Beer Review: Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout (2013 release)

Reviewing the highly sought after Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout (KBBS) from my friends at the Toppling Goliath Brewery out of Decorah, Iowa. This beer is billed as a "beer aged in whiskey barrels with coffee" on the label.

Score: 100

2013 vintage bottle served in a Upland snifter and enjoyed on 09/22/13.

Appearance: Slick and shiny motor oil black in color. Pours a thin layer of dark khaki head that settles to a thick ring around the glass. Excellent lacing, amazing retention. The lacing slowly cascades back in to the glass like a viscous oil. 5/5

Smell: Like Morning Delight, the nose is bold and well integrated. Notes of maple/molasses syrup, bourbon, coffee and vanilla. Smells a lot like Bliss, the bourbon aged maple syrup, blended with coffee. Light notes of chocolate chip cookies. A dash of doughy cake batter too. Smells like Morning Delight plus vanilla, but with dialed down chocolate notes. As the beer warms up, the maple/molasses syrup-like aroma becomes more prominent. 5/5

Taste: Sweet maple and molasses flavor upfront, then vanilla. Roasty coffee flavors and faint, but detectable, chocolate on the back half. Underlying coffee backbone really helps balance the upfront sweetness. No booziness, but there is a little alcohol warming effect on the palate as the beer warms up. The vanilla and maple/molasses syrup flavors shine through more as this beer warms up too. This is truly delectable. 5/5

Mouthfeel: Fully bodied, spot on carbonation. Creamy, oily mouthfeel. Shares the same umami character I got from Morning Delight (no soy sauce flavor). Balanced, though sweet leaning. Has a nice bitterness to the finish that imparts easy drinkability to cut through what would otherwise be a layering sweetness. 5/5

Overall: I am not sure if this is a barrel aged version of Morning Delight, but it shares many of the same characteristics. Both this and Morning Delight are incredible, but I thought that KBBS was the superior brew of the two. The vanilla notes from the barrel aging here are lovely. This beer is, for all intents and purposes, perfect. Among the many stouts I have consumed, there are only a couple out there that I would rather have if forced to choose. With luck, Toppling Goliath will rebrew this and our paths will cross again one day. If not, I am truly glad to have had the opportunity to tick this. Even at its hefty cost, I recommend seeking out a bottle; this is probably going to be the best beer released in 2013.

Cost: $12 for a 12 oz bottle.