Bull Proof
Odell Brewing Company

 

Great showing overall from Odell. My favorite part of it is the nose as I think the mouthfeel and the look are lacking a bit from such a big beer. Feels a little thin in the mouth.

 

 

 

big bourbon aroma dry Irish stout body. not much sweet.

 

Solid BA stout, liked the nose slightly more than the taste. Vanilla, char, and molasses dominate the nose. Taste is more pronounced in the char aspect, almost earthy and a bit dirty at times. Pleasant mouthfeel, neither thin nor thick, just right. It'd definitely buy again, BA attributes are complimentary and not out in front.

Thanks to hop hound for this one. Wish we could have shared it.
Deep, dark brown. Like Mississippi River roil. Beautiful, tightly packed head rises just over a finger high and retreats only slightly. Dense curtain slowly descends. As I near the bottom, beautiful strata reveal my pauses. Reminds me of the layers revealed on an archaeology site I worked in the late 80's.
Smell is a cacophony of genteel bourbon, toasty caramel, cocoa, dates and nuanced charred barrel.
Flavor dances along the line between a Russian Imperial Stout (sweet, but not overly so, with notes of earthy notes akin to anise and peat) and the sweeter American Imperial Stout (usually sweeter and a tad hotter in alcohol- at lest for me). Begins very balanced between the sweet notes, smoky char, and a bourbon warmth. Bourbon, molasses, dates, figs, muted caramel, and cocoa make room for char, and fleeting notes of peat and licorice.
Thick and chewy. A warm presence throughout, but never hot.
Overall, I like this one. Almost an old school RIS but with the bourbon barrel bringing it into what is more popular nowadays. The nose foreshadows more sweetness than it delivers, but not by much.

nothing special in any shape or form.... band aid flavors slightly... it says "B" after the year 2019, if that means anything? im sorry i am missing the hype on this one? i really am trying.....

 

 

 

This is a solidly crafted stout which comes as no surprise with Odell, a consistently quality brewer in my view. However the barrel treatment doesn’t add much at all and it seems like this beer just didn’t spend enough time in the Wood. There’s a subtle contribution and a bit of sweetness but this feels like an old school Russian imperial, medium full bodied with significant roast and an undercurrent of hoppy bitterness. Was hoping for me particularly at the price point per bottle.

 

 

 

this is crazy good, and i was stoked to find it on tap last night here in boise. i have never had the whiskey this is aged in the barrels of i dont think, but its a downright incredible beer, not the every day generic whiskey barrel stout, thats for sure. this is distinctive to me, and not just because of the barrel treatment. it straight up smells and tastes like german chocolate cake, with a big dark fudge chocolate character, not crazy sweet or anything, but rich and cakey, more chocolate than i thought you could get out of grain alone, i dont think there is any added here, but this is chocolatey through and through. the whiskey is actually pretty subtle on it, at least while its still on the cold side, with a bit of vanilla and char to it, but its the chocolate cake character that dominates. the base stout is obviously exceptional, its odell after all, but its less sweet than a lot of these are, which i think allows for some unique nuance to come through. dark chocolate frosting, cigar, toasted coconut, espresso, and cognac. the booziness is moderate, its definitely a strong one, but it doesnt drink too heavy oddly enough for what it is. part of it is all the oak making it smooth, the other part is the complexity and uniqueness that makes this so intriguing. i barely want to set the glass down, and never drink stouts with this level of enthusiasm anymore i dont feel like, so this was a nice one for me personally. really great depth and flavor here, different from the masses, even without a ton of the whiskey on it. so smooth, so much chocolate, truly one of the better stouts ive had in a real long time!

2019 vintage, bottled 6 months ago.

Pours near black with a thin tan head.

The nose is chocolate, metal, and savory depth.

The taste is chocolate, cherry, and bourbon. Very subtle booze, char, and bitterness. Surprisingly smooth for the ABV and age. This drinks more like 10% ABV in a good way.

The mouthfeel is medium for the ABV. Hefty but not huge.

Overall, very nice. This pales in comparison to something like Bourbon County, but it's a well-made BBA stout that hides 13% almost entirely.