21st Anniversary Ale
Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
- From:
- Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 11.9%
- Score:
- 88
- Avg:
- 3.94 | pDev: 8.12%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 60
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jun 27, 2020
- Added:
- May 20, 2016
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 42
SCORE
88
Very Good
88
Very Good
We’re turning 21 and we’re celebrating with a delicious chocolate cake with bourbon bacon icing (in a glass …). Cocoa nibs and cocoa powder give this big beer its rich chocolate flavor. Vanilla beans and Munich malts add a cake layer of flavor. Where’s the icing? We’re blending this already amazing beer with its bourbon barrel aged counterpart, while smoked malts bring a touch of bacon. In Weyerbacher’s traditional celebratory fashion, this big stout comes in at 11.9% ABV.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by bluejacket74:
Reviewed by bluejacket74 from Ohio
4.23/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.23/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
12 ounce bottle, stamp on bottle says packaged on 06/21/16. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head. The head didn't stick around for too long, and there's a small amount of lacing. I like the aroma, the brew smells like bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, and roasted malt. Taste for the most part is similar to the aroma, but there's also some coffee, woodiness and a bit of smoke noticeable. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's slick and creamy with moderate carbonation. I liked this Imperial Stout a lot, I'll make sure and hold on to my other bottles for a little while to see how it ages. $15.99 a 4-pack.
Jul 10, 2016More User Ratings:
Reviewed by JJKBeerLvr from Pennsylvania
4.46/5 rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.46/5 rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into pint glass in June 2020. There was a bottled-on date of June 23, 2016 on the bottle. I drank this shortly after purchasing it.
Appearance: Dark black with a thick tan head. Head is very creamy and does not last long. It leaves a little lacing on the glass.
Smell: Strong aroma of chocolate, bourbon, and some caramel. Also some coffee, cinnamon, and vanilla. There is not much hop aroma.
Taste: There is strong alcohol and bourbon flavor along with coffee flavors with some sweetness like caramel and chocolate flavors with some smoky roasted malt flavors. There is little bitterness from hops, but the flavor is dominated by the bourbon, chocolate, and roasted malt flavors. There is a strong alcohol presence as with Imperial Stouts.
Mouth-feel: Medium to thick, but with a heavy and extremely smooth and creamy body.
This is a good Imperial Stout, and it has a variety of flavors that adds a nice complexity to the beer. It is very smooth and enjoyable to drink. Comparing the taste to other Weyerbacher stouts, this is definitely good but I prefer Sunday Morning Stout. I would buy this again if Weyerbacher decided to brew some more. This is also probably my favorite of the anniversary brews so far.
Jun 27, 2020Appearance: Dark black with a thick tan head. Head is very creamy and does not last long. It leaves a little lacing on the glass.
Smell: Strong aroma of chocolate, bourbon, and some caramel. Also some coffee, cinnamon, and vanilla. There is not much hop aroma.
Taste: There is strong alcohol and bourbon flavor along with coffee flavors with some sweetness like caramel and chocolate flavors with some smoky roasted malt flavors. There is little bitterness from hops, but the flavor is dominated by the bourbon, chocolate, and roasted malt flavors. There is a strong alcohol presence as with Imperial Stouts.
Mouth-feel: Medium to thick, but with a heavy and extremely smooth and creamy body.
This is a good Imperial Stout, and it has a variety of flavors that adds a nice complexity to the beer. It is very smooth and enjoyable to drink. Comparing the taste to other Weyerbacher stouts, this is definitely good but I prefer Sunday Morning Stout. I would buy this again if Weyerbacher decided to brew some more. This is also probably my favorite of the anniversary brews so far.
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina
3.84/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.84/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12 oz bottle with a June 2016 packaging date.
A big beer with ABV at 11.9%, as is obvious in the aroma, hinted at in the flavor, but nicely concealed in the mouthfeel.
Some bourbon but lots of fruit and dried fruit in the boozy aroma. The flavor adds some woody notes and more dark bread.
Full body with light carbonation.
Feb 21, 2019A big beer with ABV at 11.9%, as is obvious in the aroma, hinted at in the flavor, but nicely concealed in the mouthfeel.
Some bourbon but lots of fruit and dried fruit in the boozy aroma. The flavor adds some woody notes and more dark bread.
