Bourbon-Barrel Aged Unearthed
Long Trail Brewing Co.
- From:
- Long Trail Brewing Co.
- Vermont, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 91
- Avg:
- 4.08 | pDev: 7.84%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 37
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Feb 04, 2021
- Added:
- Oct 16, 2016
- Wants:
- 6
- Gots:
- 19
SCORE
91
Outstanding
91
Outstanding
From the depths of Heaven Hill Kentucky Bourbon barrels emerges a deliciously dark version of our Unearthed American stout. Aged for six months on oak, time spent on wood unveiled complex layers of caramel, oak, vanilla and Bourbon.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by ichorNet:
Reviewed by ichorNet from Massachusetts
4.51/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.51/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Long Trail's hiked a long trail to get to the point they're at now, and I for one couldn't be more excited with where they're headed. I've been a fan of Limbo since it was released and kind of marked their transition to a newer design thematic and rebranding in general, and Unearthed was also a step in the right direction. A moderately strong stout with a fantastic roast profile and full-bodied flavors of molasses, cocoa and coffee with a light bit of smoke, Unearthed showcases everything possible with a nice stout in this day and age, and it comes from the land that's becoming known more and more for its hazy, juicy IPAs to boot. To say I was impressed with the base beer for this, then, would be an understatement. It's really quite a great dark American ale.
I very nearly passed right by this the other night at Craft Beer Cellar Westford, and almost just avoided glancing over it in the VT section when discussing Otter Creek's newest IPA (Free Flow by Otter Creek; a fantastic beer, by the way) with one of my favorite store associates there. When I saw that this was a thing, I just had to pick up a bottle to bring home. Heaven Hill bourbon married to a great strongish stout from a brewery not known for stouts or for barrel-aging at all? I had to give it a shot. And if it's good, I'll have to go back and grab more before it's gone!
Anyway, this pours a nearly-black color with a voluptuous head of mocha foam that settles down to a half-finger in a tulip glass. The surface is still churning, roiling and bubbling as I type this probably about 8-10 minutes since I poured it to allow it to acclimate to a better temperature for reviewing purposes. A slight deep brown highlight pops out if the glass is held up to light, but it's so very subtle that I'd consider this to be very close to 40 SRM for all intense and purposes.
The nose is absolutely amazing. A lot of vanilla, marshmallow, cocoa powder, espresso beans, slight roastiness but with very little acidity, woody tannins and a slight hint of alcohol to let you know what you're in for. This baby clocks in at 9.6% compared to Unearthed's 7.9%, so either they amplified the base a bit to stand up to the barrel, or the barrel itself was really fresh and contributed some sugars and/or residual alcohol to the whole, either of which is okay by me. This is a fantastic smelling beer with a huge array of complex elements ranging from the sweet to the smoky and woody, with a lot of nice abstract elements in between.
Allowed to warm to near room temperature, this beer absolutely shines. Huge, stiff, woody tannins along with chocolate crème, graham cracker, vanilla, toffee, molasses and sweet, boozy bourbon all hitting the tongue in amazingly concise waves. This absolutely hits the spot. A decadent drink that sips really well and defines itself by a very solid drinkability. The feel on this is smooth, subtle and supple... just awesome. Low carbonation, thick and chewy body. For a sub-10% barrel aged stout, this has absolutely got to be at the top of the pack. Need to go get more as soon as I can. Don't miss out on this one... I'm sure it will fly under many radars, but those people are missing out. You've been warned!
Oct 22, 2016I very nearly passed right by this the other night at Craft Beer Cellar Westford, and almost just avoided glancing over it in the VT section when discussing Otter Creek's newest IPA (Free Flow by Otter Creek; a fantastic beer, by the way) with one of my favorite store associates there. When I saw that this was a thing, I just had to pick up a bottle to bring home. Heaven Hill bourbon married to a great strongish stout from a brewery not known for stouts or for barrel-aging at all? I had to give it a shot. And if it's good, I'll have to go back and grab more before it's gone!
Anyway, this pours a nearly-black color with a voluptuous head of mocha foam that settles down to a half-finger in a tulip glass. The surface is still churning, roiling and bubbling as I type this probably about 8-10 minutes since I poured it to allow it to acclimate to a better temperature for reviewing purposes. A slight deep brown highlight pops out if the glass is held up to light, but it's so very subtle that I'd consider this to be very close to 40 SRM for all intense and purposes.
