Imperial Stout Aged In Bourbon Barrels
Guinness Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House

Well this wasn't even a beer I knew existed before leftpaw broke it out for Christmas in 2023.

Pours black. Noticeably thicker, heavier, darker appearance than regular Guinness. Legit black. Tan head, 1/6" ring remains. The aroma has something to it, unlike the normal Guinness. Its a light bourbon influence and even lighter roasted malt presence. A foray into the more conventional craft beer realm.

Taste is fine, somewhat reminiscent of that 90 day barrel aged beer Goose Island did. Its a mild influence, its a milder imperial stout in terms of viscosity. The abv has a good sting to it in the mouthfeel. Traditional Guinness smootheness yields to a lot more flavor and ingredients to say the least. More dark fruit and bitterness thereof. The taste certainly has more going for it than a traditional Guinness, but the mouthfeel isn't as nice as the regular either.

I'd like to see like the FES or something Guinness that is less than double digit abv put into some barrels like this. Decent beer.

Pours a dark brown color with a minimal head that lasts quite a while. Aroma is alcohol and roasted malts. Taste is mostly sweet bourbon; a good alcohol warmth.

I can't believe I've had this for two years without having reviewed it yet. Good thing I looked before gulping it down.
Last bottle from the four pack and it has in the fridge since I found it under the stairs last month.

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass shows a dark brown body, cola colored at the edges as light filters through, and almost holds a 1/8" cap of cream colored foam while leaving the glass dripping with tiny spots of lacing with agitation.

Bourbon notes dominate the aroma joined by that fresh air/ roast malt aroma I love.

The flavor remains a gloriously, yet restrained, bourbon soaked roasted malt elixir that welcomes, if not demands, another sip.

Medium mouthfeel is expected as I believe they used the Antwerpen stout for this base and that one is a bit thinner than the standard stout, and certainly less creamy than the nitro, but it is also expected due to the barrel aged presentation.

Overall, I expected great things from Guinness, and they delivered.

Dark brown black appearance with a fast fleeting beige head. Malt, molasses, coffee, cocoa, stone fruit, bourbon, and peat. Moderate body, light carbonation, smooth and creamy. The bourbon flavor in this beer seems to carry overriding peat, leather, and plastic notes that adversely affect the overall flavor.

 

 

Nice bourbon smell and initial taste, then a bit of vanilla and coffee play on the taste buds. Smooth, if a little thin, finish. Bourbon lingers…

From a brown bottle, this brew is a black color with a tan head. It has a sweet, boozy, matly aroma. The taste isn't as sweet as the aroma projects, but it does have a bourbon quality, a nice balance, and quite a bit of roasted flavor. The body is a bit thinner than I would prefer for a beer like this, but it is still well made and enjoyable.

 

Served in a goblet from the bottle.

Appearance: Thin brown to black body coming off a dark brown tint color.

Smell: Liquor aroma with molasses which dissipates quickly from the nose.

Taste: Bourbon feel with hint of American coffee. Lightly boozy.

Thin body with a soft carbonation.

Overall: Nice grab, could have been worse with minor tweaking this could be a gem. Lacks body and aroma...the taste is on point. Always in a glass!

Bottle left over from last year?

Pours black with a multi finger head of tan foam.

Strong aromas of Bourbon and vanilla with some bitter roasted malt.

The taste is Bourbon, roasted malt, vanilla, chocolate, hint of lactose. Pretty balanced.

Almost full bodied, though it thins out in the finish, smooth even with the alcohol being noticeable.

Nice variant.

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Black, holds a thin collar of dark tan head.

Aroma: Light, not much here. Hints of dark malt, touch of soured mash, pretty classic Guinness like stuff.

Taste: Sweet malt, mild building bourbon cask notes with the hint of sour that goes with a Guinness. No harsh wood or tannin, no char, just the fruity floral bourbon, with some oak depth.

Mouthfeel: Medium heavy body, flat, silky, creamy texture.

Overall: Real tasty. I like Guinness, but was worried this was "gratuitous oaking". It's not. They got the balance right where the barrel isn't gimmicky, it's adding good flavors. I'm enjoying this more than the normal Foreign Exports, may need to pick up another 4 pack.

11.2oz bottle courtesy of my brother, who gave it to me for Xmas, 2020. No freshness date on the bottle as far as I can see.

Poured into a glass, this was a super dark brown, virtually black. Good-sized tah head that left a decent amount of lace.

Bourbon and a kind of milky scent in the nose. Kinda makes me think of nougat that is past it's prime. Not pleasant.

Taste is a little better than the nose, but isn't terribly distinctive. Mostly, the flavor seems to be coming from the bourbon barrels the beer aged in. And, as it warms there's still that aged milk thing hanging overhead from the nose, seemingly getting stronger.

Decent mouthfeel for the style.

Almost a great experience, totally spoiled by the expired milk thing. It's a 10.3% BBA stout, it ought to age well, but it didn't.

 

I let this sit at room temperature for about 2 hours before pouring into a pint glass. It pours a dark cola color with a full finger of frothy, light khaki head and thick, creamy lacing. The nose is fragrant and features lots of roasted malt, chocolate, toffee, coconut, and oak. This is rich and good! The chocolate and toffee are front and center with lesser notes of vanilla and coconut. The bourbon emerges at mid-palate; it's noticeable but delicate. It has a mouth feel appropriate for an Imperial Stout: thick and creamy with moderate carbonation, and you can feel the 10.3% ABV. The 12 oz. bottle format is appropriate. I rarely give a beer the same rating across the board but I think it's appropriate. This is a solid 4.25 offering. I'm not sure why the overall rating is sub 4; this is really enjoyable.