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Pours a beautiful black body with a strong dark brown head. Good retention.
Bourbon is strong on the nose, along with notes of coffee, chocolate, and maple syrup. Overall a sweet aromatic profile, but with plenty of depth.
Flavor follows, with maple and bourbon blending with a big roasty malt base. Notes of vanilla, chocolate, and burnt coffee accompany. Bacon really does come through on the finish, along with some oak, coffee, and roast, for a complex and satisfying overall profile. The more you sip at this, the more the bitter coffee and bacon come out earlier. Not a ton of bourbon, with the blend being quite nice; either the adjuncts take over, or the barrel aging was noticeably less than a year.
Full bodied; sticky and creamy, not quite chewy. No heat up front, but some lingers on the back end.
Obviously this style of beer has become somewhat in vogue (hence the name, even). It's quite a ton of stuff to toss into a beer at once, and then give it the BBA treatment. That said, this works, maybe better than most. Some noteworthy comparisons (based on my distro, I'm going with the Funky Buddha analogs):
MBCP: Hipster has a fuller malt base and accompanying flavor. MBCP is thinner. Obviously Hipster is BBA. Other than that, very similar across the profile.
WAIM: Despite being closer in ABV, these two beers are still pretty far apart. WAIM is intensely sweet, something that is much more restrained here. Hipster also has more bacon.
Morning Wood: Probably the closest beer in comparison: similar ABV, same adjuncts, and both BBA. The bourbon in MW is more prominent, but they're similar in terms of sweetness. Again, Hipster has more bacon presence.
In closing: is this beer as good as, better than, or worse than, what Funky Buddha pioneered? I'll just go with different. OddSide does a better job bringing out the bacon flavor; FB leans more heavily on the maple, with the result being that those beers are sweeter, but overall perhaps just a touch more enjoyable. This is, nonetheless, a very, very tasty beer.
2,050 characters
4.28/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.5/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.08/5 rDev -6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours an almost black with small tan head.
Smells of dark roasted malts, bourbob barrel, faint coffee and maple notes.
Taste is the same. Roasty malt and barrel are prevalent, coffee is faint, maple shows itself in the finish.
Medium to full bodied.
249 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours an almost black with small tan head.
Smells of dark roasted malts, bourbob barrel, faint coffee and maple notes.
Taste is the same. Roasty malt and barrel are prevalent, coffee is faint, maple shows itself in the finish.
Medium to full bodied.
249 characters
4.43/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.42/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.27/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.65/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.34/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I get banana on the nose and maple syrup on the taste. Good beer.
65 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I get banana on the nose and maple syrup on the taste. Good beer.
65 characters
4.5/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.25/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
Beautiful deep charred body that is a rich deep brown bordering on black. Modest but really pretty looking deep brown head settles in to small velvet before too long leaving a dusting over the middle and some shiny bubbles at the collar. Beautiful lacing.
Interesting ashy chocolate that is dry and sweet in turns. Maple is faint, but it's definitely there, as well as an almost cinnamon spice, but maybe that's the barrel. Faintly smokey that I could be convinced was an allusion to the bacon on the label. Coffee is subtle and mostly folded into the other flavours. The barreling seems to mostly round the edges and make everything that much smoother rather than jamming a bunch of alcohol astringincy into the proceedings.
As it warms there is a definite smokiness that's less the acrid smoke you usually see in beer, but definitely reminiscient of the smoky meaty character of frying bacon. Works really well here.
Flavour starts off with an almost nutty twang before settling into more what was anticipated: Sweet maple and chocolate to start off, and finishing with some bitter coffee beans and something that's somewhere between creamy and greasy (though I will plead guilty to the potential that that is born of suggestion based on the label listing bacon as an additive). Along the middle somewhere though there's... something I can't quite pin down that doesn't fit quite as well for me. Almost a sour grain suggestion. Not anywhere close to enough to turn me off of this beer, but still would prefer if it manifested a little differently.
Definitely pretty hot. Won't be mistaking this one for anything other than what it is. Body is a little thinner than I like as well. Fine carbonation that supports the rest of the beer nicely and a bitter finish that balances against the sweeter elements found earlier on.
Overall this is a fantastic beer, and one I am incredibly grateful to have received in @FlintB's incredibly generous collection of midwest goodness for NBS BIF#007. Thanks man!
2,007 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
Beautiful deep charred body that is a rich deep brown bordering on black. Modest but really pretty looking deep brown head settles in to small velvet before too long leaving a dusting over the middle and some shiny bubbles at the collar. Beautiful lacing.
Interesting ashy chocolate that is dry and sweet in turns. Maple is faint, but it's definitely there, as well as an almost cinnamon spice, but maybe that's the barrel. Faintly smokey that I could be convinced was an allusion to the bacon on the label. Coffee is subtle and mostly folded into the other flavours. The barreling seems to mostly round the edges and make everything that much smoother rather than jamming a bunch of alcohol astringincy into the proceedings.
