Imperial Milkshake Stout - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Rochester Mills Beer Co.

 

 

 

 

Can is kinda foamy. Pours a deep dark chocolate black with a heavy head of 2 fingers in my mini snifter. Head is beige-red and recedes all together and leaves no lace.

Nose is really big and impressive. Coming off metallic initially, once it's swirled you get huge wafts of oak, bourbon, chocolate, licorice, sweet molasses, caramel, coffee, tea, and cookie.

Flavor does leave a bit to be desired; starts with sour oak, some metallic booze, tea, burnt chocolate cookies, camp wood, blackberry, sugar-free caramel syrup, ending on notes of cooked fish, herb, and wood plank (i swear I'm not eating right now)

Feel is buzzing to start, wells up foam in the mouth slightly, then dries with a hot, roasty finish with sharp alcohol bite.

Overall, wasn't expecting much, and didn't get much. Not overly disappointed here since I know RM's barrel aged stuff leaves a lot to be desired. I'd skip this one if you're thinking about it.

 

 

Appearance is inky black with a big kahki head that settles into a thin ring with little lacing.
Smell is vanilla, bourbon and some chocolate. Not a very strong smelling beer.
Taste is bourbon, maybe some roasty malt/cocoa, vanilla and more bourbon. This beer is a little hot and barrel forward to the point of being one note-ish to me. It doesn't have off flavors, but could have used less time in the barrel in my opinion.
Mouthfeel is a little thin for the style, a little fizzy too.
Not the worst stout I've had, but not one I'd search out in the future. Just needed a little more body and complexity, but less barrel. Still got love for rochester mills though, solid brewery.

 

 

16 ounce can into snifter, best before 3/1/2018. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy tan head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, vanilla, toffee, cream, fudge, marshmallow, coconut, bourbon, toasted oak, and dark/brown bread; with light notes of coffee, dark fruit, molasses, smoke, and roast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, lactose, cocoa, and bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, vanilla, toffee, cream, fudge, marshmallow, coconut, bourbon, toasted oak, and dark/brown bread; with light notes of coffee, dark fruit, molasses, smoke, and roast/oak earthiness. Mild roast bitterness and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, vanilla, toffee, cream, fudge, marshmallow, coconut, bourbon, toasted oak, dark/brown bread, light coffee/smoke, and roast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, lactose, cocoa, and bourbon barrel flavors; with a nice roasted bitter/sweet and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with zero cloying/acrid flavors after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness/spicy oak. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy, silky, and velvety mouthfeel that is fantastic. Minimal chalky roast or oak tannins. Mildly warming 13%, with zero barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an outstanding BBA imperial milk stout! All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, lactose, cocoa, and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV. Very rich and complex with perfect barrel integration. Never boozy, tannic, or drying. The super silky mouthfeel was a big highlight, one of the smoothest 13% beers I have ever had; though not as full bodied as expected. A highly enjoyable offering.

 

 

 

Creamy, Malty, hoppy (but not TOO hoppy), delicious bourbon barrel aged imperial stout. Good, dark color & frothy head.