Entire
Pike Brewing Company

This is a review of the 2013 vintage which was consumed on July 10, 2016.

Pours black, looks just like their xxxx stout. Smallish tan head 1/5", so lower than the one without wood (huh huh). Aroma does have wood. Lots of it, but not like, Splinter Black like levels (liquid toothpicks). Other than that, the big roasted malt giving coffee from the roast feels to it alongside a small amount of bourbon influence.

Taste keeps up, the presence of heavily roasted malt, plus wood, gives you this feel like you are getting some smoke out of it. Also a bit of dark fruit bitterness to it, but not immense Russian Imperial Stout or quad like levels of dark fruit bitterness. The bourbon is a light influence here. The mixing with 25% of the beer from stainless increases the roastiness aspect of it.

All in all, it was probably slightly better than the base version in every category, except it just doesn't look as sexy as the base version.

Rating for on tap. In the bottle I nearly poured this one out. Does not keep. You were warned!
Tan head on a pitch black sticky liquid, smells and tastes of chared sugars, dark malts, and a tiny bit of vanilla and bourbon, some cocoa nib and roastiness pervade. Not perfect but quite nice.

 

Very good to above very good. Had 2016 bottle obtained from brewery. Somewhat viscous. Usesd engine-oil darkness, and little head that is typical of beers of this type. Definitely was best at practically room temp. Wood flavors not too pronounced, but fairly strong flavors of coffee/roasted malt. Complexity of stout somewhat hidden behind the coffee forward flavors. It is possible that greater sweetness would improve the beer, though I consider this a fine effort. Would definitely have again, should the opportunity present itself.

 

 

 

I'm usually a big fan of barrel aged stouts, but this one isn't quite on the mark. The taste is a little too bitter. It's like the coffee was burnt. The whisky barrel influence is more subdued than usual, which I'm fine with, as not every BBA stout needs to be a bourbon bomb. But the overall beer here isn't appealing. I finished it, but it took a little effort.

Serving: 2016 vintage on draft. This version is 9.9 ABV, by the way.

Vintage 2014, which is 9.5% ABV. Label says it's aged in Dry Fly Wheat Whiskey barrels with some new XXXXX Stout added. From the 22 oz waxed bottle purchased at the Co-op market in Mount Vernon.

Very dark, almost oily brew, with a flicker of foam in the Kasteel chalice. Quite spritzy on the tongue, though, and less sweet than the unctuous texture would suggest. Quite woody and while it's a little boozy it's not the usual Bourbon taste.

Quite chocolatey and deeply malty, but there is a surprising bitter finish. Bitter and woody, but tamed a little with the burnt sugar sweet sensation. Still, it's quite dark-flavored with charred grain. A little rough but a delicious barrel taste with the deep aroma of vanilla.

 

Vintage 2013. Well this aged really nicely. What a surprise! Never had it fresh, but this beer is pretty tasty barrel aged imperial stout with some time in the bottle. Nice barrel forward nose and taste. Thin, but not boozey. Fairly impressive barrel aged imperial stout from a no name brewery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2014 bottle. Nice surprise, best Pike I've had in years. Pitch black, very thin head. Smell is mostly oak with some Bourbon. Developed, layered flavors. More wood and less whiskey than most of these stouts. Makes it stand out from the crowd. I hope I can find another one of these.