Catch Hell - Double Barrel Aged
Half Acre Beer Company
- From:
- Half Acre Beer Company
- Illinois, United States
- Style:
- Imperial Pastry Stout
Ranked #42 - ABV:
- 15.3%
- Score:
- 98
Ranked #324 - Avg:
- 4.6 | pDev: 4.35%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 12
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 30, 2025
- Added:
- Feb 13, 2021
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
98
World-Class
98
World-Class
The base of Double Barrel Catch Hell shattered our previous records of starting gravity, raw materials used, and boil times. After fermentation in stainless, it saw a nine-month slumber in Four Roses Small Batch barrels. With the base clearly having much more to give, we then racked it into Four Roses Single Barrel Select barrels for another 13-months. Typically, our program looks at spirit barrels less as finishing vessels, and more as a raw material that becomes an integrated ingredient -- but for this beer, we really wanted to celebrate the character and intensity of the barrel. After 22-months of steamrolling through bourbon country, it bulldozed its way through one pound of vanilla beans per oak barrel and an eager dosing of Vietnamese cinnamon.⠀
⠀
From inception, to the laborious brew day, a second round of barrels, and finally selecting and blending – Double Barrel Catch Hell has been gaining momentum with every step. Despite the sheer number of barrels and adjuncts this beer experienced, it has a towering cohesiveness to accompany the mind twisting experience of drinking it.⠀
⠀
With Double Barrel Catch Hell, you can expect expanding flavors of hazelnut praline, earthy dark chocolate, and bright cinnamon smothered in a chocolate mirror glaze.
⠀
From inception, to the laborious brew day, a second round of barrels, and finally selecting and blending – Double Barrel Catch Hell has been gaining momentum with every step. Despite the sheer number of barrels and adjuncts this beer experienced, it has a towering cohesiveness to accompany the mind twisting experience of drinking it.⠀
⠀
With Double Barrel Catch Hell, you can expect expanding flavors of hazelnut praline, earthy dark chocolate, and bright cinnamon smothered in a chocolate mirror glaze.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by SadMachine:
Rated by SadMachine from New Jersey
4.59/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Mar 01, 2025
4.59/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Mar 01, 2025
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Sandis from Minnesota
4.53/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.53/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2023 version poured into a plastic cup standing in line at Pulpit Rock with Rob. Black as oil. Nicely thick with a real nice cinnamon and chocolate flavor. Delicious.
Jun 26, 2024
Reviewed by stortore from Illinois
4.39/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.39/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Had at the Benthic release of 11/10/23. Maybe it’s from having this late into a double release day (Revolution and Half Acre), but while this was very good, I didn’t think it was quite as good as the original or as expected.
Jan 19, 2024
Reviewed by maximum12 from Minnesota
4.55/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.55/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to 4DAloveofSTOUT for this 12 oz. can. Catch Hell was excellent so I’m vibrating with anticipation for this one.
Another quick-collapse mocha head backed by an aroma that’s sweet (but not identifiably vanilla) & a rotund roar of barrel.
Catch Hell – Double Barrel Aged lives by the barrel, dies by the barrel - & luckily those barrels are really, really good. This takes a balanced, smooth ‘base’ beer & turns it savage. Bourbon is rough & unforgiving & hella tasty, sucking up most of the profile. I exhale bourbon. Or it exhales me. Cinnamon barely detectable & the vanilla is a sweet ghost. Thick. It is going to take some time to get through this, which is OK, I want to wake up tomorrow.
This could be served in shot glasses. Strong barrel is the showcase here & it’s a masterclass. Excellent beer that’s knocking on the top tier.
Dec 30, 2023Another quick-collapse mocha head backed by an aroma that’s sweet (but not identifiably vanilla) & a rotund roar of barrel.
