Bourbon Barrel Vanilla Imperial Stout
BAD Brewing Company

A - Pours pitch black with a very thin tan head.

S - Aroma is coffee, bourbon and light vanilla.

T - The taste is coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla and light bourbon. The finish has a light lingering alcohol burn.

M - Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a soft dry finish.

O - This is a solid BBA stout. The vanilla is light and adds a nice touch of sweetness. Well done.

Syrupy and sweet. Lacks balance. Vanilla note overrides the bourbon. The bottle says there are eight malts, which seems both excessive and totally reasonable, but none of them stand-out and thus none of them tell a story. Major flaw is the heat at the end - not medicinal, but more harsh than warming. I wouldn't expect a beer this big to have this heat after being laid down for a year, and I doubt laying down another year in the bottle would help. Overall I think this one needs some work.