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Uncle Jacob's Stout
Avery Brewing Company
![Uncle Jacob's Stout](https://cdn.beeradvocate.com/im/beers/80197.jpg)
![Uncle Jacob's Stout](https://cdn.beeradvocate.com/im/c_beer_image.gif)
- From:
- Avery Brewing Company
- Colorado, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
Ranked #176 - ABV:
- 14.9%
- Score:
- 98
Ranked #393 - Avg:
- 4.42 | pDev: 8.14%
- Reviews:
- 506
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 26, 2024
- Added:
- Apr 08, 2012
- Wants:
- 608
- Gots:
- 1,160
Jacob Spears, our 6th Great Grand Uncle, is credited as the first distiller to label his whiskey “Bourbon.” He built his distillery in Bourbon County Kentucky in 1790 — 203 years before we began brewing. While obviously a bit too late to produce Uncle Jacob’s wash, we’ve instead created something far more complex. In his honor, we present this robust, silky smooth, full-bodied and altogether extremely American rendition of an Imperial Stout aged for 6 months in the very finest Bourbon barrels. This explains a lot about our penchant for big brews! It’s in our blood!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by largadeer:
Reviewed by largadeer from California
2.86/5 rDev -35.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
2.86/5 rDev -35.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Black as pitch with a thin crust on top.
Smells like tar, burnt sugar, cocoa and burning booze. Plenty of bourbon, too. Maybe a bit of vodka.
Tar and burning booze. Caramel, vanilla, dark chocolate, bourbon. Full, syrupy body with low carbonation. Alcohol is harsh and burning in the finish. This has some decent flavors, but it's pretty unpalatable.
Aug 14, 2012Smells like tar, burnt sugar, cocoa and burning booze. Plenty of bourbon, too. Maybe a bit of vodka.
Tar and burning booze. Caramel, vanilla, dark chocolate, bourbon. Full, syrupy body with low carbonation. Alcohol is harsh and burning in the finish. This has some decent flavors, but it's pretty unpalatable.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina
4.46/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.46/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Bottled on 2/24/17, batch no. 6
Appearance: Pours onyx colored with a thin being lid that fades to a ringlet and archipelago; leggy, with squiggles of lacing
Smell: Rich chocolate and dark fruit aromatics with the Bourbon and oak tones complementing
Taste: The reverse of the aromatics appears on the palate, with the Bourbon and oak striking the tone, at the outset; underneath, I find chocolate, raisin, fig and vanilla; rather boozy, after the swallow, though the flavors merge nicely
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation; considerable warmth in the gullet
Overall: The last of the five aged Avery barrel series; four of the five were great and aged like I hoped they would; happy to wrap it up with Uncle Jacob's as I have been wanting to try this for a while
Feb 26, 2024Appearance: Pours onyx colored with a thin being lid that fades to a ringlet and archipelago; leggy, with squiggles of lacing
Smell: Rich chocolate and dark fruit aromatics with the Bourbon and oak tones complementing
Taste: The reverse of the aromatics appears on the palate, with the Bourbon and oak striking the tone, at the outset; underneath, I find chocolate, raisin, fig and vanilla; rather boozy, after the swallow, though the flavors merge nicely
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation; considerable warmth in the gullet
Overall: The last of the five aged Avery barrel series; four of the five were great and aged like I hoped they would; happy to wrap it up with Uncle Jacob's as I have been wanting to try this for a while
Reviewed by mpruden from Ohio
4.58/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.58/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
No need to add to the apt descriptions in the reviews already offered below except to warmly affirm them. This was the second bottle of this exquisite now-six-years-old brew I’ve had the fortune of running across, and I’d gladly pay somewhat dearly for another bottle of it if I found one. Just as this one, I’d set it aside and sip it on another special occasion like this one — Valentine’s Day dinner of blue cheese marinated-and-topped venison chops grilled to medium rare, shared in front of a wood-burning fireplace. “There might be a little dust on the bottle, but don’t let it fool you about what’s inside … .”