Catch Hell – Double Barrel Aged lives by the barrel, dies by the barrel - & luckily those barrels are really, really good. This takes a balanced, smooth ‘base’ beer & turns it savage. Bourbon is rough & unforgiving & hella tasty, sucking up most of the profile. I exhale bourbon. Or it exhales me. Cinnamon barely detectable & the vanilla is a sweet ghost. Thick. It is going to take some time to get through this, which is OK, I want to wake up tomorrow.
This could be served in shot glasses. Strong barrel is the showcase here & it’s a masterclass. Excellent beer that’s knocking on the top tier.
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut
4.61/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.61/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Beautiful beer, especially considering the ABV and style.
Super rich aroma, quite heavy (pleasantly so) on the bourbon. Vanilla and cinnamon are noticeable, as are notes of chocolate, molasses, and coffee from the malt base, but the star of the show is the bourbon.
Flavor and feel follow. The only drawback to the profile is the cinnamon, which dominates a bit too much - as cinnamon tends to do. More vanilla presence and a reined in cinnamon profile would elevate this beer from world class - which it is - to nearly peerless. As it is, it's a freaking delightful beer, super rich and rewarding. Despite the sky high ABV, it drinks like a beer in the 9-12% range - except for the decadent waves of flavor.
Nov 19, 2023Super rich aroma, quite heavy (pleasantly so) on the bourbon. Vanilla and cinnamon are noticeable, as are notes of chocolate, molasses, and coffee from the malt base, but the star of the show is the bourbon.
Flavor and feel follow. The only drawback to the profile is the cinnamon, which dominates a bit too much - as cinnamon tends to do. More vanilla presence and a reined in cinnamon profile would elevate this beer from world class - which it is - to nearly peerless. As it is, it's a freaking delightful beer, super rich and rewarding. Despite the sky high ABV, it drinks like a beer in the 9-12% range - except for the decadent waves of flavor.
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota
4.5/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2023 on tap. Tan head. Black color.
Char, oak, vanilla, chocolate, fudge, marshmallow. Rye spice. Big bourbon, big barrel. Thick and rich. Warming and smooth. This is delicious. Too easy to drink for 16%.
Nov 16, 2023Char, oak, vanilla, chocolate, fudge, marshmallow. Rye spice. Big bourbon, big barrel. Thick and rich. Warming and smooth. This is delicious. Too easy to drink for 16%.
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York
4.82/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
4.82/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
This one pours a very dark black color, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.
This smells like rich dark chocolate, burnt marshmallow, spicy oak, creamy vanilla, and caramel.
This is absolutely exceptional, and one of the best stouts that I’ll have this year. Cinnamon always makes me a little bit wary, but this is absolutely spot on, and a how-to guide on handling cinnamon. The light dusting of it dovetails perfectly into the spicy and warming character from the oak. There’s a charred marshmallow, almost smores like vibe here, with that sticky vanilla carrying a ton of that weight. The base beer is unbelievably chocolatey and rich, like the most high quality melted rich, bitter, and mildly sweet melted chocolate.
This is thick, but not syrupy at all, with some light warming booze but nothing overwhelming.
Half Acre makes some of my favorite barrel aged stouts, and this might just be the best one I’ve ever had from them.
Oct 01, 2023This smells like rich dark chocolate, burnt marshmallow, spicy oak, creamy vanilla, and caramel.
This is absolutely exceptional, and one of the best stouts that I’ll have this year. Cinnamon always makes me a little bit wary, but this is absolutely spot on, and a how-to guide on handling cinnamon. The light dusting of it dovetails perfectly into the spicy and warming character from the oak. There’s a charred marshmallow, almost smores like vibe here, with that sticky vanilla carrying a ton of that weight. The base beer is unbelievably chocolatey and rich, like the most high quality melted rich, bitter, and mildly sweet melted chocolate.
This is thick, but not syrupy at all, with some light warming booze but nothing overwhelming.
Half Acre makes some of my favorite barrel aged stouts, and this might just be the best one I’ve ever had from them.
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