Black Pit Of Hatred - Bourbon Barrel Aged
Burnt City Brewing

2020 vintage (released on 12/17/20, so presumably canned within a few days of that date); consumed on 4/7/21

Pours an oily jet-black body capped with a finger and a half of fluffy, dark mocha foam; decent head retention leaves a paper-thin, spotty constellation over the surface, an expansive, richly creamy collar, and the occasional strand of firm, webby lacing sticking to the walls of the glass.

Aroma features plush candied raisin and toffee setting a progressively Werthers-like tone for an oncoming onslaught of dark chocolate cake batter over the middle, dispersing across the remainder of the bouquet a silky molasses character, while spicy barrel tones continue to inform throughout.

Taste opens with immediate impressions of huge milk chocolate and silky malted milk balls washing over the front of the profile; burnt sugar, light coffee roast, and soft barrel char peak through the intensity over time,, embracing the deepening sweetness of marshmallow and vanilla bean into a lightly toasty malt finish; a spiky bourbon character maintains harmony with the velvety milk chocolate through the finish.

Mouthfeel offers a medium body with a roasty tingle and barely perceptible carbonation; velvety smooth textures over the mid-palate guide toward an increasingly creamy crescendo, while low-lying booziness on the back end grazes the palate with a steadily imparted warmth through the finish.

This barrel-aged stout trends confidently toward the saccharine, though is kept tenuously in check via the slightest barrel-imbued restraint; the definition of the profile is appreciated, though the intensity of the sweetness can become challenging.

2020 Vintage

Pours a pitch black color, completely opaque and viscous. Thick two finger velvety head forms and the slowly dissipates leaving just a thin layer of foam along the top of the beer.

Aroma has notes of roasted malts, brown sugar, charred brown sugar, bourbon, oak, chocolate, and a hint of caramel.

Taste follows the nose with notes of roasted malts, brown sugar, caramel, bourbon, oak, some light charr on the back end. Its remarkably sweet overall - I am almost not sure the last non-adjuncted stout I had that was this sweet. The barrel does come through nicely providing notes of bourbon and oak on the palate. Overall this would be marked higher if not for the overt sweetness.

Feel is thick, viscous, smooth and oily. Gentle, smooth carbonation.

Overall this is a nice barrel aged stout. Would have been rated even higher if it were a tad less sweet.