Sap On Tap (Bourbon Barrel-Aged)
Grand Armory Brewing

2022-11-20
12oz can served in a WABL sample glass. I don't see a date on it. Got it from @superspak in NBS BIF #15.

Pours very dark with a fairly small head, looks thick. Head settles into a creamy ring and a filmy dark tan skin. Smell is maple sweet and boozy, some coffee, vanilla comes across as a creaminess.

Taste is more bitter up front than I expected. Tons of coffee. Maple sweetness is in there, vanilla creaminess is there too. Definitely get some of the booziness and a little char from the barrel.

Mouthfeel is thick, chewy. Overall, this is a better than average barrel aged stout.

 

 

Thank you superspak for this
12 oz can poured into a snifter

A- Black with a two mocha head.

S- Maple, oak, roasted malts, some chocolate, vanilla, hints of bourbon.

T- Charred oak, roasted malts, maple, vanilla, some dark chocolate.

M- Smooth, medium to full body.

O- A nicely done maple bourbon stout, vanilla is nice touch.

12 oz can from superspak
PTB mini snifter

Nice brown-to-black body with a creamy textured head of 1 finger in the mini snifter, impressive. Lots of hilly lace sticking to the sides.

Aroma is char and vanilla with faint hints of Lucky Charms and earthy malt. Maple syrup and sweet bourbon also buoy in this carnival of aromas.

Flavor is earthy and bitter to start, but follows with maple syrup, vanilla, oak, and dry cacao. Heavy bitter finish sticks with you all the way to the end. Bitter to start, sweet in the middle, and bitter at the end.

Feel is slick and smooth, almost oily, with stickiness and a nice heat. I like.

Overall, a nice BA stout with lots of great sweetness mixed in with the bitter hops and earthy profile.

 

Poured into a 16 oz Snulip glass not sure when it was canned. Pours a very dark near pitch black with a 3 finger light brown head that leaves plenty of thick webs of lace with solid retention. 4.25

Smell maple up front, vanilla bean, cocoa nibs, pipe tobacco, dry coffee grounds, and just a hint bourbon. 4

Taste follows maple and vanilla lead off cocoa, tobacco, coffee, and Oaked bourbon in the finish. 4.25

Mouthfeel is bigger than average, a tad dry, gentle carbonation, and at 10% ABV drinks bigger but still very approachable. 4.25

Overall excellent stout that I highly recommend. Thanks @superspak for this treat. 4

 

 

 

Pours a brown color with a foamy tan head that lasts quite a while. Aroma of
vanilla, maple syrup and sweet bourbon. Tastes of maple syrup, vanilla and cacao.
Sweet but has a bitter aftertaste.

 

A - Pours a motor oil black with a two finger foamy tan head. Tons of soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is maple, vanilla, hazelnut and oak.

T - The taste is dark chocolate, coffee, maple, vanilla, oak and bourbon.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a soft oily finish.

O - This was a pleasant suprise. Great balance of sweetness and dark roasty flavors. Worth seeking out.

12 ounce can into tulip glass; no can dating, but was just released. Pours dense opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky tan head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Thick soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, maple syrup, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, fudge, brownie/cake batter, marshmallow, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Very minimal booze n the aromas as it warms. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malts/oats, maple syrup, vanilla; and moderate bourbon barrel, earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, maple syrup, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, fudge, brownie/cake batter, marshmallow, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Light-moderate pine, herbal, grassy, peppery hops; roast, charred bitterness; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, maple syrup, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, fudge, brownie/cake batter, marshmallow, toasted oak, roasted nuts, biscuit, dark/brown bread/crust, coconut, licorice, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts/oats, maple syrup, vanilla; and moderate bourbon barrel, earthy hop flavors; with an awesome hop/roast bitter/sweet and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness, and bourbon/oak spiciness after the finish. Medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, fairly sticky/chalky, and lightly slick/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mild increasing warmth of 10%, with no barrel booze lingering after the finish. Overall this is an amazing flavored barrel aged imperial stout! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts/oats, maple syrup, vanilla; and moderate bourbon barrel, earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the big ABV, with the modestly bitter/charred/tannic/drying finish. Amazing balance of super rich malts/oats, vanilla, and maple syrup flavorings; great barrel presence/integration, and balancing earthy hops against sweetness. Not overly boozy/tannic on barrels, or overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A highly amazing offering, and top tier style example. Reminds me of YGOFT without the cinnamon all around.

 

 

 

 

 

Fantastic new beer sampled on tap. Great color - deep, dark oil-black with just a trace of lingering head and spotty lacing. Smells great, deep aromas of dark chocolate, roast coffee and bourbon. Tastes of dark slightly-bitter chocolate, dark roast coffee, bourbon, wood, vanilla, caramel and malt. Just a small hint of maple and not too much sweetness at all, as I was expecting and afraid of. Smooth mild mouthfeel with some good creaminess and thickness on the palate. Great amount of carbonation. Perfectly balanced flavors and the maple flavors make this seem different - more breakfasty - than the usual chocolate-coffee stout dessert types. While a sipping-type of beer, the high ABV is still fairly well-hidden and not too much warming alcohol. A fantastic new beer from a great local brewery!