Balam - Hale
Blood Brothers Brewing

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Blood Brothers Brewing
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
11%
Score:
+6 ratings needed
Avg:
4.11 | pDev: 6.33%
Ratings:
4 | reviews: 3
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 22, 2023
Added:
Dec 27, 2021
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Can: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a large dark brown foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of sweet fudge notes with some floral coffee and some vanilla and bourbon notes. Taste is a mix of sweet fudge notes with some vanilla and bourbon notes with some floral coffee notes. Body is full with a nice creamy texture and good carbonation with light warming alcohol notes. Nice pastry stout though maybe a tad too sweet.
Jan 22, 2023
Photo of Roy_Hobbs
Reviewed by Roy_Hobbs from Connecticut

3.81/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance is typical for the style. Some reddish brown on the pour that settles into a deep, deep brown in the glass. Head wasn't robust (maybe half an inch), but did have an excellent, rich brown appearance.

I could tell the aroma was powerful from a couple feet away, but still ended up taking a big, up-close whiff which promptly made me start coughing such was it's strength. A more cautious approach revealed plenty of barrel and alcohol, but with a really nice vanilla sweetness that I really liked. I'm not getting any coffee on the nose.

Taste is interesting. As with the nose, vanilla and bourbon barrel dominate and the coffee is playing hide and seek quite effectively. I'm also getting some spice, almost like Westbrook's Mexican Cake. I have no idea why I'm picking this up as there aren't any ingredients I associate with having a little spicy bite, which makes me think it's probably the barrel. Feel is plenty viscous, fully coating the mouth.

Overall, I'm definitely enjoying this. A little more balance would take this from very good to outstanding, but that's a nit. I'd be happy to drink this any time.
Jan 21, 2023
Photo of Sammy
Rated by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.91/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very good variant of the four. Taste with hops, coffee, chocolate.
Dec 08, 2022
Photo of Cramshawbar
Reviewed by Cramshawbar from Canada (ON)

4.46/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
The second of the 2021 Balam series that I am trying has Hale coffee infusion, along with Mexican vanilla beans. It pours black with no head, just a thin ring. The nose is absolutely perfect. The coffee infuses with the vanilla, chocolate and bourbon notes so well, that I cannot imagine it better.
The feel is pillowy soft, The taste is a lovely mix as well, though the vanilla is a tad too strong and the taste a little to sweet. Better than the first Balam I tried, but still room to improve.
A good BBA imperial coffee stout.
Dec 27, 2021