Remy's Pappy
Taps Fish House & Brewery

rand from California

4.74/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

750 mL wax-tipped cap, into a giant tulip glass

2013 batch

The brew is jet-black in color, thin: not as viscous as you’d expect for they style. Wispy head quickly dissipates.

The nose is of licorice and coffee, burnt sugar and bourbon. Cocoa and oak join the mix, with plenty of alcohol volatiles ushering its aromas.

Vanilla-forward flavors combine with oaky nuances, cocoa, coffee, hints of mint and carob. There’s a sort of tasty cola thing going on, maybe approaching Dr. Pepper, but not at all cloying.

Relatively thin mouthfeel let’s its flavors speak for themselves, without seemingly pushing them into every crevice of your palate.

One of more drinkable and tasty barrel-aged brews I’ve ever had. No problem throwing this back all by myself.

Aug 11, 2019

lupercmda from North Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark brownish black with a nice 1 inch head that quickly dissipates. Smells of roasted marshmallows and vanilla. Nice smooth courbin taste with a oaky vanilla finish. A little thin on mouthfeel.

Sep 29, 2017

gibgink from Missouri

3.75/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Okay, so my experience with Remy's Pappy. This was presented to me as "hey try this...I've been told this is infected, but I've kept it cold ever since...you might be able to taste a bit of infection on the end." So obviously my expectations were not high from the start. That being said, I really didn't pick up any infection issues, although my palate is not the super trained "oh my god so much green pepper" as some. And even though infection was not detected by me, nothing else of worth was either. Maybe it was too cold? Not sure, it just wasn't very memorable after the warning to warrant a decent rating. To sum it up in one word, "meh".

Apr 24, 2017

shehateme from Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

This is a batch 1 Remys pappy .....no infection here instead it is a thick, chewy perfectly balanced bourbon aged stout . Still has a nice bourbon heat even after a few years in the cellar some hints of vanilla,coconut and marshmallows from the wood , plus a nice chocolaty flavor that is a real treat . The thickness of this stout is amazing .... Extremely viscous it coats the side of the glass ....a truly world class ba stout .....glad I got to try it

Nov 06, 2016

Dactrius from Wisconsin

2.58/5  rDev -43.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2

Smell is actually pretty good and doesn't clearly show any signs of being off. Even the initial flavor is still decent, but after that the infection rears its ugly head and it's a whole lot of unpleasant, chart cherry. Truly sad.

Jul 16, 2016

cultclassic89 from Texas

4.48/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Small pour, I'll remember what I can.

L: Black and mocha head, but maybe a little thin?

S: Very rich bourbon, roast, dark fruits and some chocolate.

T: Very much the same. The rich bourbon is great and makes up for the lack of brownie batter, but that brownie quality would make it a 5.

F: A bit thin here, doesn't have that thick chewiness that I want out of the style.

O: Great BA RIS with a wonderful bourbon quality, but not worth what it takes.

Apr 05, 2016

StoutSnob40 from California

4.49/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A little thinner than I normally like in a BA stout, but taste and smell were on point. Tons of barrel and vanilla in both the nose and taste. Mouthfeel was a lot better than I was expecting.

Jan 24, 2016

KYGunner from Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

For a stout this possesses a ton of Barleywine character. Tons of toffee! Peanut brittle, caramel, barley malt, fermented grapes and caramel round out a whiskey barrel finish.

Jan 18, 2016

mrn1ceguy from Illinois

4.44/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Dark color. The nose is a beautiful bourbon stout with hints of chocolate and dark fruits. The taste is bourbon and fruits. The finish is bourbon with more fruit notes. Overall a great beer.

Jan 01, 2016

benzalman from California

4.59/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap in Brea. Bourbon really comes through, very smooth with a great finish. The smoothness reminds me more of bourbon county (in a good way). Definitely a beer worth seeking out.

Oct 24, 2015

ccnorthwest from Washington

4.68/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This is a great stout. Nose is sweet and a touch bitter. Body is smooth and flows on the tongue like nectar of the gods. Finish is the best part. No bite

Aug 30, 2015

Trapist007 from California

4.79/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

From a 750ml into a snifter
Vintage: 2013

APPEARANCE: The beer pours out dark brown, almost black, yielding a very thick, medium-heavy, creamy tan head with good retention. The head slowly fades away. It has a transparent black body with no carbonation evident, or lacing.

SMELL: There are lots of coconut, sweet vanilla cream, milk chocolate, oak, toffee, bourbon, and some clean dark chocolate notes.

