Barrel Aged Series: Imperial Stout (Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout)
Full Sail Brewing Company


- From:
- Full Sail Brewing Company
- Oregon, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 9.5%
- Score:
- 90
- Avg:
- 4.15 | pDev: 6.27%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 5
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Feb 05, 2019
- Added:
- Jan 13, 2017
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 3
Formerly known as Black Gold
In the 1990s, a master distiller visiting from Scotland, and a Brewmaster from a small brewery in Hood River, serendipitously crossed paths. Over a pint or two, they shared their labors of love and pondered a rather intriguing question: what would happen if beer and distilled spirits met somewhere along the way? The outcome of their inspiration was Full Sail’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, an annual celebration of the best of American beer and American bourbon. With a tip of the hat to the Scotsman that inspired the idea, we offer this finely crafted beer for a limited time.
Our Bourbon Aged Imperial Stout is a highly anticipated release from our Brewmaster's cellar. This beer was brewed in November of 2015 and was carefully aged for months in Wild Turkey Bourbon casks from Kentucky. This extended aging presents hints of vanilla and allows the Stout to pick up the flavors of the wood, bourbon and oak. The aging accentuates the robust character of the Imperial Stout and brings out the depth of flavor from the bourbon creating an overall elegantly sophisticated beer.
This year’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout is inky black with aroma of dried cherry, shaved chocolate, and whiskey. It has a full malty palate with flavors of dark chocolate, vanilla, cherry, dried figs and a subtle hint of molasses. It finishes deliciously warm on the palate. It cellars well!
In the 1990s, a master distiller visiting from Scotland, and a Brewmaster from a small brewery in Hood River, serendipitously crossed paths. Over a pint or two, they shared their labors of love and pondered a rather intriguing question: what would happen if beer and distilled spirits met somewhere along the way? The outcome of their inspiration was Full Sail’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, an annual celebration of the best of American beer and American bourbon. With a tip of the hat to the Scotsman that inspired the idea, we offer this finely crafted beer for a limited time.
Our Bourbon Aged Imperial Stout is a highly anticipated release from our Brewmaster's cellar. This beer was brewed in November of 2015 and was carefully aged for months in Wild Turkey Bourbon casks from Kentucky. This extended aging presents hints of vanilla and allows the Stout to pick up the flavors of the wood, bourbon and oak. The aging accentuates the robust character of the Imperial Stout and brings out the depth of flavor from the bourbon creating an overall elegantly sophisticated beer.
This year’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout is inky black with aroma of dried cherry, shaved chocolate, and whiskey. It has a full malty palate with flavors of dark chocolate, vanilla, cherry, dried figs and a subtle hint of molasses. It finishes deliciously warm on the palate. It cellars well!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by ZebulonXZogg from Illinois
4.03/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Brewed 11/15, bottle #231.
Pours an oily black, nice brown head, great lacing.
Aroma is heavily on malt, has a slight hint of whiskey,
Taste, bitter coffee, toffee and again just a hint of bourbon.
Not quite "chewy", but close enough.
Pretty good brew.
Feb 05, 2019Pours an oily black, nice brown head, great lacing.
Aroma is heavily on malt, has a slight hint of whiskey,
Taste, bitter coffee, toffee and again just a hint of bourbon.
Not quite "chewy", but close enough.
Pretty good brew.
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado
4.44/5 rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Tar black body; extremely dense, creamy, rocky head; sticky sheets of foam line the inside of the glass. Rich aroma of charred grain, leather, vanilla; slight bourbon scent. Lush flavors of cocoa and milk chocolate; bitter and boozy; charred grain. Heavy bodied; rich and velvety on the palate; plenty of residual sugars coat the palate; sweet yet offset with a nice alcohol heat.
Depth, balance, and complexity mark the highlights of this beer. The sweetness, the dark tannin-like grain notes, and the barrel aging all blend nicely, nothing overshadowing any other component. Probably one of the finest barrel-aged stouts on the market at the moment.
Feb 01, 2018Depth, balance, and complexity mark the highlights of this beer. The sweetness, the dark tannin-like grain notes, and the barrel aging all blend nicely, nothing overshadowing any other component. Probably one of the finest barrel-aged stouts on the market at the moment.
Reviewed by MelonLord from Indiana
4.12/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.12/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Extremely dark cold brew -like in appearance. Poured vigorously, an equal amount of head per liquid volume appears. Head is light brown in color, settles messily in the glass with a thin ring of medium & small bubbles. I can see the smallest bit of light through it in bright daylight, so it's not motor-oil or vantablack.