Feb 15, 2024Reviewed by robotic_being from Illinois
4.31/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.31/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Feb 6, 2018 vintage, drank on 2/25/23.
Nice 1/2" mocha foam cap, boozy aroma of bourbon on the none. Taste is instantly strong bourbon, robust stout notes, medium sweetness and a dry finish. We'll kept in the cellar fridge, no oxidation. Delicious sipper!
Feb 26, 2023Nice 1/2" mocha foam cap, boozy aroma of bourbon on the none. Taste is instantly strong bourbon, robust stout notes, medium sweetness and a dry finish. We'll kept in the cellar fridge, no oxidation. Delicious sipper!
Reviewed by DEZ01301960 from Illinois
4.5/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I love the Avery barrel aged series, This one is sublime. 4.5 balanced across the board. With so many barrel aged adjunct stouts, it's mice to drink a straight bourbon barrel aged stout! I ran across some old vintage on clearance for $8.99. Bought all of them.
Feb 19, 2023Reviewed by puck1225 from Texas
4.41/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.41/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Had this beer poured from tap at our local World of Beer.
Poured into a small snifter. This was labeled batch 7 of this beer. Boozy smell and taste. Heavy dark chocolate taste, mellows to German chocolate cake with warming. The taste and feel of fine bourbon. Some expresso and dark berry flavors also appear with warming. Smooth and warming feel. Definitely a sipper and a nice treat.
May 21, 2022Poured into a small snifter. This was labeled batch 7 of this beer. Boozy smell and taste. Heavy dark chocolate taste, mellows to German chocolate cake with warming. The taste and feel of fine bourbon. Some expresso and dark berry flavors also appear with warming. Smooth and warming feel. Definitely a sipper and a nice treat.
Reviewed by Roy_Hobbs from Connecticut
4.05/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.05/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bottled 2/24/17. Served at 50 degrees with an aggressive pour into a tulip. Appearance is an opaque, dark dark brown with three quarters of an inch of short-lived beige colored head that leaves behind a thin ring and decent legs. Aroma is wonderful and bursts from the glass. Sweet molasses, alcohol and chocolate. Really enticing on the nose.
Initial taste is very bourbon forward with chocolate mid-palate and some char notes on the very long finish. There's some alcohol burn, and even after aging for almost five years, this one is still plenty hot. Smooth, with a nice medium body.
Overall, this is a good sipper that checks lots of boxes, but the heat / alcohol burn is enough to keep it short of being "great" in my opinion.
Dec 26, 2021Initial taste is very bourbon forward with chocolate mid-palate and some char notes on the very long finish. There's some alcohol burn, and even after aging for almost five years, this one is still plenty hot. Smooth, with a nice medium body.
Overall, this is a good sipper that checks lots of boxes, but the heat / alcohol burn is enough to keep it short of being "great" in my opinion.
Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts
4.38/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.38/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Poured from the 12 oz bottle into the test glass. Bottled on 6/27/2013.
A - Slate black, Lively carbonation assembles into a lovely tan cap. and lasting rings of lacing.
S - Dark fruit, 90% cocoa, char, anise to start. Then notes of burnt brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, and exquisite cigar wrap tobacco. Blackberry reduction.
T - Bourbon notes forward, with all the usual elements, add a minty thread. Dark Chocolate, anise, the char is so good. Less of the dark fruits on the palate, more of the barrel elements, with that boozy thread raising all boats here.
M - Surprisingly this is medium in body, Slick on the palate, sweet start, with alcohol exhale with every sip. Linger is dark cocoa, and char Outstanding
O- What a big delightful treat. The body is solid without being a palate wrecker. Certainly shows off the heat even after these many years. The char is super fun, barrel treatment is assertive, and delightful.
Dec 26, 2021A - Slate black, Lively carbonation assembles into a lovely tan cap. and lasting rings of lacing.
