-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Midnight Lightning - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company
- From:
- Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 13.6%
- Score:
- 91
- Avg:
- 4.1 | pDev: 7.32%
- Reviews:
- 8
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 09, 2021
- Added:
- Mar 29, 2015
- Wants:
- 9
- Gots:
- 14
This 2019 Vintage of our American style imperial stout spent 15 months maturing in a blend of Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrels. BAML is an experience of delicious and complex dark roasted malt with a viscous body and layered with the beauty of bourbon and oak. Heavy notes of dark chocolate, whiskey, and espresso with subtle notes of vanilla oak and dark fruit. A refined stout for any special occasion and cellarable for up to 5 years.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by hoptheology from California
3.98/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16.9 oz bottle sent by Don a couple years ago. Been chilling in my cellar and refrigerator at varying times.
Finally decided to crack this poor thing open.
2018 vintage, Wyoming Whiskey Barrel, 13.2% ABV.
THAT! NE IPA snifter.
Body is really thick and black, with a creamy beige head of 1 finger, leaving looped lacing on the glass.
Aroma from the bottle is stiff whiskey, slight dark chocolate, onion, and caramel. Aroma from the glass is tobacco, 80-90% cacao dark chocolate, and whiskey oak.
Flavor is bitter and ashy. Grassy green hops, ash tray, dark chocolate, roasted malt, astringent whiskey, and semi-sweet caramel. Nearly zero sweetness, except for a touch of barrel. It's very stiff and aggressive.
Feel is hot, thick but thinned out from the barrel, boozy but surprisingly not as much as you'd expect, with some medium level carbonation. Drying resiny finish.
Overall, it's a fair BA stout but not a great one. If you prefer your BA beers to have nearly zero sweetness, this beer will do it for you. The original Midnight Lightning was pretty aggressive as well, but in a barrel, it knocks the aggressiveness up a notch and makes it an even slower sipper. Probably wouldn't revisit.
Jan 09, 2021Finally decided to crack this poor thing open.
2018 vintage, Wyoming Whiskey Barrel, 13.2% ABV.
THAT! NE IPA snifter.
Body is really thick and black, with a creamy beige head of 1 finger, leaving looped lacing on the glass.
Aroma from the bottle is stiff whiskey, slight dark chocolate, onion, and caramel. Aroma from the glass is tobacco, 80-90% cacao dark chocolate, and whiskey oak.
Flavor is bitter and ashy. Grassy green hops, ash tray, dark chocolate, roasted malt, astringent whiskey, and semi-sweet caramel. Nearly zero sweetness, except for a touch of barrel. It's very stiff and aggressive.
Feel is hot, thick but thinned out from the barrel, boozy but surprisingly not as much as you'd expect, with some medium level carbonation. Drying resiny finish.
Overall, it's a fair BA stout but not a great one. If you prefer your BA beers to have nearly zero sweetness, this beer will do it for you. The original Midnight Lightning was pretty aggressive as well, but in a barrel, it knocks the aggressiveness up a notch and makes it an even slower sipper. Probably wouldn't revisit.
Reviewed by MFMB from Idaho
3.95/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
2017 bottle. Pours jet black with thin a tan head. Nose is full of Barrel, caramel bourbon notes and rich roasted malts. Taste is good but nothing really sets this appart from your average BA Stout. Notes of caramel, cocoa dark roast coffee and bourbon. Faint notes of vanilla and a slightly astringent oak finish. Pretty boozy all things considered. Thinner on the body than you would like or expect. Good one not a great one.
Jan 22, 2018Reviewed by Furlinator from California
4.35/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.35/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Vintage 2017.
Pours opaque near black with a thin beige head that fades away completely leaving no lace. The smell is of cocoa, caramel, pipi tobacco, faint vanilla and bourbon. The taste is of roasted malt, cocoa, faint coffee, vanilla and a sweet bourbon finish. Full texture with low carbonation.
Jul 25, 2017Pours opaque near black with a thin beige head that fades away completely leaving no lace. The smell is of cocoa, caramel, pipi tobacco, faint vanilla and bourbon. The taste is of roasted malt, cocoa, faint coffee, vanilla and a sweet bourbon finish. Full texture with low carbonation.
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia
3.99/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.99/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2017 Vintage
Bottle Count 2100
Aged 18 months in Woodford Reserve barrels
Poured into an oversized wine glass
A- pours deep black with a one-finger creamy espresso-like head that retains for a while before settling to a ring and leaving some lacing behind
S- aroma opens with plenty of barrel notes; bourbon, wet oak, vanilla & caramel. Undertones of mocha brownies, dark chocolate, espresso & fig. Lots of alcohol on the back-end
T- opens with big barrel notes, heavy with bourbon, woody oak & vanilla. Mid-palate gives notes of caramel, dark chocolate, fig, raisin and light espresso. The finish is very boozy with a linger of strong bourbon
M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a slightly creamy mouthfeel that continues into a big warming finish
O- extended barrel aging gives this a barrel-heavy flavor profile. At this point, it's really boozy, some aging may mellow it out a bit over time
Jun 26, 2017Bottle Count 2100
Aged 18 months in Woodford Reserve barrels
Poured into an oversized wine glass
A- pours deep black with a one-finger creamy espresso-like head that retains for a while before settling to a ring and leaving some lacing behind
S- aroma opens with plenty of barrel notes; bourbon, wet oak, vanilla & caramel. Undertones of mocha brownies, dark chocolate, espresso & fig. Lots of alcohol on the back-end
T- opens with big barrel notes, heavy with bourbon, woody oak & vanilla. Mid-palate gives notes of caramel, dark chocolate, fig, raisin and light espresso. The finish is very boozy with a linger of strong bourbon
M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a slightly creamy mouthfeel that continues into a big warming finish
O- extended barrel aging gives this a barrel-heavy flavor profile. At this point, it's really boozy, some aging may mellow it out a bit over time
Midnight Lightning - Bourbon Barrel-Aged from Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company
Beer rating:
91 out of
100 with
42 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!