The nose is absolutely amazing. A lot of vanilla, marshmallow, cocoa powder, espresso beans, slight roastiness but with very little acidity, woody tannins and a slight hint of alcohol to let you know what you're in for. This baby clocks in at 9.6% compared to Unearthed's 7.9%, so either they amplified the base a bit to stand up to the barrel, or the barrel itself was really fresh and contributed some sugars and/or residual alcohol to the whole, either of which is okay by me. This is a fantastic smelling beer with a huge array of complex elements ranging from the sweet to the smoky and woody, with a lot of nice abstract elements in between.
Allowed to warm to near room temperature, this beer absolutely shines. Huge, stiff, woody tannins along with chocolate crème, graham cracker, vanilla, toffee, molasses and sweet, boozy bourbon all hitting the tongue in amazingly concise waves. This absolutely hits the spot. A decadent drink that sips really well and defines itself by a very solid drinkability. The feel on this is smooth, subtle and supple... just awesome. Low carbonation, thick and chewy body. For a sub-10% barrel aged stout, this has absolutely got to be at the top of the pack. Need to go get more as soon as I can. Don't miss out on this one... I'm sure it will fly under many radars, but those people are missing out. You've been warned!
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Ego from New Jersey
4.47/5 rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.47/5 rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
unearthered this from my cellar, ok, that was corny... but I did dig this out from the back of a bunch of other stuff, wondering how it will be, my basement maintains perfect temp all year round and this was on a shelf where certainly no light has even glanced the bottle, 2016 vintage here
eyes...
black, dark, you know absence of light type of stuff here, thin male pattern baldness of cocoa head, the head sticks around, rolling the beer around the glass reveals that this beer is clingy, looks like it should, nothing amazing
nose...
dripping with heavy vanilla notes, some cocoa notes, definite whiffs of moist oak barrel, so what I am trying (poorly) to say is that is smells like bourbon including the booze notes, as one who has been into bourbon more the past couple of years this is creating great anticipation for the introduction of this dark libation to the local com port of my digestive system, in simple terms I just drooled on myself
taste etc...
tricky weight, the feel is velvet which kind of hides the heft of the brew, but then you notice it as it slides on down the old food pipe, this straddles the vanilla/caramel line in terms of the big malt hit it delivers (and it does, this is malty as all get out), the booze certainly does not want to be left out and surely it 'announces it's presence with authority (ok meat?' - that's a famous movie line for those scratchin' their heads), nothing in this brew ever becomes too much, it walks right up to that line in every way but never goes over, it allows itself to be sipped in a good manner, never requiring a break like some brews that seem like motor oil (although they may be tasty as hell), this lingers, this really is just so well balanced, delicious
verdict?
get a shovel and unearth some! (yech... I know) seriously good stuff, I'm glad I have 3 more bottles of this vintage sitting back there in my catacombs. When I think Long Trail I think of the early IPA days and when I thought a Kolsch was something I had to go to a doctor to get rid of, I think of the Starship ale when the gondolas at Killington were launched, I think of Vermont, but this brew proves as yet again, Long Trail is a brewery and can pull off any style if they so choose.
May 27, 2019eyes...
black, dark, you know absence of light type of stuff here, thin male pattern baldness of cocoa head, the head sticks around, rolling the beer around the glass reveals that this beer is clingy, looks like it should, nothing amazing
nose...
dripping with heavy vanilla notes, some cocoa notes, definite whiffs of moist oak barrel, so what I am trying (poorly) to say is that is smells like bourbon including the booze notes, as one who has been into bourbon more the past couple of years this is creating great anticipation for the introduction of this dark libation to the local com port of my digestive system, in simple terms I just drooled on myself
taste etc...
tricky weight, the feel is velvet which kind of hides the heft of the brew, but then you notice it as it slides on down the old food pipe, this straddles the vanilla/caramel line in terms of the big malt hit it delivers (and it does, this is malty as all get out), the booze certainly does not want to be left out and surely it 'announces it's presence with authority (ok meat?' - that's a famous movie line for those scratchin' their heads), nothing in this brew ever becomes too much, it walks right up to that line in every way but never goes over, it allows itself to be sipped in a good manner, never requiring a break like some brews that seem like motor oil (although they may be tasty as hell), this lingers, this really is just so well balanced, delicious
verdict?
get a shovel and unearth some! (yech... I know) seriously good stuff, I'm glad I have 3 more bottles of this vintage sitting back there in my catacombs. When I think Long Trail I think of the early IPA days and when I thought a Kolsch was something I had to go to a doctor to get rid of, I think of the Starship ale when the gondolas at Killington were launched, I think of Vermont, but this brew proves as yet again, Long Trail is a brewery and can pull off any style if they so choose.
