Bo & Luke: Amburana
Against The Grain Brewery

- From:
- Against The Grain Brewery
- Kentucky, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 13%
- Score:
- 92
- Avg:
- 4.3 | pDev: 3.26%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 3
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Sep 21, 2020
- Added:
- Nov 02, 2017
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 7
Bo & Luke is one of Against the Grain’s most sought after beers. We took the ingredients in bourbon whiskey (Barley, Rye, Corn) and then smoked them with cherry wood and brewed a huge imperial stout with them. This special 5-year anniversary variant was then aged in Amburana wood.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Griffith:
Rated by Griffith from Connecticut
4.34/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Mar 22, 2019
4.34/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Mar 22, 2019
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by kitch from Hong Kong
4.28/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.28/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
A white waxed 750ml bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date, but should be 2017 vintage. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark dark brown to black in colour with an one finger tanned head that had decent retention and left nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, chocolate, cocoa, oak, sweet, vanilla, cinnamon, and light smoke.
Taste: Sweet, vanilla, cinnamon, oak, bourbon, chocolate, cocoa, chocolate cake, caramel, and light smoke.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice aroma and flavours with a nice mix of especially vanilla and cinnamon. Smoke was there but a little light compared to the base, while mouthfeel was lighter than expected.
Apr 13, 2020Appearance: Dark dark brown to black in colour with an one finger tanned head that had decent retention and left nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, chocolate, cocoa, oak, sweet, vanilla, cinnamon, and light smoke.
Taste: Sweet, vanilla, cinnamon, oak, bourbon, chocolate, cocoa, chocolate cake, caramel, and light smoke.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice aroma and flavours with a nice mix of especially vanilla and cinnamon. Smoke was there but a little light compared to the base, while mouthfeel was lighter than expected.
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York
4.4/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.4/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
On tap at EBF in Boston, MA.
This one pours a very dark black, with no head or lacing.
This smells like strong but fruity smoke, with chocolate, charred smoky oak, and bourbon.
The amburana is a cool touch here, as it goes off a neat earthy, fruity, and oaky vibe- it feels tropical in a down to earth way. There's lots of barrel, with charred oak and leathery bourbon. This is nice.
This is medium bodied, chewy, and fairly thick, with a good level of carbonation.
Most of the Bo and Luke variants sound straight up horrific. This one was nice.
Feb 08, 2018This one pours a very dark black, with no head or lacing.
This smells like strong but fruity smoke, with chocolate, charred smoky oak, and bourbon.
The amburana is a cool touch here, as it goes off a neat earthy, fruity, and oaky vibe- it feels tropical in a down to earth way. There's lots of barrel, with charred oak and leathery bourbon. This is nice.
This is medium bodied, chewy, and fairly thick, with a good level of carbonation.
Most of the Bo and Luke variants sound straight up horrific. This one was nice.
Reviewed by Fordcoyote15 from Pennsylvania
4.35/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.35/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Somewhat concerned. I cut 3/4 of the wax loose and saw wetness underneath. As soon as I freed the cap from the rest a carbonated hiss let out. The wax literally was sealing this beer... it still hissed again when I cracked the cap but I'm not sure about this...
L - watery dark cola brown with HUGE foamy 4 finger head...
S - like I recall standard b&l to smell. Roasty, smokey and bitter chocaltely. This beer has a huge metallic smell though. Like copper pennies wafting into your nose...
T - Good God. What is amburana and how do I invest in it? It's like it's base with a semi sweet vanilla, caramel and coconut woodiness. Coconut is more predominant than anything, base and all. There's char, tobacco, cream, but this unique predominant flavor alongside everything. I assume it has to be the specific wood? I love this.
F - it's mostly dry, and stupid rich. It's thick, and filling, and a smokey, malty meal of a sipper.
Overall - I got 2 of these through pretty easy trades... so maybe I shouldn't praise it in this review because I actually want more. In retrospect, this sucks. Trade it away if you have it.
Nov 02, 2017L - watery dark cola brown with HUGE foamy 4 finger head...
S - like I recall standard b&l to smell. Roasty, smokey and bitter chocaltely. This beer has a huge metallic smell though. Like copper pennies wafting into your nose...
T - Good God. What is amburana and how do I invest in it? It's like it's base with a semi sweet vanilla, caramel and coconut woodiness. Coconut is more predominant than anything, base and all. There's char, tobacco, cream, but this unique predominant flavor alongside everything. I assume it has to be the specific wood? I love this.
F - it's mostly dry, and stupid rich. It's thick, and filling, and a smokey, malty meal of a sipper.
Overall - I got 2 of these through pretty easy trades... so maybe I shouldn't praise it in this review because I actually want more. In retrospect, this sucks. Trade it away if you have it.
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