As it warms there is a definite smokiness that's less the acrid smoke you usually see in beer, but definitely reminiscient of the smoky meaty character of frying bacon. Works really well here.
Flavour starts off with an almost nutty twang before settling into more what was anticipated: Sweet maple and chocolate to start off, and finishing with some bitter coffee beans and something that's somewhere between creamy and greasy (though I will plead guilty to the potential that that is born of suggestion based on the label listing bacon as an additive). Along the middle somewhere though there's... something I can't quite pin down that doesn't fit quite as well for me. Almost a sour grain suggestion. Not anywhere close to enough to turn me off of this beer, but still would prefer if it manifested a little differently.
Definitely pretty hot. Won't be mistaking this one for anything other than what it is. Body is a little thinner than I like as well. Fine carbonation that supports the rest of the beer nicely and a bitter finish that balances against the sweeter elements found earlier on.
Overall this is a fantastic beer, and one I am incredibly grateful to have received in @FlintB's incredibly generous collection of midwest goodness for NBS BIF#007. Thanks man!
2,007 characters
4.25/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from 12oz bottle into glass. Stamped on bottle under label is '01091734B10103'.
Black colored body with brown highlights. Three finger mocha brown head settles to cap and ring. Lacing webs abound.
Aroma of dark roasted malts, chocolate, maple and bacon.
Taste introduces the bourbon barrel and coffee, along with the malts, chocolate, and bacon (similar to the salty taste of pan fried bacon). Maple is faint.
Thick, mouth coating mouth feel. Decent carbonation.
A sweet, thick beer, but balanced and not cloyingly sweet. Bourbon barrel is evident but not overwhelming. Tasty overall. Very easy to drink. ABV is mostly hidden, but shows up a slight burn at the tail end of the taste profile.
700 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from 12oz bottle into glass. Stamped on bottle under label is '01091734B10103'.
Black colored body with brown highlights. Three finger mocha brown head settles to cap and ring. Lacing webs abound.
Aroma of dark roasted malts, chocolate, maple and bacon.
Taste introduces the bourbon barrel and coffee, along with the malts, chocolate, and bacon (similar to the salty taste of pan fried bacon). Maple is faint.
Thick, mouth coating mouth feel. Decent carbonation.
A sweet, thick beer, but balanced and not cloyingly sweet. Bourbon barrel is evident but not overwhelming. Tasty overall. Very easy to drink. ABV is mostly hidden, but shows up a slight burn at the tail end of the taste profile.
700 characters
4.31/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.64/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
4.18/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
5/5 rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I don't usually give out 5's across the board... But while drinking I thought there really isn't too much more I could want in a beer. A beautiful nose with a complex and deep palate its rich chocolate its coffee its maple and the bacon salt is just detectable. Really awesome beer and with a nice looking ABV I wouldn't mind drinking this beer every day. Cheers folks
368 characters
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I don't usually give out 5's across the board... But while drinking I thought there really isn't too much more I could want in a beer. A beautiful nose with a complex and deep palate its rich chocolate its coffee its maple and the bacon salt is just detectable. Really awesome beer and with a nice looking ABV I wouldn't mind drinking this beer every day. Cheers folks
368 characters
4.25/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12 ounce bottle into a snifter. Bottled 11/7/16, had 5/20/17.
Pours near black, opaque, thick and oily looking. Not much of a head and some spotty lacing. Aromas of malt, cocoa, coffee, milk chocolate, light maple and bacon. The taste is mostly similar to the aroma- malt, cocoa, milk chocolate, vanilla, coffee, light maple, a little bacon salt after the finish. Smooth, creamy, a solid medium to full body, well carbonated.
Not much bacon, less coffee than I expected, but great flavor and aroma. Very interesting. Worth a purchase if you can find it outside of Michigan, but you’ll pay like it’s really breakfast.
630 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12 ounce bottle into a snifter. Bottled 11/7/16, had 5/20/17.
Pours near black, opaque, thick and oily looking. Not much of a head and some spotty lacing. Aromas of malt, cocoa, coffee, milk chocolate, light maple and bacon. The taste is mostly similar to the aroma- malt, cocoa, milk chocolate, vanilla, coffee, light maple, a little bacon salt after the finish. Smooth, creamy, a solid medium to full body, well carbonated.
Not much bacon, less coffee than I expected, but great flavor and aroma. Very interesting. Worth a purchase if you can find it outside of Michigan, but you’ll pay like it’s really breakfast.
630 characters
4.38/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.38/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bold, rich stout with strong maple flavor. One is all I can handle on top - very strong.
88 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bold, rich stout with strong maple flavor. One is all I can handle on top - very strong.
88 characters
4.5/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Hipster Brunch Stout from Odd Side Ales
Beer rating:
4.36 out of
5 with
831 ratings
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