Whiskey Barrel Stout
Boulevard Brewing Co.

12 ounce bottle - $4.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Please Enjoy By:

23DEC2025.

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown, near black body with a thinnish, dark khaki-colored head.

Smell: Roasty, raisiny with a good amount of wood and whiskey but also with lighter touches of bottom-of-the-pot coffee, bitter unsweetened chocolate.

Taste: Roasted grains with touches of burnt coffee, bitterish dark chocolate as well as molasses. Touches of char, scorched tobacco leaf. A dark fruitiness of raisins. Very subtle vanilla amidst the charred wood, whiskey. Slight booziness precludes the heated, drying finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium-light carbonation. Not overtly thick or cloying or chewy, but there is a slight coating quality to the mouthfeel.

Overall: Not my favorite base beer or barrel treatment, though fairly decent overall.

L- Kicked up some nice beige form 2”.
S- complex brown sugar, coffee.
T- smooth, chocolate,
F- full body.

Look: Black like coal. Initially had the faintest wisp of toffee head but it quickly vanished. Leaves a thick oily coating on the glass when rolled.
Smell: Honesty smells more like a milk stout, definitely don’t get any of that bourbon barrel char, or any of those bourbon smells with it. Instead roasted maybe even slightly over roasted espresso, I suppose this could be some of the barrel char but it’s tough to tell. Dark chocolate and a hint of cherry and stone fruit.
Taste: matches the nose, milk sugars, chocolate, espresso, there is a bit of allspice and a touch nuttiness, Jim Beam or Jack Daniel’s barrel perhaps, maybe that’s why it’s labeled whiskey instead of Bourbon? It is about what I’d expect from a Whiskey Barrel stout. Good maybe slightly better than good but not fantastic.
Feel: creamy with slight heat on the front. Tannins hit mid pallet, finishes just dry not really anything else going on. I initially had mouthfeel at a 3.75, but I had to dropdown as the more I experience it the less impressed I am. It hits the style but does nothing to separate, it’s a 3 for me.
Overall: It’s a solid barrel aged stout. The look and the smell carry it to slightly above average. Wouldn’t turn it down but also wouldn’t hunt it.

 

A great stout overall, with plenty of cocoa/ chocolate notes and a fizzy feel.

I’ve tried numerous Bourbon Barrel stouts. This is the ONLY one without a weird after taste (almost cardboard like) If you love Founders KBS like I do, but cant get over the funky after taste, this will be YOUR FAVORITE. Perfect level of sweetness which compliments the Bourbon flavor but it also has a strong coffee/root beer finish. The smell is out if this world. This is my go to “sipper”, beware, Finish a pack of these and you will likely wake up at your ex wive’s house.

 

 

Fast fizzy, light tan head; no Retention, ring, nor lace; black with gray edges body; no legs on swirl. Whiskey; dark fruit nose. Whiskey; bittersweet dark chocolate; some sugary plum; Oaky vanilla as beer warmed. Medium body; medium minus carbonation; minimal warmth from ABV; a little thin. Overall, a solid barrel aged imperial stout; good balance of base and barrel; pleasing whiskey and chocolate finish.

 

RB transfer

This is a style I enjoy, but seldom get to enjoy due to the price.

Thankfully Boulevard's version is affordable (approx. $16/4) and is extremely good.

Dark, dark almost black with a big tan head.

Slight malty toasty aroma with some spices.

Lots more flavor. I'm picking up port wine, raisins, cherries, semisweet chocolate, deep malt. Maybe some caramel too, but surprisingly no smokeyness.

Very rich and smooth mouthfeel.

 

 

 

Definitely the best Boulevard brew I've had to date. Very dark cola pour with a quickly disappearing tan head. The nose is all whiskey but the flavor is what separates this beer. Great complexity, syrupy mouthfeel, with dark fruit flavor (dates, raisins), chocolate and of course whiskey. The flavors unfold nicely on each sip, leading with the dark fruit/whiskey blend, finishing with sustained raisins and chocolate. Delicious!

 

Pours like a dark coffee brew with heavy notes of whiskey. Light head that dissipates quickly. Taste is a little underwhelming and a bit too malt forward; the aftertaste leaves a little bit of sour liquorice on the palate. The high alcohol content doesn’t come across very aggressive. Altogether, it’s just meh… You can definitely find much better examples out there.

If you’re looking for a delicious and mature imperial stout to savor, this is a savvy choice. The BBA character is a little clearer here than it is in other versions, and this is relatively less sweet. I found myself inhaling the yummy bouquet throughout my nursing (*not* guzzling) the beer. In terms of looks, this was a lovely Imperial stout, and in terms of smell, I was pleasantly surprised. If you’re okay with the booziness (I was), the taste was right on point for those who like the bourbon barrel flavor… Overall, I am happy I bought the 4-pack, because this will be tasty in different ways every time I drink it,

Yum, balanced, nothing dominating. Maybe it’s just that it was the winter’s first imperial.