Reserve
Perrin Brewing Co.

The pour is breakfast coffee brown and looks stout black in the glass. The manilla colored head reaches up about 5 cm and leaves very little lacing. About par for a BBA stout.
The taste is not as sweet as the listed additives suggest it should be; and the raisins add a dimension more than a specific flavor. It tastes very good.
The feel is lightly viscous, triple mash and caramelized lactose are bound to have some body as a result.
OA - this is better than I expected, not sweet and the listed fruit is not a primary flavor.

Showing that theres more to barrels than just bourbon, Perrin lays their imperial honey stout down in brandy barrels for a distinctive fruity, spicy and roasty balance worthy of the "reserve" moniker.

Onyx-black and pouring with a mirror-like sheen, the margins of the glass show a barrel-bleached tawny hue before popping with light and pepper carbonation. As a strong and savory scent rises to greet the nose, the bolder overtones of coffee, campfire, dark fruit, peppery woods and vinous alcohol swirl for a unique yet robust perfume. Sweeter in taste, its early palate shines with blackstrap molasses, bakers chocolate and burnt honey.

With the sweetness coating the tongue, the stronger espresso influence brings a smoky char to balance the honey and malt while trending cocoa-like, chicory-like and roasty. A sense of grilled fruit shares flavors of red grape, blueberry, blackberry and plum with the brandy influence close at hand. Peppery, spicy and oaken, the late palate balances with coffee-like bitterness, woodsy tannins and an intriguing red wine balance.

Full bodied, hot and acidic with roast, the Perrin Reserve Stout finishes bold and burnt with a dry savory character and a long linger of coffee and fruit.

 

2020 bottle courtesy of Whyteboar in NBS BIF #14.
Label states, "This beer was made with honey, caramelized lactose sugar, and aged on golden raisins to create a uniquely rich and flavorful celebration beer."
Gorgeous burnt umber. Luscious dark chocolate colored head that confidently rises 2 inches and slowly settles to a thin, filmy ring. Lithe oily lacing.
Aroma is a very balanced wash of cocoa, bourbon, caramel, molasses, fig, dates, and mild undertones of earthy roast.
Flavor brings even more to the gig. Definitely warm round cocoa and light caramel to start off. The whiskey barrel shines and makes way for the deeper notes: burnt sugars, toffee, date, fig, and light touches of deep fruit (like port barrel) notes, tobacco, peat, and oak.
Mouthfeel is full enough for style, but not chewy. Has an almost creamy edge. Slight alcohol warmth and light carbonation perfectly displays the cornucopia of bliss this Impy stout has to offer.
Overall, this one ties so many great components together. It's lush, fairly sweet, yet never cloying, and brings forth so many RIS notes that are often lost in the sweetness of so many stouts these days.

*2021 aged in Bourbon barrels with honey, caramelized lactose, golden raisins and honey.

This beer pours a ruby tinged dark brown. Not pitch black as you might expect. A half finger mocha head rises and quickly falls to a thin ring and leaving very little residual lacing. The nose is mostly bourbon notes. Vanilla, charred barrel, dark fruit, raisin, tobacco, and a sweet honey undertone. Taste follows suit with a slightly bitter toasted malt in the front, bourbon and chocolate notes throughout and a sweet honey finish. Feel is smooth, oily, and mouth coating. Overall, This beer is complex, balanced, and pretty much has everything I’m looking for in an almost 13% RIS, plus some.

 

 

2019 vintage bomber, courtesy of Whyteboar.

Shared with three friends, so not a proper reviewing environment. Absolutely delicious. Still packing a bit of heat. I'd love to have another and lay it down for a couple years. Thanks, Craig!

Pours a black color with a foamy tan head that lasts quite a while. Aroma is roasted malts and chocolate. Tastes of sweet chocolate and booze. Great mouth feel.

 

Very satisfied picking this one up! Poured from bomber to snifter. Silky, rich and smooth, with flavors of cocoa and dark fruits - primarily fig and raisin - with a bit of coffee and chewy caramel. Looking forward to next year's release.

 

2019 aged in bourbon barrels (not brandy barrels). Still delicious, but thinner and the flavor doesn’t blow me away like in 2018. I hope Perrin returns to brandy for aging.

2018 aged in brandy barrels. Very complex and delicious. Everything in the description is present. This is the best beer, by far, of the nearly thirty Perrin beers that I've tried. I hope the brewery makes it more widely available in the coming years. Overall 2018 score: 4.6.

 

 

 

So I will admit right off the bat, like other perrin beers, this is sweet. The honey, candi sugar, and chocolate covered raisin lead in making a decadent dessert, with the backing of rich brandy, vanilla, caramel, sugared nuts, wood, and toasted coconut. But in the sweetness there is real complexity, and there is a sneaky robust nature to the backing elements, making sure the sweetness doesn't break the palate. Silky smooth, sticky, though a tad light in the finish, but ultimately might be a benefit given the flavors. Smell is not as complex but there is plenty of sugary and boozy depth to enjoy

 

 

22 ounce bottle into signature mini pint glass; bottled in 10/2018. Pours nearly opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger dense and rocky khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, honey, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, raisins, bourbon, brandy, toasted oak, nuts, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, molasses, licorice, cherry, fig, date, smoke, char, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Bit of booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malts, honey, lactose, raisins, brandy barrels, and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, honey, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, raisins, bourbon, brandy, toasted oak, nuts, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, molasses, licorice, cherry, fig, date, smoke, char, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Light-moderate herbal, floral, grassy, peppery hops; roast/char bitterness; and brandy/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, honey, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, raisins, bourbon, brandy, toasted oak, nuts, dark/brown bread, coconut, molasses, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, char, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, honey, lactose, raisins, brandy barrels, and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet and brandy/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness and brandy/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety, and lightly slick/sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mildly increasing warmth of 12.8%, with minimal barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an amazing flavored barrel aged Russian imperial stout! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, honey, lactose, raisins, brandy barrels, and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV; with the mellowly bitter/tannic/drying finish. Perfectly balanced rich malts, bourbon barrel aged honey, caramelized lactose, raisins, and brandy barrel presence/integration; with solid fruity yeast and earthy hop presence against sweetness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing spot on style example. Best imperial stout they have made yet. Got smoother and more impressive as it warmed up.