Smells like the inside of an oak barrel wetted with stout. Little bit of acidity on the nose? tannins? Chocolate as it warms up with maybe a little bit of something I'm not getting. Kinda went straight past the smell onto the taste TBH.
First sip was more astringent-coffee-stout flavors. After letting it sit while I went outside, it develops kind of a marshmellow soft sweetness whilst still maintaining a little of that bitter flavor but with more of an oaky taste. I taste more oak than bourbon with this one. The body is quite thin, something I gathered from the carbonation as well as the appearance. Booze is not the star here which was nice for a big lunch and a nap afterwards, then back to work later on. This is definitely not a pastry/dessert stout with big sweet flavors. I think this is a great tasting 9% beer. It's not incredibly flavorful per volume(i.e. prairie stouts) but the flavor is rewarding.
Little bit of carbonation as it goes down. soft. Applies a thin coating to my mouth which does not leave me gasping for water.
Pretty good. I don't think this was very expensive(maybe $12 ish i can't remember?) and it was fun to try a new barrel aged stout. Another BA stout that is Oak-prominent, may benefit from aging 2+ years. To be honest I enjoyed the OATIS oatmeal stout from that area of the USA almost equally but I can tell that there has been some work that went into the creation of this beer.
Nov 20, 2017Smells like the inside of an oak barrel wetted with stout. Little bit of acidity on the nose? tannins? Chocolate as it warms up with maybe a little bit of something I'm not getting. Kinda went straight past the smell onto the taste TBH.
First sip was more astringent-coffee-stout flavors. After letting it sit while I went outside, it develops kind of a marshmellow soft sweetness whilst still maintaining a little of that bitter flavor but with more of an oaky taste. I taste more oak than bourbon with this one. The body is quite thin, something I gathered from the carbonation as well as the appearance. Booze is not the star here which was nice for a big lunch and a nap afterwards, then back to work later on. This is definitely not a pastry/dessert stout with big sweet flavors. I think this is a great tasting 9% beer. It's not incredibly flavorful per volume(i.e. prairie stouts) but the flavor is rewarding.
Little bit of carbonation as it goes down. soft. Applies a thin coating to my mouth which does not leave me gasping for water.
Pretty good. I don't think this was very expensive(maybe $12 ish i can't remember?) and it was fun to try a new barrel aged stout. Another BA stout that is Oak-prominent, may benefit from aging 2+ years. To be honest I enjoyed the OATIS oatmeal stout from that area of the USA almost equally but I can tell that there has been some work that went into the creation of this beer.
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington
3.67/5 rDev -11.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.25
3.67/5 rDev -11.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.25
Quite dark brew with a beautiful creamy head, also very dark. Lively and pleasantly sudsy on the tongue. Bitter chocolate finish. Very bitter chocolate. Aroma of roasted grain. Chalky and resiny. Then the alcohol taste.
Not as boozy tasting as a lot of these barrel-aged beers, and you'd be stretching it to identify the taste as Boubon. Still, it's an interesting and distinct barrel flavor. quite bitter aftertaste. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Elizabeth Station in Bellingham, Wash.
Aug 17, 2017Not as boozy tasting as a lot of these barrel-aged beers, and you'd be stretching it to identify the taste as Boubon. Still, it's an interesting and distinct barrel flavor. quite bitter aftertaste. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Elizabeth Station in Bellingham, Wash.
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado
4.35/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.35/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
22 oz. Bomber
Poured into a tulip a pretty nice dark brown color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice thick/creamy one-finger light tan head, which leaves a medium size oil slick, and some sticky lacing behind. The nose is pretty nice, malty, kinda roasty, with some nice chocolate/toffee, bourbon, vanilla, slight licorice. The taste is really nice, malty, roasty, pretty nice touch of chocolate/toffee, nice touch of bourbon, vanilla, licorice. Medium body, ABV hidden pretty well. Overall, a very tasty brew. Nice to see some FS stuff around here.
Jun 02, 2017Poured into a tulip a pretty nice dark brown color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice thick/creamy one-finger light tan head, which leaves a medium size oil slick, and some sticky lacing behind. The nose is pretty nice, malty, kinda roasty, with some nice chocolate/toffee, bourbon, vanilla, slight licorice. The taste is really nice, malty, roasty, pretty nice touch of chocolate/toffee, nice touch of bourbon, vanilla, licorice. Medium body, ABV hidden pretty well. Overall, a very tasty brew. Nice to see some FS stuff around here.
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