Mail Order Bride - Bourbon Barrel Aged
Bare Hands Brewery

Review: 2380
Name: Mail Order Bride
Brewery: Bare Hands Brewery
Location: Granger, IN
Style: Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 10.2%
Canned: 2017
Date: 26 April 2025
I have shied away from the beer for far too long. It has sat in my cellars since 2018. I should have consumed it long ago, but we are here today. I am serving the beer at 50 degrees in a tulip glass. The pour created nothing; the hard pour produced no head. The color is dark brown, nearly black, mostly transparent, and charting at SRM 34. Considering the age of the beer and hearing a hiss when I pried the cap, I am amazed that something happened to show life.
Nosing the glass, I smell bourbon, oak, chocolate, coffee, light oxidation, char, Maillard, raisin, dates, flowers, herbal, wood resin, anise, molasses, toffee, caramel, grass, leather, earthiness, dark roasted malts, malty sweetness, and light peppery note.
Sipping the glass, I taste bourbon, light oxidation, grass, Maillard, char, light smoke, floral, pepper, herbal resin, toffee, chocolate, coffee, molasses, caramel, leather, earthiness, grassy, malty sweetness, and wood.
The mouthfeel is soft and chewy, and the finish is lightly bitter. The body is heavy and medium carbon.
It is evident that the beer is eight years old; however, the light oxidation is not a distraction, as it usually would be when a beer has gone past its prime. There are days that I review old beer and say, "Oh shit, this beer is past its prime". I did say that with beer, yet the beer still held its own and demonstrated that passing it was a mistake. If I reviewed this beer two years ago, it probably would not have had the oxidation character. Overall, it's a surprisingly tasty beer.

 

Draft pour from Xmas party.

 

 

Aged in Angel's Envy bourbon barrels I believe.

Pours very dark brown, hinging on black with a finger of mocha head.

Aroma is of prominent smooth bourbon, carmel, and vanilla. There's also oak, roasted malt, and bittersweet chocolate, but less forward. The sweet Angel's Envy bourbon displays itself on this one.

Taste explodes with sweet barrel character. Get vanilla, carmel, and big smooth bourbon up front. The mid-palate brings more of the same, but adds oak and more bourbon character and slight roasted malt and chocolate. Finish brings in the base beer qualities of roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, and slight dark fruit, but are accompanied with the aforementioned barrel qualities of carmel, vanilla, and bourbon.

Medium body. Creamy and smooth carbonation. Oily and slick finish.

This is an excellent barrel aged stout by an excellent, underrated brewery. Nicely done!

Pours a dark mahogany brown and settles pure black with a creamy tan head that lingers and provides moderate lacing. Gorgeous BARIS.

The nose features lots of roasty malts, chocolate, oak, and vanilla, and LOADS of booze from the barrel. Wow.

The taste replicates the nose, with the roasty malt flavors sitting at the back of the palate along with the significant bourbon flavor and warming, leaving room for the oak, chocolate, and vanilla up front. Outstanding stuff.

The mouthfeel is rich and chewy, on point t for this world class BARIS.