Imperial Coffee And Cigarettes - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Cellarmaker Brewing Co.

 

 

 

From Feb 2016. Pours dark brown and some lacing. Aroma is very strong with coffee, then bourbon, oak and vanilla. The coffee is subdued in the flavor and the dark chocolate/fudge are forward. As it warms, the barrel character comes in - oak, bourbon, vanilla, still a little smoke from the underlying beer and some dark fruit. Just incredibly complex, and probably the best porter I've ever had. Please bottle!

 

 

 

 

On tap at Cellarmaker Brewing Company in San Francisco, CA.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that fades to nothing. No lacing on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, chocolate syrup, dark chocolate, fudge, coffee bean, brewed coffee, smoke, vanilla, toasted coconut, and bourbon aromas. Taste is much the same with chocolate syrup, fudge, coffee bean, brewed coffee, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, vanilla, toasted coconut, and bourbon flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and sticky mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer with absolutely fantastic bourbon barrel aging with the base beer, and this one only gets better and better as the beer warms up.

Serving type: on tap.

 

 

Wow. Before I can rate this beer I have to say it's the best porter I've ever put in my face. C&C was already a favorite but the clean and crisp Breckenridge Bourbon does this beer every favor it could. I wish they had bottles.

A: Black. Thick. Nice brown lacing around the edges.
S: Tons of bourbon, but not the overly sweet kind (thanks Breckenridge!) or weird booze. Sweet roasty malt, lots of dark chocolate. Hint of char.
T: Sweet bourbon, light smoked malt, more dark chocolate, a little brine to balance things out. Finishes with stronger roasted malt and lingers wonderfully.
M: Viscous...really viscous. Coats the whole mouth with deliciousness. Ahhhh....
O: Incredible balance between flavors...rauch, malt, bourbon, brine.

 

 

 

 

Pours a pitch black liquid with a nice brown ring around the glass. Very pretty porter. The nose is just so rich. Notes of vanilla, coffee, fudge and other delights to the point I can't believe I'm smelling a beer. The taste is just as good and complex. The feel is quite unique. It is very viscous, insanely smooth, and just rolls on the tongue. The aging truly transformed this beer into a crown jewel of Cellarmaker brewery.

 

On draft at Cellarmaker SF Beer week 2016

A: deep black with very faintest of brown hues. minimal medium brown head. thin like the Event Horizon.

S: Great mix of bourbon and coffee, dates, brown sugar, some hops in there also.

T: Fantastic, so complex. Booze but in the way you want, candied dark fruits, chocolate, burnt sugar, coffee at the end.

F: smooth and creamy. Great mouth coating.

O: An epic win for CM. A lot of smaller breweries are trying to "barrel' age for the sake of it since it is popular and failing many of the times, this was done with the skill that would make you think they have been doing it for 20 plus years. Cheers!

Pitch black with a thin khaki ring of head on the rim. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, and oak on nose in that order. Pop of bourbon upfront followed by waves of chocolate, coffee and vanilla. The coffee is a little lost though. It comes in on back end with fruit and leather notes. Mouthfeel is exceptional, heavy and creamy. Maybe not quite as good as barrel aged vastness, but still among the best barrel aged beers.