TASTE: The bourbon, oak, toffee, vanilla, coconut are present at first taste . An intense long lingering finish full of oak, coconut, toffee, vanilla, and dark chocolate. After swallowing there are some very subtle hints of coffee left behind. This beer is very flavorful.

PALATE: With a medium body and light carbonation. It's light on the palate with a a very light hint of bourbon heat. It goes down smooth.

OVERALL: Outstanding beer! Was it perfect? No, but it's a great example of a very very well crafted Russian Imperial Stout. I highly recommend it...

Aug 07, 2015

GreesyFizeek from New York

4.65/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.75

Bottle received in a trade about a year ago, finally opening it! '13 vintage, so Batch 1, as far as I know.

This one pours a basically still glossy black, with no head or lacing. Not the most appealing look, but that doesn't really matter when it comes to a beer like this.

This smells fuckin' fantastic, so much coconut and chocolate, with some oak and spicy bourbon. Can't wait to drink it.

Having only tried Pappy (20) once, I can sorta tell this was aged in Pappy barrels, though I have no idea what specific barrels it was aged in. The bourbon flavor is moderately strong, melded in well with everything else, both sweet and spicy. There's some spicy oak as well, with tons of chocolate and coconut. There's no roasted malt, but the non-sweet flavors coming from the oak and bourbon balance the other sweet flavors pretty well.

This is medium bodied, definitely not on the thick side for the style or ABV, like many people have said. It's definitely not thin, but it definitely could be a bit beefier.

This was absolutely excellent, top tier BA stout for sure.

Jul 18, 2015

kojevergas from Colorado

3.6/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

BOTTLE: 2013 vintage. Brown glass. Red wax-ed over pry-off pressure cap. Batch #1.

12.40% ABV.

Served cold into a tulip and allowed to warm over the course of consumption.

Reviewed live as an imperial Russian stout per the label.

Expectations are sky high given its reputation, but this is my first TAPS beer.

No bubble show forms as it's poured.

HEAD: None. No lacing.

BODY: Opaque solid black. No yeast particulate or hop sediment is visible.

Looks like most imperial stouts. Nice, but not exemplary.

AROMA: Bourbon barrel notes are evident. White oak, faint vanilla, marshmallow, cream, dark malts, chocolate malts, and kisses of plum and raisin. Traces of coconut. Contrary to the label's description, it's not roasty at all. Comes down on the less sweet side, but I don't find any acrid burnt character, bitter, espresso, or coffee. As it warms, suggestions of cocoa emerge. Some might detect a fudgey sort of chocolate character, but it's by no means a rich dessert beer based on the aroma.

Aromatic intensity is actually below average; this is surprisingly subdued.

I find no overt hop character, yeast, or alcohol. Seems well-attenuated.

TASTE: The traces of coconut and faint vanilla set it off. The marshmallow is what stands out and sets this barrel aging apart. I do want more vanilla, and the oak is a bit reticent, but the barrel character is nice. Dark malts and chocolate malts provide the malt backbone, but it's not cloying or sweet.

No hop notes, yeast character, or alcohol comes through.

A kiss of burnt sugars, but nothing acrid or harsh. I find no coffee. Any dark fruit character is reticent and shallow; I guess I find dates?

The barrel doesn't accentuate the notes of the base, but it's well integrated and lends guiding cohesion to the build. It's not quite a gestalt beer, but it's got a lot of nice elements; the coconut and marshmallow in particular are nice.

I've experienced more expressive chocolate notes, vanilla, coconut, and oak, but this does come together nicely. Granted, it's somewhat shallow compared to the best beers in the style, and could be far more intricate and subtly executed. I like it, of course.

TEXTURE: Actually more dry and coarse than you'd expect. Of course, it's unrefreshing. And I'd even say it parches the palate. Extinguishing. And not in a way that necessarily encourages the next sip; the open isn't creamy or accommodating. And the carbonation is too high. But it's aptly full-bodied and heavy on the palate, with a suiting thickness and heft. Slightly syrupy; I'm not sure why others have described this as thin-bodied. Chewy.

This doesn't accentuate specific notes; indeed, more of a silkiness would aid the vanilla and coconut. But it complements the taste well. Should be softer.

The leathery feel I associate with the best Pappy Van Winkle aged stouts is absent here, to its detriment. Yet as it warms, I do find that leathery feel emerging.

Strangely, it seems to have a coffee acidity.

Not boozy, hot, gushed, or harsh. But it is a biteen astringent.

