30th Anniversary Grand Cru
Saint Arnold Brewing Company

12oz bottle purchased 6-17-24, opened 5-17-26.
Thin tan head falls quickly to a ring and then disappears. Black and fully opaque body. No lacing.
Getting a ton of port flavor - surprised that would dominate over bourbon and whiskey barrels but at 2 years it is.
Sweet raisiny flavor. Wood is apparent along with big toffee, dates, tobacco, pecan pie filling, and a faint smokiness. The notes say they were going for opulent, they did it.
Full body, slick and oily mouthfeel with low carbonation. Some dryness (astringency) mid-palate but ultimately boozy and sweet with an endless finish.
Outstanding.

This pours black as a cave deep within the earth. There is no light, only darkness. The head looks has bubbles that linger, and they linger still as a half-revealed half-hidden stout. Is this really a beer? It is boarding on port wine with complexity that only finds its way into barrel aged beer. The nose it complex malt and aromatics that speak of whisky and wine. A bit tart on the tail, dry in middle, and leading with a hint of sweet brandy. It is worth the try for a 30-year a 30th anniversary. I hope we are both around in five years to do 35, cheers!

12 oz. bottle poured into nonic
(no date or bottling code — their 30th anniversary came in June 2024 when this beer was released)

L: almost but not quite flat, black/dark brown opaque liquid topped with 1/4-inch head of brown foam that dissipates quickly; keeps the thinnest of brown collars, no skin; no sticking or lacing

S: milk chocolate, cafe mocha latte, very sweet; there's a little red wine mixing in

T: much darker than the aroma would suggest but also much more sweet, borderline cloying, dark chocolate, vanilla, dark wood, molasses; lingering bitterness has an oak wood flavor note and some charred wood; at times the flavors feel super concentrated and packed in together so tight that it's hard to pick them apart; licorice, burnt raisin, burnt prune

F: heavyweight, oily, thick ... there's just enough carbonation to lighten it a little, but this is a hefty brew

O: huge beer loaded with big stout flavors and plenty of extras from the barrels; the first sip was almost sickly sweet, but the big dark flavors join in quickly enough to help offer some balance; still, this is a sweet beer, very chocolatey with good wood notes ... overall what you would expect from a big Saint Arnold beer

 

I can't really complain. Not too, too sweet (well, maybe a little, still, for my taste), which is my main problem with most (milk?) stouts. I think it's just that I prefer the 25 year? For some reason I thought this was, like the 25 anniversary grand cru, blended with (in addition to imperial Russian(?) stout) Belgian quad and English barleywine. One of the greatest beers I've had. This is excellent but not quite the same, to me.

 

L - Poured from a bottle into a generic plastic cup at a party. Pours thick and dark. Frothy, but small, light brown head

S - Molasses and sugar scents up front. No alcohol scent even at the higher ABV

T - Taste follows scent. Sweet molasses. Again, no real boozy flavors. Very mellow at such a high ABV. Some more complexity comes through later in the drink, but it’s all pleasant. No real bitterness at all

F - Medium-to-full mouthfeel. Very smooth. Medium carbonation

O - Overall this is a great fall/winter beer. I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed it through the whole beer. One of the better (if not the best) stouts I’ve tried. I hope this becomes an annual release for St. Arnold.

 

 

Appearance:
Dark body with a dark head, a one-finger thick foaming head that lasts about a minute. Thin lacing but it looks sexy!
Smell:
Dark fruits, spices and caramel mixed with some mild chocolate and fig. Strong roasted malts and banana licorice!
Taste:
Roasted malts, chocolate, spicy and filled with mild hopped flavors and caramel hints followed by licorice as you swallow.
Mouthfeel:
Medium to thick bodied and it really envelopes your tongue and just awakes your taste buds.
Overall:
An excellent example of an Imperial Stout and very fun to drink, great tasting and well worth the wait i finding this one. If you see buy it. Then drink it.

Really special beer. They say they’ve blended several greats and barrel aged for years in a lot of different ways. It all seems to come through. Definitely a hint of port there. Wine sort of middle. Slightly boozy in the throat. Smooth throughout. Would recommend.

 

 

 

 

Bottled 5/29/24 Drank 6/21/24
Pour is jet black with a fizzy little deep khaki head. Doesn't last - not unexpected at just about 17%.
Nose starts off with a wave of bourbon, oak, port wine, chocolate, vanilla, coffee, roasted malts.
Taste starts out with a wave of bourbon, fudge, chocolate, coffee, hints of port, red grape. To my palate, the bourbon barrel aging is more prominent; at least at first. And the subtleties from the secondary barrels peek through as the beer warms.
Big, full body. Doesn't get overly sweet or cloying.

Excellent beer that hits all the marks. Excellent value, too, at only $9.

Pours oh so black; no head. Immediately can sense this is something large and special. For me, initially almost too cherry-medicinal but that left as quickly as it arrived. Many things going on to please the senses, all large, but perfectly balanced. I’m not a fan of Saint Arnold because their standard brews are meh at best and their special brews cost more than world-class Belgians. ( and I live only 30 miles away) This is their best effort yet and is phenomenal. At $7.99 for a 12 oz bottle, I didn’t feel cheated this time. Congratulations Saint Arnold!

Taster. Pours a pitch black color with no head. Has a strong bourbon aroma with dark fruits. Very boozy bourbon taste with red wine at the end. Medium to heavy bodied with no carbonation. Smooth.

A: Pours an impressive opaque black color. A tan head rises to about a finger. Which quickly recedes to a ring that sticks throughout. As per the style, Not much of any lace either.
S: Oh that nose is something. Charred and smokey, toasted malts. Bitter dark chocolate, with wood, vanilla, and a touch of grape. Lots going on here that I like a lot.
T: Like this nose, this is big and complex. Charred smokey wood. Toasted malts with bitter bakers chocolate. Vanilla with a touch of vinous grapes. Lots going on but so well balanced.
M/O: A full body with moderate carbonation. Perfectly chewy, that is ultra silky smooth. Of course this is a sipper, with just the right amount of heat to make this warming. Not overbearing at all. Really easy to sip on.

This is spot on. I can't remember a barrel aged imperial stout that I have enjoyed this much, in a while. Tons going on, but perfectly balanced. Which says a lot, considering all that went into this, and the ABV. Well done all around.