Hype Whale
Atlanta Brewing Company

IRAhopbomb from Georgia

4.18/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Had 1/06/17

This is now in 16oz cans and reads "aged in bourbon barrels" instead of "aged on bourbon oak chips" as it formerly did.

I would have rated the previous iterations a 3.6 or so with weak bourbon and oak character, thin body, and forgettable. But this is big and bad, thick and chewy, and very bourbon forward without being too sweet.

This was very good and, for me, on the level of Beard Envy (my personal fave from red brick).

Jan 09, 2018

oberon from North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Came in a goblet jet black with a deep tan colored creamy head that never really settles.Espresso roast coffee,milk chocolate,and vanilla tinged oak in the nose.Milk chocolate stands out up front on the palate along with espresso,it gets just a tad sweet but it's quite rich on the palate.A smooth fuller feel is great for this beer,top notch but a one and done for me.

Jul 22, 2016

TX-Badger from Texas

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours an opaque dark brown almost black with khaki colored head. Bourbon, oak, vanilla, chocolate, light roasted coffee on the nose; follows onto the palate. Full bodied. Finishes with bourbon and chocolate, lots of chocolate.

Jun 21, 2016

Amguerra305 from Florida

3.35/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Poured like it was going to have body and caused some excitement but it was all downhill after that. Bourbon and barrel notes were present but weak; alcohol came through the not booze. The taste follows the smell, notes of malt and bourbon and barrel but weak. It was also a tad light for being a ba stout. Overall I thought it was an impersonation of what a barrel aged stout is supposed to be. The barrel notes were the only thing that saved this beer from being a drain pour.

Jun 01, 2016

OldManMetal from North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This satirically-named imperial stout, part of Red Brick's Brick Mason Series, is aged on oak bourbon barrel chips. It pours, showing a slight viscosity, to a thin, dark brown creamy head that immediately decays to a medium collar, encircling a black hole of a body, effervescent and devoid of highlights. Lacing consists of fair bands and splotches. The nose is light in intensity; it leads with an unexpected cinnamon-like spiciness that is quickly obscured by a dominant oak character backed by more subtle chocolate and toffee notes and modest alcohol overtones. The palate is more assertive than the nose would predict: a seamless blend of toffee, molasses, bittersweet chocolate and booze, with a subtle oaky character behind it all. The finish is a significant hit of toffee; the linger is a fairly astringent, modestly bitter, moderately intense oaky/coffee flavor that lasts for a good while. Retrogustative olfaction is toffeelike. Mouthfeel is on point for the full body, and the texture is viscous, sticky/creamy, and slightly peppery from the well-expressed carbonation. All told, this stout lands slightly on the sweetish side of the balance, and the alcohol is fairly apparent. A more strongly-expressed aroma is the most obvious room for improvement. (12 oz bottle, illegible code date)

Apr 23, 2016

ThickNStout from Georgia

3.83/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle from Bullock's (Woodstock, GA). 3.29. Bottled 2/3/16. Served in a Red Brick snifter.

Pours black with a half finger of pale khaki head. The foam fades to a razor thin halo that leaves only a couple specks of lace.

Soft, sweet, roasty aromas of milk chocolate, blackened malts, caramel, toasted oak and faint bourbon tinged vanilla. There is an unidentifiable scent that is earthy and sweet that I can't help but continue to enjoy every time my nose approaches the glass.

The flavor mixes roasted malts, fudgey dark chocolate, black coffee, toasted oak, brown sugar, faint bourbon, a whisper of vague vanilla and a soft nip of alcohol.

Velvety soft, medium full feel with moderately light carbonation. Aftertaste of semi bitter burnt coffee, dark cocoa and a little bit of oaky char.

After totally nailing their 20th anniversary barrel aged stout two years ago Red Brick apparently can't decide how they want to get that bourbon and oak character into subsequent releases. I think that aging Hype Whale on bourbon barrel oak chips is more successful than last year's 50% barrel aged blend but still pales in comparison to going all-in with 100% barrel aging. Ultimately a solid offering that I would not shy away from having again if offered.

Mar 24, 2016

BeerDawgs from Georgia

4.29/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A 12oz bottle picked up at Total Wine Dunwoody

L - Pitch black, with a tiny bit of lacing left on the glass. Creamy look

S - Molasses, dark chocolate, coffee beans, and of course bourbon. Great aroma!

T - Dark chocolate, sweet, and subtle bourbon and oak flavors at the end. Very nice

F- Full body and creamy

O - An outstanding beer. Not Bourbon County or KBS level, but definitely worth grabbing if you enjoy BBA Stouts.

Mar 11, 2016

chinchill from South Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewery which served it initially too cold. Rating initiated after some warming.

Dark and opaque, but with ruby highlights at the edges when held to the light. Large, durable, frothy, light brown head that leaves some sticky lacing.

Strong aroma with wood, whisky, chocolate and coffee. Somewhat earthy.

The flavor has a bit too much oak for my taste, but certainly has a satisfying richness, plenty of dark roasted grains and bourbon, and a very good sweet-bitter balance. Rich and strong flavor, even for style.

Overall: readily recommended to fans of the style who enjoy plenty of woody flavor.

Mar 04, 2016