Toppling Timber
Toppling Goliath Brewing Company

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From:
Toppling Goliath Brewing Company
 
Iowa, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
Ranked #185
ABV:
15.4%
Score:
94
Ranked #2,794
Avg:
4.43 | pDev: 2.71%
Ratings:
16 | reviews: 6
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 26, 2025
Added:
Oct 07, 2022
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
Collaboration with Sawyer Brewing Co.

Sawyer Brewing Co. and Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. have joined forces to create a stout that showcases the complex flavors of aging in bourbon barrels. Toppling Timber Barrel-aged stout has notes of vanilla ice cream drizzled with warm fudge, caramel, and bourbon.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by maximum12:
Photo of maximum12
Reviewed by maximum12 from Minnesota

4.57/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
After a small pour of this at Ansari’s, one of the wells of goodness in the Twin Cities, I was delighted to find a bottle, albeit at TG prices. Split with my wife.

The pour is black with fewer bubbles that a 50-year old’s bubble party. The nose brings chocolate, vanilla, spicy whiskey, & plenty of booze. Plenty.

Toppling Timber is damn boozy. Whoo. Best stay clear of the fireplace. Bourbon & spicey rye barrels up front with a vengeance, borne on a harsh wave of alcohol (I like harsh). Pale chocolate, vanilla, liquid from the bottom of a still, plenty of oak dries out the finish. Not thick for the high ABV but that contributes to the fact I’d like to drink enough until the TV was blurry…if I didn’t have to pay for it.

A stellar modern-day example of a straight-up barrel aged stout. Excellent beer.
Jan 16, 2023
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.25 by ilikebeer03 from Texas

Nov 26, 2025
 
Rated: 4.52 by Ristaccia from Nebraska

Oct 13, 2025
 
Rated: 4.54 by dan_amdg from Illinois

Jan 21, 2025
 
Rated: 4.46 by cd34 from Illinois

May 16, 2023
Photo of vette2006c5r
Reviewed by vette2006c5r from Minnesota

4.55/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Toppling Timber pours black with a small tan head. The aroma is vibrant and sweet vanilla and lots of bourbons. The flavor is very sweet and rich, with many bourbon and vanilla notes. Good body and feel. Overall, a very rich stout lot of bourbons with a sugary finish.
Mar 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by xdtfx from Illinois

Mar 07, 2023
Photo of drdiesel9483
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio

4.35/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Look - black and thick with fantastic dark tan rimming and lacing
Smell - so much barrel, chocolate, vanilla and caramel
Taste - just like the smell but as it warmed up it had a slight acidic metalic taste which was offsetting
Feel - thick body medium carb
Overall - if that acidic metallic as gone, this would be outstandting but that really put it down
Feb 22, 2023
 
Rated: 4.46 by FlussigkeitMut from Indiana

Feb 19, 2023
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

4.59/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A wonderful gift from the Little Lady's coworkers who got her this
excellent brew along with 3 other excellent brews while she heals
from surgery. A heart felt thank you is in order.

CHEERS!

From the 1 pt 6 fl oz bottle in a snifter. This excellent brew pours a
deep obsidian with a dark brown head of foam that settles to a thick ring,
thin dusty layer, and with motion has nice legs. Nose of rich bourbon, oak,
rich vanilla, dark chocolate, and dark fruits. Flavors are superb; dark chocolate
truffle drenched in bourbon and spicy rye whiskey, dashed with balanced vanilla
bean, and surrounded by dark ripe fruits of blueberry, blackberry, and currants.
Leather and tobacco appear with warmth as does dark espresso and brulee
with well balanced char. Mouth feel is smooth, rich, very coating, light
carbonation, warming, full body, and finishing subtly dry.

Overall---EXCEPTIONAL!

I can see why this company is so highly respected!

Cheers
Feb 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.28 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Jan 17, 2023
 
Rated: 4.46 by cbcrunch from Wyoming

Jan 07, 2023
 
Rated: 4.4 by chippo33 from Vermont

Dec 29, 2022
Photo of mothman
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Drinking on tap with assassin and VBA.

Better than assassin, but not VBA of course.

Great barrels, warming, smooth, bourbon, oak, rye spice. Bakers chocolate. This is a fantastic non adjunct ba stout.
Dec 27, 2022
Photo of Luscious_Malfoy
Reviewed by Luscious_Malfoy from Illinois

4.49/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4oz draft pour. pitch black, no head. chocolate, dark fruits, a hint of leather and oak bourbon barrel on the nose. taste follows with a chalky finish. the barrels give kind of a weird smell and taste but it still works. medium-full mouthfeel. thinner than most of their stouts that’s for sure. good but it’s tough next to KBBS and KBBS Reserve.
Dec 03, 2022
 
Rated: 4.21 by NolaHopHead from Louisiana

Dec 03, 2022