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Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian | 2SP Brewing Company
Brewed by:
2SP Brewing Company
Pennsylvania, United States
2spbrewing.com
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 11.70%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
GABF Gold Medal Winner aged in Bourbon BBls
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 28 | Reviews: 7
3.83/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.03/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours a rich, chocolatey brown with two fat fingers of dark tan head. I thought the head was looking a little fizzy at first, but it does have some heft and body to it and lasts a good while, despite leaving almost no lacing.
Smooth, light-ish bourbon aroma with almond, toffee, chocolate and cherry notes.
The taste is fairly similar. It comes across as light and approachable for the genre, with chocolate malt and a little almond, toffee, coffee and an even lighter hint of cherry and prune. It has a mildly bitter finish, tempered by a sweeter biscotti character.
Medium bodied for the style with an oily, lightly tacky slickness and strong carbonation.
The barrel aging adds a definite sweetness that cuts into the bitterness of the base. A pleasure to try.
770 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours a rich, chocolatey brown with two fat fingers of dark tan head. I thought the head was looking a little fizzy at first, but it does have some heft and body to it and lasts a good while, despite leaving almost no lacing.
Smooth, light-ish bourbon aroma with almond, toffee, chocolate and cherry notes.
The taste is fairly similar. It comes across as light and approachable for the genre, with chocolate malt and a little almond, toffee, coffee and an even lighter hint of cherry and prune. It has a mildly bitter finish, tempered by a sweeter biscotti character.
Medium bodied for the style with an oily, lightly tacky slickness and strong carbonation.
The barrel aging adds a definite sweetness that cuts into the bitterness of the base. A pleasure to try.
770 characters
4.14/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.17/5 rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.29/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
With deep gratitude to larryi86 for this dark beauty.
Pours a deep, dark mahogany. The roil brings a frothy cocoa colored foam that rises 2 fingers high, and then retreats to a solid, milky finger.
Aroma is light bourbon, bakers chocolate, some caramel, and gentle roast.
Flavor is much the same, but with a full, round chocolate brownie batter like flavor. Sweet and a tad bitter, but subtly so. Also has a nice roasted barrel quality that shines through in a gentle way.
Mouthfeel is full and warm. Really involves the whole mouth in the experience.
Overall, a damn solid Impy Stout without going hog wild on the ABV.
620 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
With deep gratitude to larryi86 for this dark beauty.
Pours a deep, dark mahogany. The roil brings a frothy cocoa colored foam that rises 2 fingers high, and then retreats to a solid, milky finger.
Aroma is light bourbon, bakers chocolate, some caramel, and gentle roast.
Flavor is much the same, but with a full, round chocolate brownie batter like flavor. Sweet and a tad bitter, but subtly so. Also has a nice roasted barrel quality that shines through in a gentle way.
Mouthfeel is full and warm. Really involves the whole mouth in the experience.
Overall, a damn solid Impy Stout without going hog wild on the ABV.
620 characters
4.23/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
**
11/??/2016
On tap at Churchville inn. Took a while to find this beer in BA.
Quick hit.
LOOK: Dark black, white head, fades.
TASTE/AROMA: Vanilla, oak, chocolate. Some whiskey, not a ton.
198 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
**
11/??/2016
On tap at Churchville inn. Took a while to find this beer in BA.
Quick hit.
LOOK: Dark black, white head, fades.
TASTE/AROMA: Vanilla, oak, chocolate. Some whiskey, not a ton.
198 characters
4.13/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours dark motor oil black with a mocha head. Aroma of black malts, vanilla, and bourbon. Tastes strongly of roasted grain and a soft vanilla note. Alcohol flavor is scaled and not distracting. This is their best beer.
222 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours dark motor oil black with a mocha head. Aroma of black malts, vanilla, and bourbon. Tastes strongly of roasted grain and a soft vanilla note. Alcohol flavor is scaled and not distracting. This is their best beer.
222 characters
4.25/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.28/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.42/5 rDev -15.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
4.35/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
750 ml bottle, batch 1 bottle number 250, poured into a snifter
A- Black with a three finger dense mocha heads
S- Mild bourbon, some vanilla, charred oak, some bitter chocolate, some coffee.
T- Dark chocolate, some mild bourbon, vanilla, hints of charred oak, hints of roasted coffee, some caramel malts, touch of earthy bitterness.
M- Smooth, creamy, full body.
O- Bourbon is mild and tastes very similar to The Russian. Is it a little high in price, yes, but it is a quality beer that I'm happy to drink. Biggest "flaw" on this beer is that the bourbon isn't a big part of this, but the base beer is not lost or muted in the bottles.
642 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
750 ml bottle, batch 1 bottle number 250, poured into a snifter
A- Black with a three finger dense mocha heads
S- Mild bourbon, some vanilla, charred oak, some bitter chocolate, some coffee.
T- Dark chocolate, some mild bourbon, vanilla, hints of charred oak, hints of roasted coffee, some caramel malts, touch of earthy bitterness.
M- Smooth, creamy, full body.
O- Bourbon is mild and tastes very similar to The Russian. Is it a little high in price, yes, but it is a quality beer that I'm happy to drink. Biggest "flaw" on this beer is that the bourbon isn't a big part of this, but the base beer is not lost or muted in the bottles.
642 characters
3.77/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Full disclosure: I loved the standard Russian. I gave it a 4.19/5.
This version is a step backwards in every possible way. The chocolate malt and roast in both the nose and taste have been diluted and replaced with notes of cheap bourbon. Oak and vanilla are present, but the addition doesn't add much. The feel is far too thin for a 9.5% stout.
Horroribly price prohibitative and hard to find especially considering that this is probably the most disappointing beer that I've had from these guys.
504 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Full disclosure: I loved the standard Russian. I gave it a 4.19/5.
This version is a step backwards in every possible way. The chocolate malt and roast in both the nose and taste have been diluted and replaced with notes of cheap bourbon. Oak and vanilla are present, but the addition doesn't add much. The feel is far too thin for a 9.5% stout.
Horroribly price prohibitative and hard to find especially considering that this is probably the most disappointing beer that I've had from these guys.
504 characters
3.58/5 rDev -11.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Had on tap at Bottle Bar East, $8.50 for a snifter. I was looking forward to this, and was bummed that I couldn't make it to the brewery release. But boy, is this disappointing.
Not enough bourbon or barrel presence, just a tad of faint wood.
The chocolatiness and roastiness of the original Russian has been tamed, and this is just neither really good not an improvement on the base beer. Also, it is a wickedly expensive pour.
432 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Had on tap at Bottle Bar East, $8.50 for a snifter. I was looking forward to this, and was bummed that I couldn't make it to the brewery release. But boy, is this disappointing.
Not enough bourbon or barrel presence, just a tad of faint wood.
The chocolatiness and roastiness of the original Russian has been tamed, and this is just neither really good not an improvement on the base beer. Also, it is a wickedly expensive pour.
432 characters
4.3/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
4.75/5 rDev +17.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian from 2SP Brewing Company
Beer rating:
4.05 out of
5 with
28 ratings
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