Favorite Non-Adjunct BA Stouts

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by floyd_pugman, Apr 21, 2019.

Tags:
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. floyd_pugman

    floyd_pugman Zealot (681) Sep 14, 2015 California
    Trader

    I love BA stouts, but my palate is getting a weary of pastry stouts that taste more like a rich after-dinner dessert than a beer. What are your favorite straight BA stouts? They can be anything from Uncle Jacobs to SR-71; I'd be interested in favorites regardless of price, as well as those that you feel outperform their price point at any level.
     
  2. Hoos78

    Hoos78 Maven (1,327) Mar 3, 2015 Ohio

    You named one in Uncle Jacob's. My favorite semi-local is BA Dark Apparition from Jackie O's.

    As far as readily available and out-performing price point...it is hard (impossible) to beat Boulevard Whiskey Barrel Stout.
     
  3. JayORear

    JayORear Grand Pooh-Bah (3,058) Feb 22, 2012 California
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    First and foremost Parabola, and, since you're in CA, Smog City Infinite Wishes.
     
  4. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    Central Waters Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout for out-performing its price point.

    @floyd_pugman, you mentioned pastry, sweet, etc.,... but since you also said "straight stouts" I assume you are also excluding any flavored stout, correct?
     
  5. narddawg314

    narddawg314 Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2015 Missouri

    SR-71 is tops. Close 2nd is Carpathian. Then you've got Rare '15 and a few others but those 3 are memorable.
     
  6. nc41

    nc41 Initiate (0) Sep 25, 2008 North Carolina
    Trader

    Old Hickory Event Horizon, theres harder to get and more expensive options, but it’s as good as a stout gets.
     
  7. Snowcrash000

    Snowcrash000 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,041) Oct 4, 2017 Germany
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    BCBS, an incredibly well-balanced Stout with surprisingly rich coffee and chocolate notes simply from the malts used. Nothing over-the-top, just absolutely beautifully rounded, with a fantastic mouthfeel as well. I wish it was as easily available in Germany as it is in the US, but then again, the price is kind of a turn-off.

    Parabola would be a close second, but while it is somewhat richer than BCBS, it's not as well-balanced in my opinion with the Bourbon standing out a touch too much, giving this a certain booziness that I personally dislike. Also even more expensive than BCBS.
     
  8. 7irondave

    7irondave Pooh-Bah (1,918) Jun 22, 2016 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    There's three that sit at the top for me.
    • Appervation
    • A Night To End All Dawns
    • Rare DOS 1
    I'd probably put them in this order if I was forced, but they're all first class and delicious
     
  9. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Might not be the most creative answer, but probably BCBS. Parabola is obviously up there, as well. The BORIS series are all tremendous (I'm assuming oatmeal stout is OK).
     
  10. TheGent

    TheGent Grand Pooh-Bah (4,235) Jun 29, 2010 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Anchorage Darkest Hour. There are several variations, including some with additional ingredients such as coffee, but the brandy barrel aged version with no other flavorings added is the one of the best beers I have ever had.

    Also, various offerings from Clown Shoes. They do stout spirit barrel aging very nicely.
     
    tobelerone, Bitterbill and Buckeye55 like this.
  11. eppie82

    eppie82 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,377) Apr 19, 2015 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Somewhat attainable, my top tier (in no particular order:
    BCBS
    BA Ten Fidy
    Parabola
    Central Waters Brewers Reserve Imperial Stout
    BA Expedition Stout

    More difficult to obtain tier (no particular order):
    Beer: Barrel: Time batch 2
    Assassin ‘14, ‘19
    Maman ‘17
    Black Magick Willett (silver wax), Buffalo Trace b2 (blue wax)
    BCBS ‘13, ‘14
     
  12. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Ten fidy has oats, it's out. I'm going BA Framminghammer.
     
    jbertsch, mikeinportc, dcotom and 3 others like this.
  13. marquis

    marquis Pooh-Bah (2,313) Nov 20, 2005 England
    Pooh-Bah

    Just a plea for the correct use of the word "adjunct", a lot of the time it is used simply to describe added ingredients. An adjunct originally meant a source of sugar which used the enzymes in malt to unlock. More loosely it has sometimes been used to describe fermentable non malt ingredients, but to describe all non malt ingredients as adjuncts degrades the word.
    Of course the main culprit is brewing literature assembled by cut and paste from existing work. This means that errors and omissions perpetuate.
     
  14. ZebulonXZogg

    ZebulonXZogg Grand Pooh-Bah (3,142) May 5, 2015 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    In no particular order.
    Crystal Lake Brewing Boathouse Reserve Rye BA Stout.
    Wild Onions' Drago.
    On par with the best of them!
     
    mikeinportc likes this.
  15. nc41

    nc41 Initiate (0) Sep 25, 2008 North Carolina
    Trader

    My last BA Ten Fidy was a soy bomb, ugh just the most vile concoction ever. I’ve had it before and it’s been great, but I can’t even look at the stuff right now. The smell alone would make me barf.
     
    GormBrewhouse likes this.
  16. RochefortChris

    RochefortChris Grand Pooh-Bah (3,271) Oct 2, 2012 North Carolina
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I've always found Barrel Aged Ten Fidy to be one of the better barrel aged stouts, it's one of the few where the bourbon complements the beer and not the other way around. BA Old Rasputin and Yeti gets an honorable mention
     
  17. sulldaddy

    sulldaddy Grand Pooh-Bah (5,716) Apr 6, 2003 Connecticut
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Great thread.
    For me locally in CT
    -Black Hog bourbon BA leaves a mark is amazing. 16 oz cans and great price point
    -new england brewing BA stout trooper is solid
    -BA Kompromant from Hanging Hills also great

    Generally i agree with the event horizon post and the Drago post.
    Ill also toss in BA Impending Descent from Troegs.

    If you found it north coast anniversary BA Rasputin 2008 vintage was one of the best beers Ive ever had. Not sure of other vintages but I bet they are solid.

    Im definitely following this thread. Sure to find some good recommendations and trade targets.
     
    mikeinportc and jrc1093 like this.
  18. Thirst_trappist

    Thirst_trappist Maven (1,420) Jan 18, 2016 Florida
    Trader

    Marshall Zhukov is great as well as its ba versions

    A few others...
    Maman
    BBT
    Sleeping forever..especially the Kentucky barrel one
     
    Sabtos likes this.
  19. bbtkd

    bbtkd Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,790) Sep 20, 2015 South Dakota
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Adjuncts vs. add-junks.
     
  20. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,966) Mar 12, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    @floyd_pugman, I will 3rd or 4th Parabola as an excellent BA Stout, also you should be able to find the various BA Old Rasputin iterations around and they are quite excellent. I would also look out for Colossal from Fall River brewing. It's not BA but it is an excellent imperial that packs a lot of roasty flavor (I hope they give it some barrel treatment one of these days).
    Beyond that I was pleasantly surprised at how worthy of the esteem BCBS is and is a great value for that class of beer in my mind.
     
    rozzom likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.