Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout
Alltech's Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel StoutKentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Alltech's Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.
 
Kentucky, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
Ranked #1,829
ABV:
8%
Score:
81
Ranked #25,674
Avg:
3.57 | pDev: 15.13%
Reviews:
212
Ratings:
1,180
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 11, 2022
Added:
Nov 23, 2012
Wants:
  49
Gots:
  392
No description / notes.
View: More Beers
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by smalenberg:
Photo of smalenberg
Reviewed by smalenberg from Michigan

3.42/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A - Black and thick. Mmmm motor oil. :)
No head retention to speak of, very little on pour.

S - Chocolate first and forward, with coffee following. Reminiscent of a really good mocha. Bourbon comes through almost as an alcoholic heat (subtle) more than the complex woody and sweet character you might expect, although there is some of the mild vanilla often found with barrel aging and a lot of roast. Quite a bit going on here.

T - I've had this once before and didn't get the harshness that I found this time on the first sip: it reminded me of the aftertaste from smoking a good cigar - leathery, peppery, with a bit of char that probably comes from the barrel (fine in a cigar, but not necessarily welcome in a beer). This charcoal-like note is very off putting. The rich roast of the malt, which is present, is getting buried behind it. This is a recent purchase, much better when I last had it, so I suspect this beer needs some cellaring to reach it's true potential.

M - Full bodied mouth feel with a nearly syrupy viscosity, but not particularly smooth - there is almost a grainy feeling on the tongue that lingers. There is a pleasant warming you'd expect from the style that you feel all the way down.

O - The first time I had it, it was at a friend's and I think that had held it for awhile. It was certainly much better in that batch than in this one now that I've acquired it for myself. I expected to be writing a better review based on my first experience with this beer, but I'm hopeful that it is a lack of conditioning rather than a lack of consistency.
Mar 05, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of NCSapiens
Reviewed by NCSapiens from Indiana

3.14/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
Somehow this absolutely awful tasting BBS is on the menu at countless bars across the Midwest. Why??? Just why?? Give me a Goose Island, or a KBS, or a Dragon’s Milk, or anything but this.
Dec 11, 2022
 
Rated: 3.67 by ItsBeer4Me from Pennsylvania

Dec 12, 2021
 
Rated: 4.34 by Gukkor from Texas

Oct 04, 2021
Photo of Wetdryvac
Rated by Wetdryvac

3.3/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Something about the combination of flavors here just doesn't work for me. Looks amazing, smells amazing, and no.
Jan 31, 2020
Photo of Webby774
Rated by Webby774

4.7/5  rDev +31.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Great coffee taste, just needs a little more bourbon flavor. Heavy, you can only drink a couple. Definitely worth trying if you like Stout's.
Dec 29, 2019
Photo of IKR
Reviewed by IKR from California

3.56/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Very dark brown bordering on black with a generous sized dark beige head that gradually faded. A nice looking Stout

Smell: Mild bourbon. a touch of malt. The aromas are subdued and mild.

Taste: The taste profile consists of some faint Bourbon notes and mild roast malt notes. Mild alcohol presence.

Mouth-feel: On the light side of medium bodied with a generous level of carbonation. It comes off as a bit thin.

Overall: A nice looking beer that comes off a bit plain and nondescript for my tastes. The bal-aging elements, nose, and taste profile are a bit too subdued for me.
Aug 11, 2019
 
Rated: 3.61 by Wrigfen from South Carolina

Jul 03, 2019
Photo of Stephen85
Reviewed by Stephen85 from Florida

3.67/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours opaque black. Small head that quickly dissipates. Smells of malt, bourbon and a small amount of dark fruit. Taste is of malt, bourbon, and oak. Very smooth and easy to drink.
May 18, 2019
Photo of Oh_Dark_Star
Rated by Oh_Dark_Star from Washington

2.83/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Aww. This brewery has a long row to hoe on the barrel aging scene.
Apr 27, 2019
 
Rated: 3.1 by JerryHelper from Arizona

Apr 13, 2019
 
Rated: 3.51 by Gemini6 from Michigan

Feb 18, 2019
Photo of izraelc
Reviewed by izraelc from New York

3.12/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
I knew this one was going to be bad. Nice dark pour but doesn't smell like a stout at all. Tastes like weak coffee. I can taste the bourbon barrel flavor but it doesn't seem to mesh well with the rest of the beer. Good concept but poorly executed.
Feb 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.7 by Colt_E_Rathbun from Texas

Jan 10, 2019
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.56/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
12oz bottle into a pint glass. Appears to have been bottled 9/2/16, so well over 2 years old.

Black body with initially a decent tan head which fizzled out quite quickly to a ring and sparse covering. no lacing.

There is a faint coffee aroma.

Dark fruit and coffee notes. Snag is, the fruit is a bit too tangy and the coffee a bit too bitter to be enjoyable. The flavors become a little better as the beer warms. Mouth around medium. Finish bitter/tangy.

Overall, not an enjoyable stout for me. balance and flavors seem off. Might be an age issue, but I don't get that impression.
Jan 06, 2019
Photo of Beerucee
Rated by Beerucee from Texas

4.5/5  rDev +26.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Perfect with steak and mushrooms
Jan 05, 2019
 
Rated: 4.09 by shulmm02 from Ohio

Jan 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.58 by KMcGrath from Massachusetts

Dec 03, 2018
Photo of BucannonXC5
Reviewed by BucannonXC5 from California

3.97/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Type: 12-oz. bottle
Glass: AleSmith Barrel-Aged Reserve 10-oz. snifter
From: Total Wine in Uptown (Albuquerque), N.M.
Price: $3.99
Purchased: Nov. 3, 2018
Consumed: Nov. 13, 2018
Reviewed as: American Double / Imperial Stout
Misc.: No bottled on date

Picked this up on a recent work trip to Albuquerque, N.M. Kind of a sucker for bourbon barrel-aged beer and liked this one at 8 pct. ABV. Cut down Untappd description read, “Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout builds on the success of its barrel-aged brother, the beloved Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout is brewed and aged with Alltech Café Citadelle Haitian coffee and aged in world-famous Kentucky bourbon barrels. The result is a complex stout with dark-roasted malts, hints of caramel and vanilla and a lightly roasted coffee finish.”

Poured a pitch black color with two fingers of frothy khaki-tan head. Could see bubbles coming up along the sides of the glass at different speeds. Excellent layered foamy lacing. Excellent retention. (Sight - 4.50)

Smelled British hops, bourbon, plum, coffee, cacao nibs, chocolate, purple grape, dark-roasted malts, artificial vanilla, caramel and toasted oak. Smelled better as it warmed up. (Smell - 3.75)

Tasted British hops, coffee, plum, bourbon, toasted oak, cacao nibs, dark-roasted chocolate, semi-char wood, vanilla and hints of caramel. That 8 pt. ABV was well-hidden. (Taste - 4.00)

Full body. Creamy-to-sticky texture. Average carbonation. Long finish. (Feel - 4.00)

Liked this beer a lot. Was back and forth on a few of the categories, but settled on this. (Overall - 4.00)

3.97 | 89 | B+
Nov 29, 2018
Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout from Alltech's Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 1180 ratings