Blind Barrel Aged Stout tasting questions

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by quirkzoo, Mar 26, 2012.

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  1. quirkzoo

    quirkzoo Initiate (0) Jul 7, 2011 Colorado

    So, I want to put together a blind tasting of a couple of BA Stouts. My primary goal is to let the beer speak for itself and not focus on which one was more expensive, rare, from a big name brewery...So here are my options

    50/50 (Brandy Barrel and 4 roses)
    Definitely going to do these two, really interested to see if sharing the same base beer will be perceptible blind.​

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    2011 BA Yeti
    Have had this one once fresh and really liked it, seems like a good "control" for this category​

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    2011 Odell Bourbon Barrell Stout
    Possibly infected? I am interested in throwing this one in because it is usually not put in the same category as the other top tier Barrel Aged Stouts and therefore I want to see if that perception is justified by the beer or not​

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    Older Viscosity (need to check year)
    Haven't had this one yet so I really don't know where it falls​

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    Bruery - Melange 3
    Though not strictly a stout, it is a stout heavy blend and I think it would be interesting to compare the blend and see if it brings something desirable to the table as compared to other options.​

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    Uinta - Labyrinth
    Similar to Odell, doesn't usually get put in the top tier, interested to see if that reputation is justifiied​

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    Abyss 2011
    I love this one, but the last bottle I had of the 2011 vintage still had a lot of the "extra" flavors that are added and I think I want to focus more on the base beer + barrell evaluation as opposed to the "adjuncts" (of course that philosophy contradicts including Melange #3)​

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    So these are the options I have in the cellar, I would love to hear thoughts on how many to compare (I am thinking 4 or 5 to avoid palate fatigue) and which ones you think I should include. Also, if you know of any other easily accessible BA Stouts or have one you want to trade that I should include, I am all ears.
     
    #1 quirkzoo, Mar 26, 2012
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  2. funkel81

    funkel81 Initiate (0) Jan 23, 2011 Colorado

    sounds like fun. i'd personally leave out Melange 3, since it will taste nothing like the other stuff you will be drinking and you'll be able to pick it out easily. enjoy
     
    #2 funkel81, Mar 26, 2012
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  3. NoLeafClover44

    NoLeafClover44 Initiate (0) Feb 24, 2011 Delaware

    I'm a big fan of victory dark intrigue. It is sort of a polarizing beer because it is a little different than most other ba stouts with a pretty bitter character (similar to storm king, the base beer). As a result, a lot of people love it and a lot of people don't. Just thought having something different in there might be interesting. I could send you one if you're interested.
     
    #3 NoLeafClover44, Mar 26, 2012
  4. quirkzoo

    quirkzoo Initiate (0) Jul 7, 2011 Colorado

    Thanks for the responses. I haven't had Melange 3 before so I wasn't sure how different it was. Dark Intrigue sounds like a good option, I am pretty sure I have seen it at the local store and will check today.
     
    #4 quirkzoo, Mar 26, 2012
  5. khiasmus

    khiasmus Savant (1,143) Jun 12, 2006 South Carolina

    How many people will be participating? I am of the opinion that even ten beers is not too many, if you have at least eight people, lots of water and lots of crackers...
     
    #5 khiasmus, Mar 26, 2012
  6. quirkzoo

    quirkzoo Initiate (0) Jul 7, 2011 Colorado

    Most of these I only have 1 large format bottle of so I was looking to keep it relatively small to keep the pours large enough that we can go back and compare things. I was thinking 5 or 6 people, giving ~4 oz per person.

    I was at a tasting recently where we tried like 20 beers and everyone got 1-2oz. It was great, very interesting, but in my mind not enough to really explore each beer. Since this will be blind, I want to be able to really assess the beer before knowing what is on the label.
     
    #6 quirkzoo, Mar 26, 2012
  7. khiasmus

    khiasmus Savant (1,143) Jun 12, 2006 South Carolina

    Sounds reasonable. I once did a blind tasting of the top 12 stouts on BA, and though it was a lot, I didn't feel like we had more than our palates could appreciate. Have fun though, and post results!
     
    #7 khiasmus, Mar 26, 2012
  8. beerindex

    beerindex Zealot (641) Jun 18, 2007 Michigan

    Even if you're just going to do four, I would suggest inserting a cleanser beer between at least every second stout. So: Stout 1, Stout 2, Pale Ale, Stout 3, Stout 4, Pale Ale, Stout 5, Stout 6. Replace pale ales with a different style if you'd rather (an IPA that won't be too overwhelming is nice). And 8 beers including 6 stouts is plenty reasonable given the number of participants.
     
    #8 beerindex, Mar 26, 2012
  9. TapeDeck

    TapeDeck Initiate (0) Mar 31, 2011 Illinois

    You might have a sip of a non BA stout first, then hit the water/crackers or whatever, because otherwise you might find that the first of the BA stouts receives a different review than second through final.

    You might also serve them in different orders, to different attendees.

    Ideally, you'd have a shit ton of glassware, but that's totally impractical. It would just be a bummer to be doing all of the tasting out of plastic, or pints or whatever... there's so much going on in these beers besides the flavor and mouth-feel.

    The first time I find dirt cheap mini-snifters, I'm gonna buy 20 or more of them to store in the attic. :slight_smile:
     
    #9 TapeDeck, Mar 26, 2012
  10. axeman9182

    axeman9182 Initiate (0) Aug 5, 2009 New Jersey

    I would definitely not include Melange #3, as I'm guessing Black Tuesday makes up less than 15% of the blend for that (Melange is 15%, BT 18+%, and the other beers in the blend 14.5%).
     
    #10 axeman9182, Mar 26, 2012
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