Reviewed by Wxb1111 from Rhode Island
4.31/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.31/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a dark brown color with a half finger of tan head. The nose is exquisite - sweet bourbon without a hint of harshness. The blend of bourbon flavor and roasted malt is nice! An excellent barrel aged stout.
Oct 13, 2018
Reviewed by ZebulonXZogg from Illinois
4.04/5 rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.04/5 rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
2016 vintage poured into a pokal. Pours a very dark brown with a minimal head that quickly fades into a ring. Aroma is very boozy. As it warms, notes of cocoa, ash and toffee make themselves known. Good body, not much carbonation. I enjoy big boozy BA stouts and this is pretty damn good. A gift from Sharon in Connecticut.
Jun 20, 2018
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts
4.09/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
2017 vintage
Pours a darker small fizzy head that fades semi quickly, a little lacing, decent legs, very black color
NOse loads of chocolate, dark chocolate, cocoa, fudgey, a little milk choc, a bit of roasty notes, little creamy lactose, some caramel, cookie dough notes, mild bitter roast and spicy hop, mild sweet bourbon and toasted vanilla oak
Taste brings fair sweet but dark malts, roasty and a bit of bitterness from the roast, plenty of chocolate again, dark chocolate, cocoa, milk chocolate and caramel fudge, mild spicy hop, fluffy nougat marshmallow like, cocoa powder candy bar and wafer cookie notes, hint of roasted coffee, a bit of bourbon but not a lot, mild barrel juice like bourbon, a bit of toasted woody oak, wood esters too I think. Finishes a bit drier mild sweetness, bit more roasty bitterness and spicy hop bitterness, lingering cocoa, fudge, mild bourbon, and a touch of a fruity flavor
Mouth is fuller bod, a bit creamy, mild carbonation but Ok, almost no alcohol though
Overall not bad, nice base stout, loads of chocolate, nice bitterness to malt sweet balance, really wish the bourbon and barrel was more.
Mar 17, 2018Pours a darker small fizzy head that fades semi quickly, a little lacing, decent legs, very black color
NOse loads of chocolate, dark chocolate, cocoa, fudgey, a little milk choc, a bit of roasty notes, little creamy lactose, some caramel, cookie dough notes, mild bitter roast and spicy hop, mild sweet bourbon and toasted vanilla oak
Taste brings fair sweet but dark malts, roasty and a bit of bitterness from the roast, plenty of chocolate again, dark chocolate, cocoa, milk chocolate and caramel fudge, mild spicy hop, fluffy nougat marshmallow like, cocoa powder candy bar and wafer cookie notes, hint of roasted coffee, a bit of bourbon but not a lot, mild barrel juice like bourbon, a bit of toasted woody oak, wood esters too I think. Finishes a bit drier mild sweetness, bit more roasty bitterness and spicy hop bitterness, lingering cocoa, fudge, mild bourbon, and a touch of a fruity flavor
Mouth is fuller bod, a bit creamy, mild carbonation but Ok, almost no alcohol though
Overall not bad, nice base stout, loads of chocolate, nice bitterness to malt sweet balance, really wish the bourbon and barrel was more.
Rated by jonfed from New York
5/5 rDev +22.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +22.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
The barrel-aged has an interesting sweetness, different from the regular Unearthed
Mar 11, 2018
Reviewed by Samlover55 from New York
4.23/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.23/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2017 vintage
12oz bottle into Libbey Tulip
L- pours a thick dark black with dark brown head, lacing
S- bourbon, dark fruit, bananas, chocolate rum balls
T- sweet brown sugar, dark fruit, plenty of bourbon, touch of smokiness on the finish
F- thick, full-bodied, slight alcohol burn
Overall this is an amazing BBA stout, i realy live the dark fruit, adds a whole new dimension to the beer
Mar 07, 201812oz bottle into Libbey Tulip
L- pours a thick dark black with dark brown head, lacing
S- bourbon, dark fruit, bananas, chocolate rum balls
T- sweet brown sugar, dark fruit, plenty of bourbon, touch of smokiness on the finish
F- thick, full-bodied, slight alcohol burn
Overall this is an amazing BBA stout, i realy live the dark fruit, adds a whole new dimension to the beer
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