Castle Black - Rye Barrel Aged
Pondaseta Brewing Company
- From:
- Pondaseta Brewing Company
- Texas, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 14%
- Score:
- +3 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.92 | pDev: 10.46%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 4
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 07, 2025
- Added:
- Jan 23, 2022
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
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We started with Castle Black, a big bad American Imperial Stout that's roasty and bursting with notes of dark chocolate and coffee. This beer aged in Willet Rye barrels for 10+ months, until it was just right. Then we bottle conditioned it, making it just right for cellaring or drinking with friends.
The result is a bolder finish that's still incredibly balanced. It has strong notes of charred oak, pleasant spicey rye, vanilla, and hints of dark fruit.
The result is a bolder finish that's still incredibly balanced. It has strong notes of charred oak, pleasant spicey rye, vanilla, and hints of dark fruit.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by maximum12:
Reviewed by maximum12 from Minnesota
3/5 rDev -23.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3/5 rDev -23.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A new brewery to me coming in a 500ML bottle & headquartered in the town one of my best friends live in. Who knew there was a brewery in Amarillo, TX? Maybe there are more!
Black. The sniffer reports only sweet malt.
Castle Black – Rye Barrel Aged is like a baseline against which all such beers are either better or worse – right down the average middle. Some malts. Touch of rye. A little black licorice. A body of no note. A beer I could have done one ounce of.
Perfectly, excruciatingly, amazingly average.
May 23, 2024Black. The sniffer reports only sweet malt.
Castle Black – Rye Barrel Aged is like a baseline against which all such beers are either better or worse – right down the average middle. Some malts. Touch of rye. A little black licorice. A body of no note. A beer I could have done one ounce of.
Perfectly, excruciatingly, amazingly average.
More User Ratings:
Rated by mmilyko from Nevada
3.75/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Thought this was good but nothing special. Haven't had the base stout, which I've read is good.
Thinking this might not be that different.
Feb 14, 2025Thinking this might not be that different.
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington
4.21/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a Fremont small snifter. This is the 2023 vintage, but has the same label and approximate ABV, so probably does not need a separate entry every year; I'm reviewing under this one.
Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque black in the glass with a thin, dark khaki head that dissipates to patches with slight lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, bakers chocolate, licorice, rye whiskey and a hint of coffee. Flavor follows, with dark toasted malt, licorice, bakers chocolate, rye whiskey with some light rye tartness and light coffee. Dry chocolate and rye whiskey finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Everything I want to taste in a rye barreled stout; deep flavorful malt body, excellent barrel quality and interesting chocolate and other character, in this case licorice. Mostly dry with a hint of sweetness. I'd like to try the base stout too, I'm sure I'd like it. Nicely done.
Mar 13, 2024Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque black in the glass with a thin, dark khaki head that dissipates to patches with slight lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, bakers chocolate, licorice, rye whiskey and a hint of coffee. Flavor follows, with dark toasted malt, licorice, bakers chocolate, rye whiskey with some light rye tartness and light coffee. Dry chocolate and rye whiskey finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Everything I want to taste in a rye barreled stout; deep flavorful malt body, excellent barrel quality and interesting chocolate and other character, in this case licorice. Mostly dry with a hint of sweetness. I'd like to try the base stout too, I'm sure I'd like it. Nicely done.
Reviewed by puck1225 from Texas
4.27/5 rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.27/5 rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This is a solid imperial stout, and somewhat surprisingly it is brewed in Amarillo, TX. Purchased a bottle of this beer from the brewery during a visit about a month ago.
Poured into a small tulip. It pours a rich dark brown color and it form a beautiful reddish beige head with good retention and excellent curtain lacing. The initial smell is of dark berries, but the smell and flavor of dark coffee and chocolate soon arise. Just a bit later, the booziness of the rye whiskey barrels makes itself know to both smell and taste. This beer is an excellent sipper, and that is exactly what I intend to do.
Aug 02, 2022Poured into a small tulip. It pours a rich dark brown color and it form a beautiful reddish beige head with good retention and excellent curtain lacing. The initial smell is of dark berries, but the smell and flavor of dark coffee and chocolate soon arise. Just a bit later, the booziness of the rye whiskey barrels makes itself know to both smell and taste. This beer is an excellent sipper, and that is exactly what I intend to do.
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado
4.01/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.01/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Opaque black body; thin yet lasting khaki hued head, somewhat creamy texture; Nice, balanced aroma of charred grain and spicy rye whiskey. The taste follows along the lines of the aroma; sweeter, richer malt presence; chocolate; and mild suggestion of coffee; moderate presence of bourbon. Heavy body; smooth and silky on the palate; generally sweet mouthfeel with a nice alcohol warmth along the edges.
There is no information about the beer on the brewery's web site or the bottle label, but the base beer is described as "...rich and roasty imperial stout. Smooth and rich, but not overly sweet, with strong notes of dark chocolate and coffee...". I assume this is the same beer, just aged in rye barrels. I like it. It's relatively simple in concept yet lets the base beer and the barrel-aging shine in a balanced manner.
Pouring temperature: 44 °F; bottling data: YEAR 2021
Feb 01, 2022There is no information about the beer on the brewery's web site or the bottle label, but the base beer is described as "...rich and roasty imperial stout. Smooth and rich, but not overly sweet, with strong notes of dark chocolate and coffee...". I assume this is the same beer, just aged in rye barrels. I like it. It's relatively simple in concept yet lets the base beer and the barrel-aging shine in a balanced manner.
Pouring temperature: 44 °F; bottling data: YEAR 2021
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