Finally Legal
Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

Finally LegalFinally Legal
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From:
Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
Ranked #1,524
ABV:
13.5%
Score:
91
Ranked #6,795
Avg:
4.09 | pDev: 8.56%
Reviews:
74
Ratings:
247
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 23, 2024
Added:
Apr 10, 2017
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  56
Finally Legal is a big stout brewed with Munich malts, smoked malts, cocoa nibs, cocoa powder and vanilla. Rolling in at 13.5% ABV, Finally Legal has rich chocolate flavor with hints of vanilla and a touch of smoky bacon. As if that’s not enough, we blended this tasty brew with its bourbon barrel aged counterpart before packaging it for your enjoyment.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by szmnnl99:
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Rated by szmnnl99 from Michigan

3.78/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Aug 28, 2017
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.28 by Whyteboar from Michigan

Feb 23, 2024
 
Rated: 4.08 by PaulMcartney33 from Florida

Jul 22, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by Cuervo_PCB from Florida

Aug 30, 2020
 
Rated: 4.18 by chicagoish from Pennsylvania

Jun 04, 2020
 
Rated: 3.36 by Bad_Attitude_Brews from South Carolina

Apr 17, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Apr 09, 2020
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
12 oz bottle with a 3 April 2017 bottling date stamp on the neck.
Pours near black with a short and short lived tan head. After settling, a partial ring leaves a modicum of lacing.
Smooth, full body with light carbonation and minimal heat from the formidable ABV. The aroma is complex and intriguing, with dark dried fruits in the foreground and some chocolate. The flavor reveals additional complexity including vanilla and dark bread notes. It is more boozy than the aroma suggests but less than expected given the ABV. It's rather sweet but this works with the other aspects of the flavor profile.
Overall: a sweet, complex, delicious Imperial Stout that leans towards a Belgian Strong Dark ale.
Jan 04, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by jwat from Pennsylvania

Dec 28, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by paulish from New York

Dec 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4.02 by Scottsbeer from Florida

Dec 20, 2019
 
Rated: 4.03 by jcoleMA66 from Massachusetts

Nov 04, 2019
 
Rated: 4.1 by DokiDokiLitFam from New Jersey

Jun 11, 2019
 
Rated: 3.64 by SadMachine from New Jersey

May 05, 2019
 
Rated: 4.48 by dafla67 from Pennsylvania

May 02, 2019
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Reviewed by JJKBeerLvr from Pennsylvania

4.84/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Poured from a tap into pint glass in April 2019.

Appearance: Dark black with a thin tan/brown head. Head is thin, and does not last long nor leave much lacing on the glass.

Smell: Strong aroma of chocolate and bourbon. There is also some roasted coffee, some bitter aroma like hops, and a hint of sweetness like caramel as well, but overall the chocolate and bourbon dominate the others.

Taste: There is a nice balance between the chocolate, bourbon, and coffee flavors. There is some smokie roasted flavors, a little vanilla flavor, and a small amount of bitter hop flavors to enhance the taste and add some complexity. There is a strong alcohol presence as with other Imperial Stout, which matches the 13.5% advertised.

Mouth-feel: Very thick, but with a smooth body, that is not too creamy.

This is a very good, complex, strong Imperial Stout, and it has a variety of flavors that adds a nice complexity to the beer. Although this is a big beer, it is very smooth and really enjoyable to drink. Compared to Weyerbachers' other Imperial Stouts, it is sweeter with the chocolate flavors and also has more of a bite from the bourbon barrels. This sweetness and bourbon flavor is a nice balance to the high alcohol content. The Sunday Morning Stout and Sunday Mole Stout, have a little less body and more hop bitterness. Compared to Weyerbacher's Tiny Stout, Tiny has less alcohol flavor, no chocolate sweetness, but does have flavors from barrel aging of the stout. The 23 Anniversary stout is very unique with its golden appearance and profound coffee flavors.

All 6 of these Weyerbacher Stouts are excellent, with interesting differences between them. I wish they would bring back Old Heathen, as it was a very good RIS, and good for drinking oftem. Overall this Finally Legal and the Sunday Morning Stout are two of my favorite Imperial Stouts, and the best of the Weyerbachers stouts. Due to the high alcohol of Finally Legal, one pint is enough for one sitting, and it is something I save for special attention.

My current ranking of these 6 Weyerbacher stouts I have drank are (best first):

1) Sunday Morning Stout: look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
2) Finally Legal: look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
3) Sunday Mole Stout: look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4) Old Heathen: look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
5) 23 Anniversary: look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
6) Tiny Stout: look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Apr 27, 2019
 
Rated: 4.1 by robotic_being from Illinois

Apr 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4.23 by Mickt465 from New Hampshire

Apr 22, 2019
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Reviewed by Mindcrime1000 from South Dakota

3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a single-serve bottle into a tulip.

Pours an opaque brownish black with a decent tan head (one finger, quickly settling) for the ABV, and a ring of lacing.

The aromas are strong and varied. Dark roasted malts, including coffee, cocoa, and char. The barrels and bourbon as well as vanilla are very present. Toasted oak, dark fruits (cherry and plum), anise, and booze. As the brew warms the oak really comes to the fore.

The flavor feels initially sweet, but balances. The initial flavors are dark malts, caramel, dark fruit, as well as semi-sweet chocolate and bitter coffee. The bourbon, vanilla, and oak all arrive as well. The back of the tongue is rushed with solid warming booze, but not fusel or burning. The smoke and char helps balance the sweetness. As the brew comes to temp, the oak of the aging really steps up its game.

Just shy of full-bodied. The barrel aging and booze leans this one down a bit. Good carbonation and finish.

Overall, a well balanced barrel-aged stout. Not a top of the line brew, but a very solid one. Sweet but not sticky, boozy but not burning. Some of the strongest barrel (the wood, not the booze) I've tasted in the style.
Mar 24, 2019
 
Rated: 4.1 by baldy00 from Connecticut

Feb 08, 2019
Finally Legal from Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 247 ratings