Bourbon GBS (Gingerbread Stout) | Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Brewed by:
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Virginia, United States
hardywood.com
Style: English Sweet / Milk Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 10.20%
Availability: Winter
Notes / Commercial Description:
Hardywood Gingerbread Stout, described by BeerAdvocate as “freagin’ Christmas in a bottle,” is an imperial milk stout brewed with vanilla beans, cinnamon, fresh Casselmonte Farm baby ginger and Bearer Farms wildflower honey. Gingerbread Stout is then matured in Virginia bourbon barrels, where it adapts an incredibly mellow character with oak, caramel and bourbon undertones, and emerges 12 weeks later as Bourbon GBS. A festive blend of spice character laces this rich, chocolatey stout, which warms the palate and the soul.
55 IBU
Added by MasterSki on 12-10-2012
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 726 | Reviews: 104
3.88/5 rDev -10.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.44/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
The bourbon GBS is a solid offering from Hardywood, though I keep hoping something will top the first time I had their Raspberry Stout in 2014. This stout pours clean and looks dark and inviting. The head pours in lightly, building a bit bigger than I expected, more like a Guinness, but with a very different flavor. Aroma is round and soft. The head is creamy and rich, but I didn't get the taste of cinnamon or ginger that I expected.
Front of the pallet hits smooth and mellow, with a light almost honey accent. Back of the mouth has a slightly nuttier taste that I appreciate. The entire thing is underscored with a faint hint of vanilla that I think any milk stout enthusiast will enjoy. A very well-crafted milk stout, It comes in at 4.5 for me.
756 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
The bourbon GBS is a solid offering from Hardywood, though I keep hoping something will top the first time I had their Raspberry Stout in 2014. This stout pours clean and looks dark and inviting. The head pours in lightly, building a bit bigger than I expected, more like a Guinness, but with a very different flavor. Aroma is round and soft. The head is creamy and rich, but I didn't get the taste of cinnamon or ginger that I expected.
Front of the pallet hits smooth and mellow, with a light almost honey accent. Back of the mouth has a slightly nuttier taste that I appreciate. The entire thing is underscored with a faint hint of vanilla that I think any milk stout enthusiast will enjoy. A very well-crafted milk stout, It comes in at 4.5 for me.
756 characters
4.19/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.57/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
3.5/5 rDev -19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
4.42/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Gingerbread notes. Bourbon notes. Really damn good notes. Smooth as silk. As good as advertised.
96 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Gingerbread notes. Bourbon notes. Really damn good notes. Smooth as silk. As good as advertised.
96 characters
4.39/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Thick, brown beer with a cocoa colored bread. A few bands of lacing left on the glass. The nose is filled with bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, ginger, oak, coffee, and roasty malt. Taste is same as the nose with all the flavors listed. It is sweet but finishes with a nice bitterness and some lingering milk chocolate. Really nice beer.
333 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Thick, brown beer with a cocoa colored bread. A few bands of lacing left on the glass. The nose is filled with bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, ginger, oak, coffee, and roasty malt. Taste is same as the nose with all the flavors listed. It is sweet but finishes with a nice bitterness and some lingering milk chocolate. Really nice beer.
333 characters
3.94/5 rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.32/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.49/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Christ on a cracker! ...or at least Christmas in a bottle, the beer that's become Hardywood Park's most famous stout has been slathered with bourbon flavor to go along with the ginger, cookie and bready tastes that make the imperial milk stout so irresistible.
Black in its body but tan in its coffee-like creme, Bourbon Barrel GBS floods the nose with a decadent scent of chocolate and whisky coupled with ginger, toast, coffee and molasses. Flavors seamlessly carry over from the nose and splash the early palate with the sweet and savory sensations of blackstrap molasses, spice cake, chocolate and heavy whipping cream.
All that dense cakey goodness nestles comfortably on the middle palate and simmers there in a warmth of whisky and all it vanilla, caramel, campfire, toasty, nutty glory. Ginger begins to balance the sweetness and link up with the whisky spice to balance a portion of the lingering sugars. Coconut and deep roast espresso extend into an exotic gingerbread late palate.
Lavishly full on the palate, the stout's rich and marshmallowy body continues to billow on the finish allowing the simmering warmth of bourbon and chocolate liqueur to tease the after palate with holiday desserts long into the day.
1,227 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Christ on a cracker! ...or at least Christmas in a bottle, the beer that's become Hardywood Park's most famous stout has been slathered with bourbon flavor to go along with the ginger, cookie and bready tastes that make the imperial milk stout so irresistible.
Black in its body but tan in its coffee-like creme, Bourbon Barrel GBS floods the nose with a decadent scent of chocolate and whisky coupled with ginger, toast, coffee and molasses. Flavors seamlessly carry over from the nose and splash the early palate with the sweet and savory sensations of blackstrap molasses, spice cake, chocolate and heavy whipping cream.
All that dense cakey goodness nestles comfortably on the middle palate and simmers there in a warmth of whisky and all it vanilla, caramel, campfire, toasty, nutty glory. Ginger begins to balance the sweetness and link up with the whisky spice to balance a portion of the lingering sugars. Coconut and deep roast espresso extend into an exotic gingerbread late palate.
Lavishly full on the palate, the stout's rich and marshmallowy body continues to billow on the finish allowing the simmering warmth of bourbon and chocolate liqueur to tease the after palate with holiday desserts long into the day.
1,227 characters
3.84/5 rDev -11.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a 16 oz Magnify Snulip glass bottled in late 2017. Pours a very attractive dark near black, with a 2 finger dark tan head that leaves a few thin wisps of lace behind, as it slowly settles into a rather thick layer of khaki bubbles that never leave.
Smell is for me the only true weakness, faint ginger, Pepsi, nutmeg, cocoa, and cocoanut Rum, odd.
Taste is much better and more balanced, few the nose was letting me down. A huge hit of ginger bread, chocolate, toffee, vanilla, cocoanut, and a solid hit of oaky bourbon.
Mouthfeel is creamy medium, moderate live as you would expect, maybe a tad dry, and goes down fairly easy, but it leaves a mark on your palate.
Overall this is nice, the nose was a tad underwhelming but over this is a nice BA Stout that you will definitely remember. Thanks jzeilinger for this large Stout.
843 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a 16 oz Magnify Snulip glass bottled in late 2017. Pours a very attractive dark near black, with a 2 finger dark tan head that leaves a few thin wisps of lace behind, as it slowly settles into a rather thick layer of khaki bubbles that never leave.
Smell is for me the only true weakness, faint ginger, Pepsi, nutmeg, cocoa, and cocoanut Rum, odd.
Taste is much better and more balanced, few the nose was letting me down. A huge hit of ginger bread, chocolate, toffee, vanilla, cocoanut, and a solid hit of oaky bourbon.
Mouthfeel is creamy medium, moderate live as you would expect, maybe a tad dry, and goes down fairly easy, but it leaves a mark on your palate.
Overall this is nice, the nose was a tad underwhelming but over this is a nice BA Stout that you will definitely remember. Thanks jzeilinger for this large Stout.
843 characters
4.35/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.35/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bourbon GBS (Gingerbread Stout) from Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Beer rating:
4.35 out of
5 with
726 ratings
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