Double Barrel-Aged GBS (2025)
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
- From:
- Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
- Virginia, United States
- Style:
- Sweet / Milk Stout
- ABV:
- 12.2%
- Score:
- +8 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.94 | pDev: 2.54%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 2
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 01, 2026
- Added:
- Dec 25, 2025
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
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Double Barrel-Aged GBS represents a profound study in barrel maturation, distinguished by a distinctly Virginia touch. Initial aging for four months occurred in Virginia Distillery Company's American Single Malt Whisky barrels from Lovingston Va. The stout was then meticulously transferred to A. Smith Bowman's imported Port barrels, previously holding bourbon, from Fredericksburg Va for an additional five months. Pre-barrel infusion of ginger, vanilla, cinnamon, and honey yielded a remarkably nuanced ginger character, elegantly framing the profound vanilla, deep whisky, robust bourbon, and complex port characteristics.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by HattedClassic from Virginia
4.03/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
The beer pours a nice light tan and creamy head that dissipates quickly. The beer itself is a dark chocolate black. The texture has a slick appearance to it.
The smell has mixed notes of dark fruit and bourbon notes with muddled cinnamon and honey notes. There are some light whisky notes around the edge but they are covered up by the GBS notes.
The taste has stronger port note that's present throughout the whole beer and the finish. The GBS notes come out but the more noticeable one are the vanilla and honey notes. The whiskey comes out a little bit in the finish.
The feel is pretty good. It has a medium light body and silky texture with very little carbonation.
Overall, a pretty good beer with having. The barrel aging definitely worked for this beer.
Jan 01, 2026The smell has mixed notes of dark fruit and bourbon notes with muddled cinnamon and honey notes. There are some light whisky notes around the edge but they are covered up by the GBS notes.
The taste has stronger port note that's present throughout the whole beer and the finish. The GBS notes come out but the more noticeable one are the vanilla and honey notes. The whiskey comes out a little bit in the finish.
The feel is pretty good. It has a medium light body and silky texture with very little carbonation.
Overall, a pretty good beer with having. The barrel aging definitely worked for this beer.
Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia
3.84/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.84/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Shared can:
This beer smells exactly like I’d want it to, with a spicy grape to raisiny-fig aroma. I can’t tell how the ASM is brought in, other than perhaps aiding the spice. Look-wise, it flattens out a bit too quickly.
Taste-wise, I think I may be getting the ASM with an earthy malt opening before the port barrel and tangy milk stout take over. As I get into it, the base GBS settles in, with the port sliding into partnership with it.
Overall, a decent variant, but to my palate, it struggles through a bit of confusion.
Dec 25, 2025This beer smells exactly like I’d want it to, with a spicy grape to raisiny-fig aroma. I can’t tell how the ASM is brought in, other than perhaps aiding the spice. Look-wise, it flattens out a bit too quickly.
Taste-wise, I think I may be getting the ASM with an earthy malt opening before the port barrel and tangy milk stout take over. As I get into it, the base GBS settles in, with the port sliding into partnership with it.
Overall, a decent variant, but to my palate, it struggles through a bit of confusion.
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