Barrel Aged or Nah

I like the barrel aged beers that aren't overwhelmingly sweet like Big Bad Baptist or Stone's Fyodor's Classic.

 

I chose nah, but I enjoy them both as long as they're done well, and if it's a BA, the barrel is well integrated and not just covering up a multitude of sins. But IME when regular stouts fail, they are just mediocre, but when BA's fail, they fail spectacularly. OT, but also I feel compelled to say that I really do not like the trend of oatmeal-raisin-cookie-chocolate-marshmallow-cinnamon-nutmeg-kitchen-sink stouts, so there's that.

 

Barrel aged cuz its usually bourbon barrel aged, and I love oak and bourbon and I love stouts, so boom....drunk

 

Ha! Well played. I guess I had too many stouts today.

 

Sounds like an IP in SanDiego should be in your future, for Bcbs.

Do you one better, give me a U.S. shipping address , and I'll send you a Bcbs. 2014 of course.

 

I'm not a fan at all of a spirit barrel aged beer in general..to boozy for me tho I'm still new to drinking so may end acquiring a taste..
Stouts tend to be my least favorite style but I've been branching out and found a few I loved and was almost craving the next sip. So I'm getting there...slowly haha

 

I prefer non-barrel aged... Unless the beer is balanced well, usually the barrel presence is too strong and removes the beer flavors I really enjoy. That being said, I have had a few recently that blew my mind (barrel aged), but it is because they were so well balanced and the barrel flavor is only part of the flavor, usually lightly, in the overall beer. So in that case, I dig them. It really depends on the beer, but usually I would rather have it without barrel treatment.

 

I love all stouts, but I would lean towards non-barrel aged.

 

I generally prefer stouts that are NOT BA by a long shot (plain oak barrel being the exception). I was actually surprised to see the voting closer than I thought it would be - I thought BA would be winning by a landslide.

 

Under the directive of "having to choose", I am going with something of a Kobayashi Maru and cheating the question. First off, my choice would be non-BA'd because these stouts have characteristics, nuances and feel that isn't really found anywhere else in the world of beer, liquor, soft drink or otherwise (small exception in the case of comparing a Cascadian Ale v. west coast stout). I can still get whiskey taste from whiskey, brandy from brandy, etc.,. In choosing non- BA'd stouts over barrel aged stouts, I would further explain that typically BA'd stouts lose much of the delicate stout characteristics and instead bring out flavors and smells dominated by the liquor that said barrels once housed and its nuances. Sure, there are some elements of a stout that rise up such as molasses or chocolate, but even the edges of those flavors are muted.

So the Kirk's cheat part - I'll take a non-BA'd stout any day and add a splash (not a shot, not a finger, a splash in the bottom before pouring) of Jack, Remy, Jose or whatever I wish in order to create that barrel aged edge. No, it's not the same, but given the all or nothing choice, the splash will still impart whiskey, vanilla, a touch of oak and a little leather (if bourbon is used)

 

For me..it's all about the base beer. If the base is good then usually the BA version
tends be just as good..not all but most..
BA Speedway,BA Darkness,BA Sexual Chocolate,BA Double Negative,BA Ivan
& BA Dark Lord just as examples

 

I am full agreement of this.

 

I drink them both, but if I had to choose, not BAed...

 

While barrel aging is not a guarantee of quality (far from it) many of my favorite beers just happen to fall into that category. I love a good traditional stout as well, and many spiced (or adjunct heavy) stouts that have never seen a barrel, I have just found that my preference lies with those that have seen some time in a barrel. For those saying that barrel aging is a punch of flavor, I agree that is the norm but not necessarily the rule. Sure, there are a ton of BCBS types that have a heavy element of that flavor, but look at the Big Bad Baptist and Cafe Royales of the world. The barrel is less an overriding factor and more complementary there.

 

A nano brewery that sells Shakey's Pizza.

 

I said not BBA, but there are some I always buy.

 

You for real?

 

I like bof.

 

I could flip a coin as far as my enjoyment is concerned....price is what swayed me to vote Nah

 

I like both. Im happy with either or... but I checked not just because I feel like there are a lot more none barrel aged to choose from.