Big Shanty Graham Cracker Stout
Burnt Hickory Brewery

Big Shanty Graham Cracker StoutBig Shanty Graham Cracker Stout
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From:
Burnt Hickory Brewery
 
Georgia, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
9%
Score:
94
Avg:
4.21 | pDev: 9.26%
Reviews:
65
Ratings:
326
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 19, 2021
Added:
Apr 22, 2012
Wants:
  74
Gots:
  114
Named of the original name of the city of Kennesaw (our home town), Big Shanty is not a little beer by any means. Made with real graham cracker crumbs and honey, itʼs sweetness is only challenged by itʼs strong roast and hop bitterness. A world class stout with an extreme amount of local flavor.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Hayden34:
Photo of Hayden34
Rated by Hayden34 from Georgia

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

May 26, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
pouring a cellar temp 12 oz can into my snifter. part of a trade with @davidstan, thank you!
the beer pours a rich cola brown color with a creamy beige head of about 1.5 cm. this foam sticks around as a sturdy surface layer throughout the sampling. I get some scattered lacing if I swirl the glass.
Aroma is chocolate malt and some roasted notes with a good dose of graham cracker and cinnamon. No hops and booze hidden on the nose.
First sip reveals a medium body with a silky smooth texture and soft rolling carbonation. Easy drinking beer.
Flavor is some chocolate and roasted notes with a bit of cinnamon and then some booze warmth, and finish is sweeter chocolate and again graham cracker. Never any hint of hops on this one and my glass is empty in short order.
Tasty beer, straight forward and delivers what is promised on label. Not a bad imperial stout.
Nov 19, 2021
Photo of 1BrewBacca
Reviewed by 1BrewBacca from Georgia

3.93/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Look: If you are looking for a head on your pour this ones got it. Foamed up so much I had to stop half way and let it settle down. It is a dense caramel colored head sitting on a black liquid. Cloudy lace hangs on the sides of the glass during the whole experience.
Smell and Taste: Some graham cracker but stronger back coffee notes and bitterness. The bitterness was a little too much for my taste. Somewhat high on the booziness scale.
Feel: I was not expecting that much hoppy bitterness.
Overall: Worth a try but I probably will not go for this one again. No regrets though!
Jun 24, 2021
 
Rated: 3.44 by tylerrmj

Jun 05, 2021
 
Rated: 4.02 by Chasecrandell from New York

Aug 26, 2020
 
Rated: 4.31 by ZinFanDave from Georgia

Nov 02, 2019
 
Rated: 4.26 by Eman17 from Illinois

Apr 21, 2019
Photo of HopsAreDaMan
Reviewed by HopsAreDaMan from Missouri

3.93/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz can, no 'canned on' date found.

The mouthfeel stands out the most: reasonably full and creamy.
Taste: reminded me of the Imperial Pumpkin Ale from Crown Valley.

This was a really good stout, but I was hoping for it to stand out in some way.
Mar 25, 2019
Photo of mothmanscott
Reviewed by mothmanscott from Georgia

4.36/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours a clear brown so deep it appears to be shoe polish black until held to the light. The pour produces 1.5 fingers of frothy, shortlived, deep mocha head that leaves only a hint of pasty lace. Aroma is deeply roasted malts, dark chocolate, dark fruit and other fruits, cinnamon, bready fruit cake, honey, toffee, earthy hints and a little alcohol. Taste is heavy roast, burnt malts and char, cakey bread, graham cracker, honey, cinnamon and other spice, dark chocolate, dark fruit, a little alcohol and faint smoke. Fronted by roast, sweet cakey breadiness and chocolate the spices and heavy graham cracker come in at mid-sip and intensify into the finish where it crescendos. From there all rapidly diminishes into a short-lived roasted/burnt malt and spicy aftertaste. Graham cracker heavy, its addition adds a new dimension to what has become mundane in many new offerings of the style. Mouthfeel is medium-heavy bodied with low carbonation, the spice and prickliness could be confused for carbonation bite that manifests as a crawling spicy, prickly bite; tongue coating creamy & chewy there is a burning spice in the back of the upper palate. As is usual with many such brews this one improves in flavor as it warms. When possible I buy single cans/bottles of any new beer offering for review. In the last two years it has gotten to be less and less the case that I wish I had bought a four or six-pack rather than a single. This one is an exception, I wish I had bought a case. Well done!
Feb 04, 2019
 
Rated: 4.05 by sbuck from New Mexico

Jan 06, 2019
 
Rated: 4.07 by TheEpeeist from Maryland

Dec 28, 2018
 
Rated: 4.1 by tazzman from Florida

Dec 27, 2018
 
Rated: 4.38 by KensWorld from Florida

Dec 01, 2018
Photo of traction
Reviewed by traction from Georgia

4.34/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look: A dark beer but not as jet black as most of the stouts I am used to drinking. No light passes through the beer but as you swirl the beer in the cup it seems more dark brown than black in places. Good lacing and around a 1/4inch of head.

Aroma: I really like the smell of this beer. I am getting chocolate, graham crackers, slight spices (mostly nutmeg and cinnamon I think). Maybe a bit of caramel and vanilla as well.

Flavor: Flavor follows the aroma for the most part. Chocolate malts, graham cracker and a tiny bit of spices, and caramel. There is a nice complexity going on here I have a hard time describing but I really enjoy this. Delicious!

Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation, medium thickness. It isn't a thin beer by any stretch of the imagination but it isn't super chewy like some other stouts are.
Nov 04, 2018
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Got in a BIF from KMitch. 12 ounce can into snifter, no can dating. Pours nearly opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger dense and rocky khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of milk chocolate, cocoa, graham crackers, caramel, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown bread, toasted biscuit, raisin, plum, and fig; with lighter notes of coffee, molasses, herbal, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. A bit too fruity/yeasty aromas, but not overwhelming. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, graham cracker, honey, fruity yeast, and light earthy hop notes; with good strength. Taste of huge milk chocolate, cocoa, graham crackers, caramel, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown bread, and toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of coffee, molasses, raisin, plum, fig, herbal, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Mild hop/roast bitterness and cinnamon spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk chocolate, cocoa, graham crackers, caramel, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown bread, toasted biscuit, light molasses/dark fruit, herbal, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, graham cracker, honey, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with an awesome hop/roast bitter/sweet and spiciness balance; with no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/silky/bready, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 9%. Overall this is a fantastic flavored imperial stout. All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, graham cracker, honey, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mildly bitter/spicy/drying finish. Perfectly balanced imperial stout and graham cracker/honey flavors; with restrained fruity yeast and mild earthy hops against sweetness. Not overly roasty on malts, which helps showcase the flavorings a lot easier. A highly enjoyable offering, and impressive style example.
Oct 27, 2018
 
Rated: 3.91 by GarrettBoots from Georgia

Oct 20, 2018
 
Rated: 3.81 by TheRock7755 from Georgia

Oct 20, 2018
 
Rated: 3.47 by nickfl from Florida

Sep 09, 2018
 
Rated: 4.34 by Kraftykristi89 from South Carolina

Sep 08, 2018
Photo of robotic_being
Reviewed by robotic_being from Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Not much graham cracker or honey as the can describes...lots of roasted malts, burnt chocolate and coffee notes. Char and dark fruit, along with loads of cinnamon and vanilla dominate the palette. Taste is more like a robust porter than a stout.
Sep 05, 2018
Big Shanty Graham Cracker Stout from Burnt Hickory Brewery
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 326 ratings