2018 Bourbon Barrel Aged with Vanilla Suburban Ninja
Red Horn Coffee House & Brewing Co.

 

 

Received from @r0rschach in a BIF box. Canned on 3/6/2019 and poured into a snifter. I let it warm to room temperature then cooled it for about a half hour in the beer fridge. It pours an inky, dark walnut - almost black - with a thin cap of foamy, khaki-colored head that slowly dissipated leaving a thin coating lacing. It has a fragrant nose featuring roasted malt, burnt coffee, earthy char, vanilla bean, molasses, and strong bourbon notes. The taste opens with a lot of acidic coffee over a base of burnt malt. It's fairly sour and I'm not tasting a lot of vanilla initially but it slowly appears. The bourbon kicks in almost immediately and it's initially hot but mellows as it breathes in the glass. There is a lot of char throughout. This Stout is fairly rich and creamy with lite/moderate carbonation, and you can really feel the 12% ABV. It should be sipped slowly. It would pair well with sharp cheese and slices of of salami and prosciutto. It's interesting that my experience was quite different from the previous (and only other) reviewer. He had it on draught and I had it at just below room temperature which may account for the different experiences.

On-draught @ Red Horn.

12% ABV. 50 IBUs.

Syrupy, viscous, chewy, gooey. Hershey's chocolate syrup, heavy dark malt & specialty chocolate malt sweetness, maybe a hint of vanillin.

The Bourbon barrel notes are non-existent, and the vanilla isn't genuine or pronounced.

A bit of a chore to drink given its thick mouthfeel and heavy sweetness. No alcohol warmth is present, though.

C / AVERAGE