Black Belle Imperial Stout
Blackstone Brewing Company

Poured stout black with a barely there light brown head.
The flavor is, well, typical for a bourbon barrel aged stout - bourbon and coffee, dark fruit and chocolate. The finish is more bourbon. Nothing grand, nothing low, just a solid BBA stout.
The feel is nicely viscous, not too much, not too thin.
OA, well done, I’d likely buy a couple each year if I lived in the area.

Received as a bonus in a trade late last year, and decided today was the day to give it a go.

A - Pours out an opaque black body with some minor brown highlighting. A smidge of a head in the pour disappears immediately. No cap, no lacing.

S - Mostly the bourbon and the barrel, with vanilla and booze out front. There is a bit of chocolate, licorice, and roasted malts below, but the alcohol is so forward on this one I have trouble teasing it out.

T - What is hidden in the nose comes forward a bit in the flavor. While the barrel and vanilla notes are at the front, and the strongest line, there is a malty savory note, a bit of soy sauce, chocolate and coffee through the middle, and a bit of dark fruit and acidity in the finish.

M - There is a nice snap of carbonation in the open, but it is fairly still on the tongue. That is not that uncommon for a barrel aged imperial stout, but it is a bit worse than I typically find. The warmth of the alcohol is therefore more important, because it is part of what keeps this from getting too sticky and burdensome. Still drinkable, just a bit more taxing.

O - Probably got this one a bit late - the stillness might signal this has been in the cellar too long. That said, I do think this is a pretty good rendition of the BBA stout, and I'd give it another try if I get to Nashville again and see it.

 

 

I have this every year it comes out, and it is consistently great. Arguably the best beer made in Nashville on a regular basis.

Pitch black and medium viscosity on the pour and in the glass. Minimal mocha head, but what's there is very creamy looking and provides some nice lacing down the glass. Plenty of alcohol legs from the swirl of the glass.

Aromas are absolutely fantastic. Dark fruits, dried fruits, dark chocolate, light espresso, tobacco, barrel char, coconut, molasses, big caramel and toffee, huge nuttiness -- roasted pecans and walnuts -- and gooey fudge. Smells sweet, but not as decadent as a lot of big BA dessert stouts. There’s certainly plenty of alluring sweetness, but it doesn’t come off as confectionary or adjunct-centered. Much more barrel character and chocolate-dominated stout than roast or bitterness. I absolutely love it. It's perhaps not BCBS level good, but it's not very far off.

Taste follows initially -- huge notes of fig, raisin, and plum, chocolate-covered cherry, dark cocoa nibs, medium-roast coffee, chocolate malts, toffee, rye, red wine tannins, mild coconut, a little black licorice, and some bitter hops -- but it drops off really, really quickly. Shame, because the layers and complexity is there, and you'd love to roll this one around in your mouth and take in wave after wave of different flavors that sync perfectly with the aroma notes. But the drop off to roasted malts, semi-sweet chocolate, dark berries, and a little lasting hop and coffee bitterness is abrupt. Still, I love the consistency between nose and tongue.

Feel is an interesting mix of soft and silky and what initially feels thin, but coats and sticks like a much thicker, chewier beer. Honestly a really nice combination that makes this dangerously drinkable while you're still aware that this is a big beer (though there's almost zero boozy heat).

Kudos to Blackstone for an outstanding beer that is consistently exceptional. I will happily buy a bunch of bottles every year (regular and variants), both to support a pillar of the local Nashville beer scene but mostly because it's an outstanding beer.

 

Bottle poured into glass

Motor oil , no foam cap

Bourbon aroma, chocolate, roast malts

Bourbon taste, roast malts

No sudsing , syrupy ,

Good beer

 

Has all the flavors listed on bottle but not balanced imo .. I want to like it but there are do many others that are better imo , especially for the price...

This was a 2018 bottle btw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm trying this at the brewery. It poured an opaque dark with no head and no lace. The scent was bourbon galore. The taste was a nice combo of molasses and bourbon. The mouthfeel is fuller in body with subtle carbonation. Overall this is a big beer and is great for sipping on cold Nashville nights.