OVERALL: Not a world-class beer, nor a paragon of the style. There's some nice bourbon barrel character here, but the base beer leaves something to be desired. She's a sipper, but the ABV is pretty well-disguised. The aroma exceeds the quality of the taste. Definitely a beer I'm glad I got the opportunity to try.

B (3.6)

May 08, 2015

kolatinstigator

5/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2015 release (had an extra year in the pappy barrels). Had it at Taps in Corona on 3/31/15. Drank over a 1hr 30 min so it had time to warm up. Poured dark in the glass with little carbonation. Smelled of bourbon, coffee, malt. Taste similar to smell. This was sweet and smooth. More coconut flavor as it warmed. Thick mouthfeel. My ideal IRS. Expensive but worth it. It's definitely not something I would drink often not only due to price but also its a very rich stout. For me this would be more of a special occasion treat.

Apr 02, 2015

mothman from Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

2013 vintage

The nose on this one is great. Rich with chocolate and coconut. Vanilla, oak, and warming bourbon. Coffee and roast. The bourbon is really nice here.

Mouthfeel is smooth and warming. Full bodied. Ends with a tad too much roast.

Really solid offering. Very complex.

Mar 15, 2015

Jeffo from Netherlands

3.96/5  rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Got this one from totoropanda a while back. Cheers for the set man!

From a 750 into a snifter
Vintage: 2013

APPERANCE: The bottle couldn’t be any fuller. Pours out a transparent dark brown, almost black, yielding a two finger, medium, slightly creamy tan head with good retention. Head slowly fades to a full cap. Transparent black body with no carbonation evident. A ring and slight wisp remain but leave no lacing down the glass. Body is a little too transparent for the style but the head is better than the original Remy’s.

SMELL: Like the original, this one smells great. Lots of coconut, sweet vanilla cream, milk chocolate, oak and toffee. Bourbon coconut cream with some smooth dark chocolate as well. Wonderful. Much the same as the original but with more coconut here. Excellent.

TASTE: Similar to the original Remy’s. Bourbon, oak, toffee and coconut with vanilla cream up front. Almost identical. Bold and lingering finish full of oak, coconut, vanilla, toffee and milk chocolate, with a touch more wood and barrel and less dark chocolate bitterness than the original. Flavorful and barrel heavy. Lovely stuff.

PALATE: Medium body and medium levels of carbonation. Semi-creamy on the palate, a touch watery perhaps actually, goes down fine with a bit of a burn and finishes slightly sticky. Some heat ligners.

OVERALL: Like the original, this one is excellent and extremely enjoyable. The body is a little light and the feel could use some beefing up, but in the end, this is a decadent, barrel heavy imperial stout. Compared to its older brother, this one might have a bit more wood and coconut in the flavor profile, with less bitter dark chocolate as balance. Nevertheless, the differences are so minor that you could have told me it was the same beer and I would have believed you. Thanks again totoropanda!

Mar 05, 2015

RamboII from California

4.93/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2nd release (longer time in the barrel)
750 ml bottle poured into a snifter glass

Look: Very dark appearance and medium viscosity
Smell: Great nose, chocolate, bourbon, very little booze
Taste: Bourbon really pops, chocolate, toffee, very delicious
Feel: Good mouth feel, good carbonation on the tongue, silky smooth, not syrup at all
Overall: This delicious, wish I had the original to compare to, would definitely highly recommend

Mar 02, 2015

dlino11 from Illinois

4.41/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had really high expectations going into this beer, so that is why I might have been disappointed a bit. Was cold at first and smelled a lot like bourbon county stout. Flavor got better as it warmed giving it a boozy marshmallow flavor. Poured dark but was thinner than expected. I enjoyed this beer but again was slightly disappointed.

Jan 19, 2015

yourefragile from District of Columbia

3.57/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle sampled with a gaggle of BA Dark Lords.

Very disappointed with this. Barrel added little to base beer other than thin watery bourbon. Waste of a good barrel.

Jan 12, 2015

TampaRainman from Florida

4.77/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance- Slightly translucent dark brown pour turns up a mocha head that fades into a coat that persists through the last swig.

Smell- Fudgy milk chocolate and dark cherries. Amaretto. Bourbon. Cherry cordial candy.

Taste- Follows the nose. Lots of sweet chocolate, cordial cherries, vanilla bourbon sweetness finishes with a boozy spicy rye kick. PVW15 barrels, perhaps? Got even better as it warmed.

Mouthfeel- Based on the reviews and pour, I was expecting this to be thin. It wasn't. Sure, it wasn't the motor oil of BADL or CCB (DBH, LiL, etc), but it wasn't lacking body. It was silky, creamy and perfectly carbed. Floated on the tongue like a velvet pillow of stout.

