BBIS 2022
Reuben's Brews

They know how to brew good beers, and this is an excellent one. Don't remember where I had it though.

I am sampling a cellar temp 22 oz bomber bottle of this beer. I received this as part of a trade and has been in my cellar for about a year.
Pouring into a stemless tulip glass. The beer pours a rich black coffee color with some dense tan head that foams up towards the top of my glass. this foam fades to a very sturdy edge layer and creates some windowpane lattice when I take a sip or swirl the glass.
Aroma on this one is what I would expect from a bourbon barrel aged impy stout. Sweet bourbon and some vanilla with hints of roasted notes. Not fusol or hot and no hop character at all.
First sip reveals a medium body with fine and tingly carbonation. texture is a little sticky but not overly so and it drinks easier than I thought it would.
Flavor is some chocolate and then a lot of bourbon, and here I do get a little peppery bite and some warming on the finish. No hops anywhere to be found.
There isnt a lot of malt complexity on this beer, but I do enjoy the balance of malt and bourbon working well together. Another tasty beer from Reuben's Brews, seems a solid brewery to me!

Poured from a twenty two ounce bomber, the stout is black with a good head. Not much lacing.

Barrel on the nose and in the taste. ABV is featured, not hidden. Other flavors under the barrel are a solid malty char, burnt sugar, and a wee bit of coffee.

Mouthfeel is solid. There's enough carbonation but it feels slightly thin for such a high ABV stout.

Definitely one note but if that note is your favorite song, crank it up.

 

 

2023-04-09
22oz gold-waxed bottle split between some sample glasses. Rich, sweet, moderately boozy. Dark roast coffee, vanilla, caramel.

 

Poured at fridge temp. Pours black with a good layer (2 inches) of creamy light brown head. The nose is full of bourbon, roasted malts, slightly burnt toffee, and vanilla. Really nice. The taste is interesting. Definitely getting a kick of roasted malts. The bourbon is there, but it's rather abrupt. The alcohol heat is very evident. A solvent type flavor is there. A bit of toffee, some chocolate, and a slight coffee grinds note appears as well. Pretty hot on the way down. I have now waiting about 30 min with the beer in the glass, and I would say it's much smoother and the nice flavors really pop out now. Body is a bit thin for a big stout, but overall this is a really nice beer.

bottle into glass
Fairly fine bubbled head that dissipates quickly. Completely opaque, basically black look. Prominent bourbon and some darkly toasted toffee, also sweet, dark roasted grains, and some booze, in the nose. Noticeable booziness, in the taste. A slightly sharp bourbon barrel flavor, up front. Strong, with a slightly toffee tinged, very dark roasted grain flavor. Heavy on the bourbon barrel, in the finish.