Bourbon Barrelled Cocoa Porter
Country Boy Brewing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Country Boys are at it again. Their flirtation with anything that will fit inside a brew kettle lands them at the precipice of the Aztec gods. Laying upon the brewing alter with the sacred cocoa nib. But in not-so-subtle style, they're making sure the gods of chocolate stay happy.

Deep and decadent chocolate and coffee aromas and flavors entice the nose and early palate with its sultry bittersweet chocolate, its underlying toffee sweetness and a milkshake-like creaminess.

As the layers of this chocolaty onion peel back, flavors of dark roast coffee, walnuts and heavy toast provide an earthen bitterness to balance the underlying sweetness and dessert-like influences.

Dissolving into a cocoa-laden finish, a waft of bourbon comes over the late palate with its own boozy caramel, coconut and vanilla whimsy. Its warm finish accents the porters lush sweetness to near perfection as the taste of mocha latte linger deeply afterward.

With that chocolate and coffee-like porter taste, this dark brown, skimly headed, bourbon barrel-aged beer is the perfect crescendo to any meal. It's not what you drink in complement to dessert; it's what replaced dessert!

 

 

It's a Porter but everything cries out Stout! First cry comes from a rich deep black color. The head was served as a thin ribbon of thick foam.

The nose held the cocoa, chocolatey and sweet, with touches of dry powder. The chocolate malt was evident along with a bit of bourbon.

Country Boy could put anything in a barrel and it would be good but this really took on the barrels flavors. Rich bourbonesque taste combines with the properties of a chocolate stout. The bourbon flavor is definitely high quality, with vanilla and oak. The cocoa is a nice sweet divergence from the normal BA beer and it has a delicious dessert feel.

Country Boy continues to score a home run with this barrel aged beauty, as they have with so many.

This BBA Cocoa Porter is created from the Country Boy Black Gold Porter, aged in Four Roses barrels with cocoa nibs added. I was saddened when the brewery ran out of the Bourbon Barrel Aged Rx Stout, but this more than makes up for it. Wonderful cocoa flavor without being too sweet.

This is delicious, but weird, which is fine. A strong, flavorful porter with clear chocolate makes this a dessert beer for sure. Country Boy gives a half pour because it's strong, but a half's all you need to get the full flavor and feel of this beer. If you like crazy beer, go for it, because it's good.