Western Justice
Westbound & Down Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

Grade A name just to start this off on a high note. Midnight black opaque body, lighter brown head that settles into a collar decently quickly. Smell captures the rustic nature the name implies: big char, deep earth, smoke, heavily roasted malt, leather, bitter dark chocolate, rustic bourbon barrel, and tobacco. Taste starts the same: big char, earth, smoke, heavily roasted malt, decaying leather and bitter dark chocolate, but then a red thread of black strap molasses works its way in with a barrel that is far less rustic than the nose, finish is more mellow than expected though still plenty roasty. Feel is thus roasty and bold in scale, chewy and dry with that heavy weight lightening a bit by the finish

Appearance: Pours coffee colored with a one finger tan head that fades to a collar; leggy but minimal lacing

Smell: Strong charred aromatics with dark chocolate, molasses and tobacco tones

Taste: Dark chocolate forward with the charred wood element bursting forward; molasses, tobacco and caramel tones linger underneath; after the swallow, the charred flavors re-emerge along with some hot booze

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low to moderate carbonation

Overall: Noting this is a GABF winner, I guess my palate just prefers something with less assertive charred characteristics

 

Obtained a can via Tavour (1/25). Excited to try recent GABF winner.
Rested unopened from frig for about 20 min. … checked temp at pour (45 degrees).
Poured into snifter hoping to exaggerate head column due to only 8oz can (not much to work with)…and beer’s high ABV. Attractive deep black/ brown body with rich accents of copper and reddish orange to light. Very nice! Unfortunately the head was very disappointing. Bubbly not creamy or fluffy. Gained about 3” in snifter but rapidly disappeared with no surface film, no halo and no lacing. Understand the high ABV… but I’ve had much better experiences with other big beers eg big Avery pours at 17-18%. Nose was good…presented some dark malt and barrel ; some roastiness, dark fruit but very surprisingly subdued …especially considering not dampened by what might have happened if a fresh out of frig chilled brew and/or chilled glass . Taste was a tasty rich stout, old ale dark fruits and wood/vanilla. Really good…But back end was somewhat bitter. Body is fairly smooth but carried a bit too much carb and/or alcohol burn that worsened when combined with bitterness.
Overall a good BAIS as served out of a can. Had a few great qualities but equal detractors. Perhaps a fresh draft would be more rewarding.

01/19/25 can @ home; 2024 vintage 15.3% ABV

 

A 2024 8oz. can with a 15.3% abv. purchased at the brewery in Lafayette. Poured in a 12oz. snifter for the review.

Look- Pours a dark brown leaving a ring of tan foam around the glass.

Smell- Bourbon, bakers chocolate, vanilla pipe tobacco and wet wood.

Taste- Bourbon forward followed by dark chocolate, tobacco and char. Pleasant vanilla and oak notes round out the finish.

Feel- Medium viscosity oil that warms the body very well.

Overall? No surprise this took gold at the 2024 GABF. I've been enjoying this for a few years and nothing has changed. A top notch no bullshit barrel aged gem then and now. A right-sized 8oz. can for the abv. when drinking alone is perfect.

 

Pours like motor oil. Pitch black in the glass and barely produced a head. Aroma is chocolate chip cookie, some dark chocolate, slight coffee, big caramel, big vanillin, some coconut, oak, bourbon, fig, plum, molasses. Taste brings dark chocolate brownie batter, some Hershey's syrup, lots of caramel, plenty of vanillin from the barrel, some coffee, slight coconut, some tobacco, fig, date, roasted malt, charred oak tannin, smooth but bold bourbon. Huge depth of barrel character without being boozy. Full and dense body. One of the better straight up barrel aged stouts I've had in some time. The barrel character and base stout are absolutely top notch.

 

 

 

 

poured from an 8oz can (it’s the smallest gd container of beer i’ve ever seen in my life) into a mini teku. pours an inky black with a tiny amount of mocha brown foam that fades quickly into nothing. aromas of bourbon, chocolate and dark fruits. pretty heavy on the bourbon and dark fruits. taste has a lot more chocolate flavor to it than you get from the nose. still plenty of barrel heat. solid mouthfeel. thick, coats the mouth. really a pretty good barrel-aged stout.

Poured from a small can at fridge temp. Pours jet black with a small amount of light brown head. No lacing after the head disappears. Nose is bourbon, fudge, vanilla, toffee, brown sugar, malts. Super smooth. The taste is incredible. Super smooth and flavorful, but zero alcohol boozy note. Tons of chocolate, vanilla, and barrel. This is exquisite. Nice dark fruit and toffee come through. Figs and red grapes. Mouthfeel is thick and creamy, but not syrupy. Just a great stout.