"Blanton Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout"
Let’s use a cliche!
If there is one fan of Goose Island’s “Bourbon County Stout” it’s me. If there are no fans, I am dead! “Bourbon County Stout”, which you can get nearly everywhere in the fall, is the beer that really started my fascination with beer and Imperial Stouts that have been aged in barrels. But they are expensive to make with higher ingredient costs, smaller batches, and longer brew times. These are expensive beers that have lower profit margins, so I was resigned to the fact that maybe one would show up at a festival since these beers scare some drinkers. Or hey, I can live with the mass-produced, “Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale.” I mean I’m not drinking it at home, but sometimes a barrel is a barrel. But find my unicorns on Disney property, I don’t think so.
I walked into Polite Pig and saw it. “Blantons Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout” was the pricey seasonal on tap. It cost more, and it was a smaller pour (it always is because these are higher ABV), and it called my name.
I confidently walked up and ordered this tulip of beer. The server looked at me approvingly, like there’s a bold drinker. Or maybe it was, hey we can finally move some of this. I joked about taking some home, she started to tell me I could but then made a comment about “opening it” which made me think it was canned or bottled instead of being on tap. What a world! A craft made Imperial Stout on Disney property. I was living the dream.
“Blantons Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout” by Ravenous Pig Brewing Company, the Polite Pig’s sibling brewery, is an 11% ABV and 46 IBU imperial stout. It was brewed and then placed into Blanton’s bourbon barrels to live and soak up the character of wood and remains of the bourbon qualities of the Blanton’s that was born there. I have to use “Bourbon County Stout” as my comparison. It is definitely more bitter than the Goose Island original releases of the last two years, and I enjoy that sweetness found in the original barrel-aged imperial stout. The hop bitters lead the taste, with some oak from the barrel, giving me more dryness than sweetness in this dark-colored liquid elixir. It reminds me of a hoppy Surly “Darkness” variant I had a few years ago that was a special one-time keg. I was surprised I could find a quality imperial on property and found it fit well with my lunch.
A Winning Lunch!
That being said, no one else in my group wanted to touch it. They all wanted beer-colored beer or mixed drinks.
But me, I was surprised by a location that I already had a high opinion of because I was able to order something I never expected to see. That’s a magical Disney Springs type of day!
Who Drinks This? Me! I think if you are someone who enjoys “Bourbon County Stout” you should grab one while it’s there to compare how it hits your palate. Who knows how long it will be on menu? In Central Florida, imperial stouts tend to linger on menus longer than what I have seen in the Midwest as those drinkers tend to view these as very special releases. Despite the care put into these beers, I am well aware that the price, style, dark malty color, and even flavor for some can be an obstacle. This is not a candy bar of an imperial stout. But it is a nice representation of what you can do with a category of beer that “Bourbon County Stout” created.
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