Barrel Aged Stout
Campanology Brewing

Type: 22-oz. bottle
Reviewed as: American Double / Imperial Stout
Glass: Ball 16-oz. mason jar
Price: $6.99
From: Trader Joe’s (College Area) in San Diego, Calif.
Purchased: Dec. 7, 2022
Consumed: Dec. 10, 2022
Misc.: No bottle on date

Was happy to see this at Trader Joe’s. I generally like the beers that Campanology does (or at least the contract brewer), especially the stouts. The bottle read that it was aged in charred oak barrels and that it was a “Black ale brewed with highly roasted coffee malts with notes of chocolate, toffee and bourbon vanilla.”

Poured a pitch-black color with three fingers of frothy-to-fizzy khaki tan head. Pretty calm setting underneath. Decent lacing. Below average retention. (Sight - 3.50)

Smelled caramel, toffee, smooth bourbon, toasted oak, roasted coffee, cacao, dark chocolate, cocoa, dark fruit and vanilla. Smelled better as it warmed. Smelled good from the bottle too. (Smell - 4.00)

First thing on the taste was how smooth this was. That 11 pct. ABV was well-hidden. In order got caramel, toffee, smooth bourbon, toasted oak, dark fruit, milk chocolate syrup, cacao, roasted coffee, cocoa, vanilla, plum and raisin. (Taste - 4.00)

Medium body. Creamy-to-sticky texture. Soft carbonation. Long, smooth finish. (Feel - 4.75)

Damn. This beer was really good. So much value for that price. Slightly underrated this too. (Overall - 4.25)

4.10 | 92 | A-

Dark brown-black, cola-colored. Nice but brief head. Aromas of chocolate, coffee, and roasted grain. Bitter but sweet. Up front, a decent range of flavors. There is an overt sweetness, but underneath it is a shifting melange of chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and toasty grains. Some notes of dark fruit. The charred barrel really comes through. Finishes dry with some sweetness. The barrel isn't too noticeable beyond that.

Given the price, it's a shame this hasn't come back yet...

This barrel-aged stout is an underdog, whose 22-oune bottle lurks deep within the Trader Joe's beer shelf, boasting a low-ball $7 price tag that is underserving of such a high-caliber oak barrel bourbon-aged brew. Rich. Smooth. Strong. Vanilla. Chocolate. Definitely a favorite. But after a few consecutive purchases, the bottle has yet to be seen again at Trader Joe's.

Pours an effervescent ebony with 2 fingers of mocha colored head. Stays effervescent throughout the pour, below average head retention & better lacing

S: Vanilla in spades, some dark fruit notes, Bourbon notes once warmed up

T: Vanila, a little Bourbon & cocoa along with dryness up front, hints of carob as well. Some roasty & smokey notes, some oaky notes, & vanilla once warmed up. Finishes with some toffee notes, oaky dryness, more vanilla & dryness

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation

Drinks fairly easy, a little vanilla heavy for my liking, but outstanding value for money, think this 22 oz bottle was $ 7.00 at Trader Joes

Trader Joe’s brand. Pretty decent, even if a lot too strong for my taste (11%; to be fair, it isn’t overwhelmingly strong in the mouth). Dark as night. A vigorous pour results in a soft brown head and sumptuous lacing for the genre. Malty bourbon on the nose and palate, with an unfortunate note of cough syrup. All in all, worth getting if in the mood for something substantial. The big bottle was easily corked and held up fine for three days.

Dark brown liquid under a thin tan head of very little retention time in a short tulip. Some of the bittersweet chocolate and dark roasted grains. A hint of vanilla. Not an obvious bartel aging character. Overall ok, but better barrel aged stouts readily available for about the same price. Also not a fan of potent high ABV beers in 22oz formats.

 

 

 

Black pour with a minimal tan head--more like tan bubbles, actually. The nose is mostly bourbon with a bit of chocolate. The flavor tell a story as the beer warms in your glass. At first sips, toffee and bourbon segue quickly to a deep roasty finish which is really nice and prolonged. Then as the beer warms, the long roasty finish disappears and you're left with toffee, chocolate and bourbon. Toward the end of the glass, the bourbon and alcohol take over--not in an off-putting way--but more of a one note flavor profile. Pretty solid barrel aged stout.

 

Can't beat the value for this BA stout. I think I paid $6.99 for this bomber.

There's a bit more roastiness than what I like in an imperial stout, and it conflicts a little bit with the bourbon taste. Strong bourbon aroma and taste, just the way I like it. The head disappears to a still beer. But still it's a great value.

 

A - Opaque black body, short tan head, quick to fade and disappear, not much lacing.

S - Bourbon, foremost, with some malt and chocolate beneath. But mostly alcohol warmth.

T - Follows the nose, with bourbon and alcohol out front, a more subtly vanilla chocolate hit beneath, and a dry woody bitter note in the finish.

M - This is a big BBA stout, that does not weigh as heavily as one, but it's sticky and a touch cloying, and in the end there's a weight on the tongue that detracts.

O - For what it is, this is a surprisingly solid BBA stout. It does not deliver quite the feel or depth I might hope, but it is pleasurable and surprisingly cheap. Hard to argue, really.

 

 

 

 

Pours a very dark color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has Bourbon and roasted malt hints
The taste follows the nose with a Bourbon and roasted malt flavor
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A good valued Imperial Stout