Bishop’s Barrel 26
Saint Arnold Brewing Company

 

Pours a frothy fizzy 1/2 finger brownish head with fair retention, plenty of lacing, dark molasses brown almost black color

Nose brings loads of barrel, lots of vanilla, toasted oak, bourbon, more rich vanilla spice, fresh coffee, some sweet brown toasted malts and caramel toffee, a hint of chocolate and candy bar, mild coconut, faint citrus martini like character, a little fudge

Taste brings lots of rich malt and sweet characters, plenty of caramel, chocolate milk and semi sweet, cocoa, coconut filling and toasted coconut shreds, a little pastry sweetness, plenty of roasted coffee and a bit espresso like, into layers of vanilla, vanilla spice and some vanilla cream frosting on chocolate cake with hints of orange zest, lots of various cake components, fair to lighter bitterness from roast and maybe a hint of earthy hop, very light spices, chewy sticky sweet toasted malt, sweet finish, a bit of alcohol late, lingering all the flavors

Mouth is fuller bod, rich and almost chewy, a bit sticky sweet, med carb, fair warming alcohol

Overall this was interesting as it was a nice beer but starting to border the pastry stout sweetness and adjunctness, I at least get enough of the base beer and the adjuncts aren't completely dominating, the barrel is also quite nice

Bottled 2/3/25. Drank 4/11/25.
Pour is clear black with a khaki cap of foam. Good lacing and retention.
Nose is forward on the coffee and bourbon, creating that bourbon and coffee soaked fudge that is so appealing. hints of vanilla and chocolate, along with toasted malts.
Taste is coffee, bourbon, coconut, all pretty distinct, but interplaying nicely - none dominating as per usual for St. Arnold. Toasted malt, caramel, definitely has a bit of a german chocolate cake thing going on. Very good. Some of the orange peel and coriander start to show up, subtly, as the beer warms.
perception of mouthfeel thickens up a bit as some of the initially high(ish) carbonation fades. nice, full bodied beer.

Overall, I'm enjoying this much more than I thought I would just based on the description. I'm not getting much in the way of orange peel or coriander, which is fine by me. I love barrel aged coffee beers.

Bishop's Barrel No. 26 has a thick, beige head, a very dark-brown appearance, and creamy lacing. The aroma is of strong bourbon barrel and dark bread. It has a similar flavor, with other, amalgamated, flavors, low bitterness, and elevated sweetness. Bishop's Barrel No. 26 has a low-medium body and a dry finish. An outstanding porter!

RJT

 

 

A: pours a dark, nearly opaque black color. A small tan head forms, that sticks around a little and leaves some lace behind.
S: Some barrel character, plenty of vanilla. A little bit of butterscotch, and a general mishmash of additives. Though nothing particularly stands out.
T: Like the nose, with the barrel, vanilla, and butterscotch character. Toasted malts and a again a mishmash of additive flavors. From light coffee, coconut, etc.
M/O: A full body with moderate carbonation. This is not overly viscous, but has an appropriate heft. A bit slick and oily. Maybe from the additives? A slow sipper, and while it succeeds in that category, its not something I'm particularly looking to come back to.

This is a bit muddled for me. The additives are too much, and at the same time not enough. While not bad at all and something I think others will like more than me. I probably would have liked this better several years ago, but tastes change. If you are in the mood for a big barrel aged porter/stout with additives this should fit the bill though.