Whiskey Barrel Aged Nightshade Stout
Abandoned Building Brewery

 

 

A local, low-ish ABV stout aged in Whiskey Barrels with a bomber coming in at about $7; I'm in. ABs beers have been above average for the most part. This one could really sway my opinion.

A- Pitch black and somewhat viscous thick pour from the 22oz into a few bechers. Small hiss leads to a pour with just a small cap more like froth. A few webs of lacing.

S- Just a bit tame at this point (could be the low carbs) but the main components are there present in a rich but very balanced form. Chocolate fudge with a hint of dark fruits, toasted nuts, charred grains, caramelized dark sugars, vanilla oak, slight whiskey and wood.

T- The balanced was good in the nose but here it is seriously superb. For only 6.7% it is decadent with big cocoa, fudgey cherry truffle, espresso beans, vanilla bean sweetness, dark sugars, wet medium toast oak, slight burnt barley and toasted almonds.

MF- Thick and slick, slightly viscous oily overall consistency. Lower end carbonation; actually quite low but the rich flavors make up for it. Roasty bitter finish.

I always look forward to lower ABV stouts because I think they are somewhat harder to pull off. This is rich and flavorful for 6.7% and it really demonstrates roast malts, a mostly clean yeast profile (good ferment) and that whiskey barrel. I will definitely buy this one time and time again.

Poured from the 22 oz,. bomber into a Samuel Smith English tulip.

a: Opaque black with hints of clear copper/ruby at the bottom. Inch thick tan head receded to rocky surface foam and dense lacing.

s: Dark chocolate and alcohol.

t: Strong whiskey up front followed by surprising but fleeting throat burn for such a low ABV brew.. Dry finish with slight whiskey notes. Later some mild bitterness in the finish and some black coffee/dark chocolate notes emerge.

m; Medium, approaching silky smooth, good body and lots of carbonation tingle.

o; A pleasing barrel-aged version of Nightshade Stout, with good dominant whiskey flavor. Now I'm more anxious to try the Rum barrel aged version.

 

Enjoyed on tap at the tasting room. Roasty nose, as expected in this pitch-dark stout. You definitely smell the whiskey from the Bully Boy barrels right up front. The mouthfeel is wonderfully silky. The whiskey and wood are definitely there and pair really well with the Nightshade.

Nightshade stout aged for two months in a bully boy whiskey barrel. A must try!