Bourbon Bean Baked
Sloop Brewing

I had picked this up at Dominion Pizza on Columbia Avenue more out of CANiosity than anything else, but when I reviewed their (NO) Pumpkin IPA as a part of my Hallowe'en CANebration last night, I decided that this might make a nice follow-on for The CANQuest (tm).

From the CAN: I do NOT like the name as it currently reads, which is "Bourbon Bean Baked" What?!? The full name on the CAN's label reads as "Bourbon Bean Baked Barrel Aged Coffee Beans + Oatmeal Milk {Stout}". "Milk Stout brewed w/Malted Oats & Lactose/rested on Barrel Aged Coffee Beans"; "The Sloop 'Half-Baked' Series: Exploring the Darker Side of Beer".

I Crack!ed open the vent & beCAN a slow, gentle C-Line Glug without really giving it much thought. Soon, or quickly however, I was met with a pseudo-cascade as it beCAN to form a massive three-plus fingers of fizzy, foamy, rocky, deep-brown head that bubbled & fizzled until it was finally gone. 8=( Color was an inky Black/Opaque (SRM = 44), not only NOT allowing ANY light penetration, but sucking light into it like a black hole. 8=O Nose was utterly redolent with bourbon. 8=O This would be great if I liked Bourbon, but I am more of a Rye man. Oh well. Mouthfeel was medium, but I would have liked a bit more creaminess, especially from/in the style. The taste was like taking Bourbon & dumping a shot into my morning coffee! Phew.

That is really saying something since I take my coffee hot & black, like my women. I am a retired U.S. Navy sailor who used to experiment with coffee to get it just right. Hint: the best way to reduce acidity is to add cinnamon to the grounds before starting the perk. We also made Black (Gun) Powder Coffee one time, but that gave us all such a rush that we spent the rest of the day field daying the gun mount for something to do! Mount 52 gleamed after that. As to a shot in coffee, the Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) Project was a mostly-former & retired military crew with a few active duty, including yours truly. As such, evening libations & cigars on the fantail were common as were some mornings with a shot in our coffee as we contemplated having been extended underway for an additional day or two.

All right, you should be getting the idea about this beer. Lotsa coffee, lotsa Bourbon. Finish was semi-dry, not really sweet at all, but not quite truly dry, either. Hmm. I was okay with it, but it didn't truly tickle my bean. YMMV.

 

 

 

 

Minor spots from a fully dissipating head. Deep brown color with light passing through the edge of the glass.

The smell is very mild for the style. I do get cocoa and light milk.

A darker chocolate start. There's both sweetness and a light bittering hop background. Good body with muted carbonation. The finish and aftertaste after like a chocolate heavy mocha.