S - Dark fruit, 90% cocoa, char, anise to start. Then notes of burnt brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, and exquisite cigar wrap tobacco. Blackberry reduction.
T - Bourbon notes forward, with all the usual elements, add a minty thread. Dark Chocolate, anise, the char is so good. Less of the dark fruits on the palate, more of the barrel elements, with that boozy thread raising all boats here.
M - Surprisingly this is medium in body, Slick on the palate, sweet start, with alcohol exhale with every sip. Linger is dark cocoa, and char Outstanding
O- What a big delightful treat. The body is solid without being a palate wrecker. Certainly shows off the heat even after these many years. The char is super fun, barrel treatment is assertive, and delightful.
Reviewed by dbl_delta from Pennsylvania
4.58/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
4.58/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Bottle dated 2/24/17 into pint glass. Pours jet black with a thin tan head. Good lacing. Initial impression is molasses, bourbon, coffee, and caramel. Mouthfeel is thick and extremely smooth. Finish wraps up with a slight hops bitterness. Overall, a wonderful sipper for a cold rainy November night. Highly recommended!
Nov 19, 2021Rated by NCSapiens from Indiana
4.28/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.28/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Silky bourbon madness, but in a good way.
Aug 22, 2021Reviewed by KT3418 from Colorado
4/5 rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Rich aroma of dark toasted bread and then bourbon, taste is about the same, im not as mindblown by this as some of the others but this still very good and robust.
Jul 08, 2021Reviewed by Eddieeight from Ohio
4.96/5 rDev +12.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
4.96/5 rDev +12.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
So glad to pick up a new Avery beer Ive never had. I really enjoyed Mephistopheles and tweak which are in the same price range as this - about $14. They got my highest of ratings. Let’s see how this holds up. This was bottled feb of 2017. Rarely do I sample a beer that is four years old. Great opportunity. Based on other reviews they’ve toned down the abv from 17% in earlier years to this one at 14.9%. Supposedly aged for 6 months in bourbon barrels. Poured out a dark brown and just a quickly disappearing head that doesn’t last very long. The scent is exquisite. Deep and dark, strong aromas of bourbon, maple, cinnamon, sugar. A bit of a metallic tinge to the smell. Taste is hugely bourbon, surprised this was only aged for six months. The barrels imparted a mammoth taste to it. Also notes of bitter chocolate, caramel, and molasses, thick heavy leather. Aftertaste is a strongly bitter wash of coffee grounds and residue of char. Mouthfeel is thick and bubbly. Overall this is outstanding. I could draw serious comparisons to bourbon county beer, which I just had last night. However this is a little more bitter and less wholesomely sweeter than bourbon county. Wonderful aging for a four year old beer. Regardless this is the taste I’m looking for in a beer, in a big stout like this, so it’s getting top ratings from me. So it’s decided. I love what Avery has done. If I want big coffee I’m going to Tweak. If I want big bourbon I’m going here to Uncle Jacobs. How spoiled I am to indulge in such an earthly delight!
Apr 04, 2021Reviewed by backblast from Alaska
4.85/5 rDev +9.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.85/5 rDev +9.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Vintage 2-24-2017.
Pours black with a thick khaki head.
Taste the rich dark fruits (fig, raisin, prunes) and thick molasses right off the bat with tastes of barrel and booze mixed in. All enveloped in rich dark malt and mild malt/dark chocolate bitterness in the finish and lingers and reminds you how good it is. Has a medium, viscous mouthfeel. This is a stunner.
Mar 30, 2021Pours black with a thick khaki head.
Taste the rich dark fruits (fig, raisin, prunes) and thick molasses right off the bat with tastes of barrel and booze mixed in. All enveloped in rich dark malt and mild malt/dark chocolate bitterness in the finish and lingers and reminds you how good it is. Has a medium, viscous mouthfeel. This is a stunner.
Uncle Jacob's Stout from Avery Brewing Company
Beer rating:
98 out of
100 with
2991 ratings
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