Bourbon County Brand Stout (2010)

Thanks to Kate Reis, Tom Reis, Elise Meyer and Logan Beausoleil for giving me this beer on the night of Jens formal back in December of 2010. They were going sledding while we were waiting for the bus when I received this beer. Finally tasted it 6 months later. Enjoyed with Josh Schipp and Jen on a weekday night in May.

Appearance: Coal black with a completely darkened and turbid. Very little head, but in the smaller glasses we poured from this 12 Oz. bottle there was a light brown bubbled head. Otherwise the beer is very still.

Aroma: Huge bourbon smell with a chocolaty nose and a molasses. Very dense. Boozey and effervescent. Somewhat of a woody/oak undertone. A touch of nuttiness embraces the more pronounced scents of this beer. Sweet vanilla and roasted smores.

Taste: Initially it is very chocolate liqueur with a licorice component and a roasted bill. Bourbon obviously dominates, along with a very syrupy. The malt base is of strong coffee, chocolate and toffee. Almost some over attenuated brown sugar with a residual molasses roasted waste sweetness (make sense?). Sticky and with a faint raisin fruitiness. Nevertheless there is more of a grain-like element to this beer than anything. Vanilla, judging from the alcoholic taste helps encourage more of a complex flavor.
Mouthfeel: One of the biggest bodies I've been acquainted with. Little carbonation and a thick syrupy feel. Leaves a tackiness to the lips but a drying finish. The beer seems to get thicker as it warms, almost solidifies in the mouth. Extremely robust.
Overall Impression: I'm still not a fan of the big beer theme. The malt base is bold and syrupy while it boasts a huge boozy component. Roasted. Chocolate. Vanilla. Mix Aunt Jemima and bourbon and you got the same thing.

4 pack: $21