Midnight Lightning - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company

Midnight Lightning - Bourbon Barrel-AgedMidnight Lightning - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
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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:
42
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.
Photo of hoptheology
Reviewed by hoptheology from California

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, 2021
 
Rated: 3.88 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Mar 12, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by YvesB from Belgium

Dec 13, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by stortore from Illinois

Jan 19, 2019
 
Rated: 3.9 by mrn1ceguy from Illinois

Jun 28, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by jonbonfondle from Minnesota

Mar 02, 2018
Photo of MFMB
Reviewed by MFMB from Idaho

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, 2018
 
Rated: 3.84 by Piglet_rulz_da_yard from California

Jan 06, 2018
 
Rated: 4.63 by addicted2thebarrel from California

Oct 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.89 by rcjennings from Ohio

Oct 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4.09 by jaydoc from Kansas

Sep 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Bunuelian from Minnesota

Aug 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by Houser from Pennsylvania

Aug 05, 2017
Photo of Furlinator
Reviewed 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
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, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Sweffin from Wisconsin

Jul 11, 2017
Photo of Treyliff
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
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, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by Pearlstreetbrewingco from Florida

Jun 20, 2017
 
Rated: 3.47 by Kplummer82 from California

May 14, 2017
 
Rated: 3.32 by StoutSnob40 from California

May 14, 2017
 
Rated: 4.24 by Richter525 from Michigan

May 05, 2017
Midnight Lightning - Bourbon Barrel-Aged from Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 42 ratings