Beer Review: Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout (2012 vintage)

Reviewing the 2012 vintage of the Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout from Great Lakes Brewing Company.
Score: 91

2012 vintage bottle ("2516 series") served in a tulip/snifter hybrid glass and enjoyed on 08/13/12. A big thanks to Nick for hooking me up with this bottle!

Appearance: Pours a thin film of tan head that quickly dissipates into a thin bubby tan ring around the glass. Poor lacing with oily cling and slightly below average retention. Black bodied with a strip of brown highlight at the top of the glass. 4/5

Smell: Lots of roasted coffee notes followed by milk and raw chocolate, mild bourbon notes and a little fig. As it warms, the bourbon aromas grow a little boozy. 4.25/5

Taste: Bourbon flavor upfront with a coffee twist followed by raisin/fig towards the finish. Creamy milk chocolate on the midpalate. There is tobacco flavor on the back half too. The beer has a boozy brown sugar flavor that turns to a caramel malt flavor in the aftertaste. Slight bourbon bite as the beer warms. My impression is that this is the kind of beer that is better aged than fresh. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus bodied, light carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel. Slightly roasty and mildly bitter. 4/5

Overall: A little boozy, just like the base beer. My impression is that this is the kind of beer that is better aged than fresh. The barrel aging adds some nice complexity to an already solid base beer, but I felt that this one was a bit over-hyped overall. A beer I would seek out again? Absolutely. "Top 100" worthy? Not even close.

Recommendation: Nab a bottle of this if you like the base beer, but do not trade your cellar to acquire a bottle. I would recommend sitting on this vintage (2012) another 6 months if you have a bottle or two.

Pairings: Vanilla almond biscotti.

Cost: $26 for a four pack of 12 oz bottles ($7 if purchased individually).