Void Shaker
Funky Buddha Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a very good beer, especially here in Destin where good barrel aged beers can be hard to find. I like most that you can "taste" the barrel and overall taste is robust. I prefer the Void Shaker with coffee opposed to without. I have not had the other two, but would like to.

Four types of Void Shaker: https://funkybuddhabrewery.com/beers/?fwp_beer_series=3-void-shaker

From Funky Buddha web site, "Void Shaker is a brand-new series of year-round stouts, barrel-aged in High West Bourbon barrels for a rich, complex flavor from another outrageous dimension."

 

 

 

Tasted from a 12 oz bottle.

L - Extremely dark but clear. Light tan head is not very active or persistent and quickly faded to a ring around the glass.

S - Strong, but somehow mellow, aroma of bourbon; a strong, bitter coffee note comes in later. In other words, the aromas are delicious.

T - The flavors of the base stout beer are there, but they are totally overwhelmed (in a pleasant way) by the coffee and barrel aged notes. Oak; sweet bourbon; deep, dark espresso beans with a slightly burnt character. These are the stand-out flavors.

F - Thick body feels slightly creamy. The carbonation is low, which adds to the creamy sensation. The hops bitterness does not stand out, but it must be fairly high to hold all the malt and whiskey sweetness at bay. The alcohol is not overly assertive, but it is definitely there.

O - This is a delicious beer with a heavy emphasis on the whiskey barrel character. The coffee is not a huge player in the profile, but I think it plays a large role in giving a strong, bitter, roasted backbone to keep the bourbon from seeming insipidly sweet. My only slight critique is the lack of head, but this is a common byproduct of long barrel aging, so it is understandable.

 

 

 

 

12 oz bottle from Florida served in a Belgian snifter.
Appearance. Pours near black with dark ruby colored edges. It comes with a thin beige head.
There's no mistaking the barrel aged heritage of this stout; it comes with prominent notes of both whiskey and wooden whiskey barrel. Lightly sweet with low carbonation and a smooth, full body.

Had an 8 oz serving in a snifter while having lunch with Da Boss on 12-21-21 for $8.00.

Beer was served black with a nice head that dissipated quickly.

Nose was very nice; coffee and vanilla forward.

Taste was a very large malt base with vanilla adjuncts lightly enhanced by the coffee and a lesser touch of the bourbon barrel. Finished balanced and not sweet.

Mouthfeel was lighter than hoped; medium bodied and fairly smooth.

Overall a nice balanced barrel aged stout that is less than world class but still good. Bought a 4-pack for $15 - will review the bottle version soon.

 

 

Creamy tan legs over viscous jet; chocolate chip cookie + whisky barrel nose; fig paste, dark chocolate, a thread of smoke, brown sugar, then espresso + gingerbread with a bourbon finish; chewy, round + smooth.

4 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25

Deep round sweet nose.
A sugary beer - Steph says muscovado - but with gossamer threads of coffee, whisky, and roasty dryness.
Sweet without cloying, strong but not hot, BA’d but not too bourbon-y, this is subtle, balanced, + mature.

Doesn’t blow you away + better for it.

 

I tried this beer at the brewery with HomeBrew as part of a five sample flight. It poured an opaque dark with ecru head that did not leave much lace. The scent was subtle with hints of maple and molasses. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with sweet malt base and had maple and bourbon finish. The mouthfeel was fuller in body with smooth carbonation. Overall it is a solid beer.

 

Best By date March 4, 2023. Poured at 58°. Black with ruby edges; fizzy tan head; poor cap retention; solid ring at first, then nothing; same for the initial spots of lace; no legs on swirl. Chocolate, bourbon, oak nose. Taste is oaky bourbon, a little vanilla, and chocolate; not sweet; dry oaky finish. Dry wooden popsicle stick tongue coating; medium minus body; no warmth from 11% abv; light carbonation. Overall, the mouthfeel is too wooden/dry for me; the barrel flavors push aside the base; and it’s thin for the abv; an ok BBA imperial stout.

 

 

**
07/13/21

Bottle to rocks glass, from total wine, naples.

Look: Dark black color.

Aroma: bourbon, wood, roasted barley.

Taste: fudgy. Mineral. Brown sugar. Later, get licorice and diet cola.

Feel: full body, pretty thick and chewy, smooth, but a dry finish.

Good, not great.

**
**

 

I received a bottle from @roguer in the NBS BIF. Poured into a snifter at 65°. It pours nearly black with a half finger of medium-mocha colored head that dissipated slowly leaving a thin sheen of lacing. Its smell is rich and fragrant with roasted malt, brown sugar, black cherry, raisin, earthy char, and a whiff of tobacco. In addition, the bourbon is prominent on the nose. The taste includes some dark chocolate that I didn't smell, along with burnt, nutty malt, oak, and a nice dose of dark fruit. The bourbon flavor is obvious but delicate. The mouth feel is thick and velvety smooth with mild carbonation, and its 11% ABV is well-hidden. I'm glad Funky Buddha uses the 12 oz. bottle format because the alcohol level isn't distracting. Overall, Void Shaker is a pleasant and easy-drinking BA Stout. I'm happy to have had the chance to enjoy it.

Every now and then I come across something I deem special - this is special...

The thing that struck me off the bat was the creamy texture to the head, I have not experienced that in a very long time. The mouthfeel was truly creamy and velvety in the truest sense, and the booze is so well hidden that it sneaks up on you just as it should be. If ever there is a world class brew - this is it...

 

12oz bottle poured into a snifter

A- pours black in color with a one-finger foamy khaki colored head that reduces to a film floating on top

S- roasted and charred malt on the nose up front, gives aromas of anise, licorice, chocolate, there's also a blueberry note popping up as well. Undertones of the bourbon barrel coming through more as oaky

T- the barrel comes through more on the flavor, with some barrel juices and oak noticed immediately. Mid-palate brings out notes of charred malt, dark chocolate, blueberries and black licorice. The finish gives caramel, more blueberry and chocolate, lingers of light barrel notes

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a creamy mouthfeel that continues into a silky, slightly warming finish

O- that distinct blueberry note really popped out of this one, very enjoyable

Pours opaque black, 1 plus fingers width of dense light mocha colored head, dissipates at a moderate rate, a bit of lacing. Aroma is roasted malt, semi-sweet cocoa, subtle back coffee and rich barrel notes of smokey char and oaky vanilla. Not terrible complex but hits all the right notes. Taste is big bourbon notes upfront, almost but not quite harshly so. Roasted malt, quite a bit of vanilla, unsweetened bakers chocolate, a bit of char, subtle anise and some bitterness on the finish. Mouthfeel is full bodied, lower carbonation but appreciate, not sure the ABV but is unnoticeable and drinkability is very good. The seemingly ultra rare FB that’s not massively adjunct laden, and they pulled it off quite nicely. Not mind blowing but a very well down barrel aged imperial stout.


4.5/4.25/4.25/4.5/4.25