Overall- Just plain delicious. Very, very well done.

Nov 30, 2014

mlhyatt from Georgia

4.77/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured from 750ml bottle into tulip glass

A- jet black, like oil pouring from the bottle. The head is deep thick and a dark tan. The head dissipates into a pretty thick lace around the edges.

S- the first thing that hits me is dry dark chocolate. Then there is a sweet rich bourbon that completely takes over.

T- follows the nose so well. The chocolate is so dry and sticks to your throat in a good way. The bourbon is instense. Definitely the main driver of this beer. Super sweet with touches of vanilla and caramel and oak. Very nice flavor. Very subtle roast flavor as well.

M- medium to heavy body. Definitely not as think as I expected it to be.

O - nothing negative about this beer at all. If they put a touch of real coffee in this beer it would be a perfect 5.

Jul 31, 2014

Stevedore from Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

2013 bottle. Thanks Tim. Poured into a CCB snifter 7/19/2014.

Beer #1,000, Review #700.

A- Opaque pitch black body, with a one finger mocha head that is quite dense. Good retention. Thin streaks of lacing stick to the glass intermittently.

S- Huge chocolate fudge. Roasted malts, cocoa, vanilla, toffee, bourbon, oak, dark fruits. Complex nose that is packed full of all the aromas you would ever want from a BA stout. Some coconut along with the vanilla makes me think liquid marshmallows. Reminds me a lot of BCBS and to an extent, Rare. Gets even better as it warms up.

F- Roast malts, chocolate fudge, oak, bourbon. Similar to the nose, but the vanilla, dark fruits and chocolate fudge character seem to recede a bit in the background to the bourbon. The bourbon flavours on the finish are very clean and flavourful without getting too dominant. Quite well-done.

M- I have to agree with previous reviewers that for the amazing nose and complex flavours this beer delivers, the mouthfeel really hinders it's execution. It's on the thinner side of medium in body and is not very substantial on the tongue. Lower in carbonation as expected. Finish is chocolate fudge bourbon, slightly smoky and oaky but sweet.

O- This beer has all the markings of a top-shelf BCBS variant as far as the nose and flavour profile goes, but it lacks the vaunted thick, chewy mouthfeel. Definitely worth getting a bottle of if you've not tried it before, but there are BA stouts out there that offer a more complete drinking experience.

Jul 20, 2014

drmcleod10 from Missouri

4.69/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Poured into a Hunahpu's snifter and shared with a couple guys. Was excited to tick this one and thanks to Tim for making this trade happen.

A - Appearance is a dark pour with a half finger mocha foam head that recedes back into the glass. Does not pour out as thick as I would like

S - Smell is awesome here, tons of bourbon up front followed by the chocolate and marshmallow smells that everyone else describes here. These smells really come out as you let it warm

T - Taste follows the nose with the dominate taste right now being the Pappy flavors coming through which are delightful. As it warms the chocolate marshmallow sweetness comes out and it improves the beer dramatically.

M - This is my only knock on the beer. I was wanting this to be thick and chewy with a full body, but it ended it being on the thin side with some weird carbonation feeling going on in there. Tim mentioned some variation, will re-review after I open my second bottle.

O - Overall the taste was exactly what I was expecting, marshmallows soaked in bourbon, but the mouthfeel makes this beer a little off-putting. Still worth going after for the taste and smell aspect alone. Fingers crossed for my other bottle being thick.

Jun 25, 2014

4DAloveofSTOUT from Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

doing a side by side with Pappy Remy and Remy(2013)!

poured into TG snifter.

Appearance: black bodied beer with thick cap of tan head. has booze legs some staining noted to the glass.

Smell: barrel forward nose. lots and lots of oak and coconut notes. fudgy umami. top shelf bourbon.

Taste: flourless chocolate cake, caramel, and coconut. premium bourbon that is rich and sweet. decadent dessert stout. tobacco and light roast help balance out the sweet a little bit. vanilla in the finish with more chocolates, but the dry oak notes finish out the beer nicely. lingering flavors from this stout.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with low carbonation. sticky, but not thick as I would like this beer to be. very smooth and not very boozy. It needs a thicker body this was the beers only short fall for me.

Overall: Once again the magic of the Pappy barrel shines through! The flavor and nose are fantastic, but the mouth could be improved. Remy was also good and it actually had a better mouthfeel than Pappy Remy. I still prefer Pappy Remy over Remy.

Jun 16, 2014