Full body with light carbonation.
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York
3.99/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
3.99/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
On tap at Tap and Mallet in Rochester, NY.
This one pours a pretty dark black, with a small head, and no lacing.
Like much from Weyerbacher, this has a bit of a boozy fusel thing going on, but the creamy vanilla aroma, fudgy chocolate, and oak aroma is nice, though.
I wish this a bit thicker tasting, and I wish the booze was hidden a bit more, but the flavors we do have are nice. There's a smidgen of smokiness, kinda feels like a smoky chocolate flavor, with creamy vanilla. If I could have more vanilla, I'd certainly be happy. There's just a slight hint of hop bitterness, but I could be mistaking boozy astringency for that, who knows.
This is kind of thin, I wish it had a bit more body to it. The carbonation level is about normal for the style.
Apr 04, 2017This one pours a pretty dark black, with a small head, and no lacing.
Like much from Weyerbacher, this has a bit of a boozy fusel thing going on, but the creamy vanilla aroma, fudgy chocolate, and oak aroma is nice, though.
I wish this a bit thicker tasting, and I wish the booze was hidden a bit more, but the flavors we do have are nice. There's a smidgen of smokiness, kinda feels like a smoky chocolate flavor, with creamy vanilla. If I could have more vanilla, I'd certainly be happy. There's just a slight hint of hop bitterness, but I could be mistaking boozy astringency for that, who knows.
This is kind of thin, I wish it had a bit more body to it. The carbonation level is about normal for the style.
Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida
3.55/5 rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.55/5 rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Reviewed from notes. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Cycle Brewing goblet.
A: Very, very dark brown, and nearly opaque with just some translucence around the edges. Minimal amount of visible carbonation and a thin tan head that fades fairly quickly. Leaves only a little lacing on the glass.
S: Fairly subdued for a barrel-aged stout. The aroma components seem to be there – chocolate, bourbon, and roasted malts. Oak with a light vanilla. But at least at refrigerator temperature, you’ve have to dig in there to find them. Not off-putting, but a little weird for a nearly 12% beer. NOTE: The aroma does open up a little as it warms, but still stays really low.
T: Bourbon and chocolate, about in balance. More vanilla than I got on the nose, and the dark malts with a good bit of roasty character. Hints of barrel char and mild smoke as the beer warms. Some sweet leathery notes mixed in with the malts as well. It finishes with lingering chocolate, sweet bourbon and some ethanol heat. Some dry woody tannins show up more as it warms, especially in the hang.
M: A fairly thin body for any barrel-aged stout, let alone one with this ABV. Average carbonation sensation. The alcohol flavors are definitely prevalent but not quite obnoxious.
O: Not an offensive beer, but really not a terribly good anniversary effort from Weyerbacher. I wouldn’t tell you to avoid it, but I would suggest you're probably better off letting this sit on the shelf. Certainly nothing exciting.
Mar 03, 2017A: Very, very dark brown, and nearly opaque with just some translucence around the edges. Minimal amount of visible carbonation and a thin tan head that fades fairly quickly. Leaves only a little lacing on the glass.
S: Fairly subdued for a barrel-aged stout. The aroma components seem to be there – chocolate, bourbon, and roasted malts. Oak with a light vanilla. But at least at refrigerator temperature, you’ve have to dig in there to find them. Not off-putting, but a little weird for a nearly 12% beer. NOTE: The aroma does open up a little as it warms, but still stays really low.
T: Bourbon and chocolate, about in balance. More vanilla than I got on the nose, and the dark malts with a good bit of roasty character. Hints of barrel char and mild smoke as the beer warms. Some sweet leathery notes mixed in with the malts as well. It finishes with lingering chocolate, sweet bourbon and some ethanol heat. Some dry woody tannins show up more as it warms, especially in the hang.
M: A fairly thin body for any barrel-aged stout, let alone one with this ABV. Average carbonation sensation. The alcohol flavors are definitely prevalent but not quite obnoxious.
O: Not an offensive beer, but really not a terribly good anniversary effort from Weyerbacher. I wouldn’t tell you to avoid it, but I would suggest you're probably better off letting this sit on the shelf. Certainly nothing exciting.
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