My Old Friend (Aged in McClintock Whiskey Barrels)
Manor Hill Brewing

 

Poured from the can into a large snifter glass. Vintage 2024.

Deep walnut brown, and nearly black but with some real nice dark red colors hinting in the body. Creamy light mocha head, a good milkshake two fingers and fine bubbled settling to a good 3mm collar when all settled. Real nice looking stout.

Excellent aroma. Nutty and nougat sensing, with milk chocolate and touches of woody bark which is kind of surprising. Not many whiskey barrel like notes, but great chocolate and husky grain action on the nose.

Palate is pretty solid. Surprisingly light bodied for barrel aging, almost watery but luckily decent enough to let the flavors come through. More of that nougat like chocolate, dark, if a little wet feeling, but has some splintery wood action, and shockingly no hint of booze whatsoever. Real nice aftertaste that is ashen and almost smokey which makes an excellent compliment to the roast and dark chocolate palate.

Pretty good tasting stout that doesn't quite hint of barrel aging, but has excellent base flavors that manage to peak out.

 

Overly sweet and syrup like mouth feel. More of a dessert beverage. Very disappointing.

 

This limited BA Imperial Stout (2021 edition) was a happy surprise. Not as thick and syrupy as more well-known stouts of this type, but the flavor was surprisingly complex. As the temperature rose in my fluted snifter, the brew opened up and filled the nose with cherry and chocolate notes. Warm and soft mouthfeel with only a slight bitterness. The whiskey taste is there, but doesn’t overwhelm. Sold in a 4-pack of 12oz. cans. I hope they bring it back next year!

Simply among my all-time favorite stouts. Thick, dark black, carbonated with whiffs of whiskey flavor. This is the local brewery I would love to visit; I think their ales are super, and this time, they have a 12% stout (2021) comparable or superior to Ten Fidy or Narwhal (which are also superb). It definitely has more whiskey flavor than most barrel-aged stouts I've tried, save maybe the World Wide Stout, and it doesn't try to hide it with like marshmallows, cake, or fudge, as do the majority of breweries. For those who don't like whiskey, then, perhaps you'd appreciate this less, but for me, they are the only local brewery whose products I consistently love (their Manor Hill IPA is stellar too), and I definitely feel lucky to live where their offerings are readily accessible.