A Note on This Beer
Like it or not, cold weather is just around the corner. And that can only mean one thing… it’s officially Stout season, baby!
So, we’ve rounded up four of the best just for you. From rich coffee-infused brews to sweet, sumptuous sippers, these barrel-aged Imperial Stouts are perfect to carry you into fall.
Get the fire a-roarin’, crack open these bad boys, and hunker down! Here’s what we’ve got coming your way:
Revolution Brewing - Supermassive Cafe Deth - 14.3 % ABV x 1 can
Stout sippers and coffee connoisseurs looking for a big fix of dark brewed goodness — we’ve got you covered! Everything about this rich and roasty Imperial Oatmeal Stout is MASSIVE!
It’s the 2021 release of Supermassive Café Deth from Revolution Brewing, and it boasts an enormous 4.49 UT-rating! To craft it, the Chicago crew started with a Stout and aged it for 18 months in Bourbon barrels. Then, they added 10 lbs of coffee per barrel from the Windy City’s own Dark Matter Coffee.
Sophisticated espresso aromas permeate the air with each pitch black pour. Take a sip, and tumble into decadent depths of oaky vanilla, dark chocolate, and whiskey caramel that beautifully balance the roasty brew.
Block 15 Brewing - Super Nebula (2021) - 13.25% ABV x 1 bottle
We hope you’ve polished your pint glasses, because we’re bringing you Block 15’s extra-special Barrel Aged Super Nebula, matured in Basil Hayden bourbon barrels!
After aging this limited-edition treasure, the brewers conditioned it on wild-harvested cocoa nibs from Bolivia. As a result, it pours thick and velvety-smooth, with fragrances of rich chocolate and top-shelf whiskey. While it tastes like biting into a Godiva dark chocolate truffle with a milk chocolate ganache center, and chasing it with a shot of bourbon, it’s also well-balanced and delightfully dry.
River North Brewing - Cinnamon Vanilla Rum Barrel-Aged Mr. Sandman - 11.1% ABV x 1 bottle
I’ll cut to the chase: in a Paste Mag blind tasting, the original Mr. Sandman was declared the #1 Imperial Stout in the world! This series consists of ridiculously boozy, pastry-like confections that sip down as smooth as silk — one swig of today’s rum barrel-aged version, and you’ll realize we’re not exaggerating. Not even a little.
This big brew boasts decadent waves of real cinnamon and vanilla. The brewers also aged it in rum barrels — a feat rarely seen in beer — for whispers of honeyed oak and molasses that swirl beautifully with the fudg-y mocha base. Yum!
Stonecloud Brewery - Flap Jackson - 13.8% ABV x 1 can
What’s better than pancakes loaded with raspberries and smothered in maple syrup? Pancakes loaded with raspberries, smothered in maple syrup — and aged in bourbon barrels!
The brewers at Stonecloud brewed Flap Jackson with ripe, red raspberries, rich maple syrup, and delicious cinnamon. Then they packed this stack of flapjacks with raspberry pancake-inspired cookies from Denver’s Sugar Jar Sweets, baked exclusively for this brew!
They aged it all in bourbon barrels, enhancing the rich flavors of cocoa and maple and adding oaky contrast to the sweet notes. Thick, silky, and full, each swig tastes just like pancakes, only these pancakes carry notes of decadent cocoa and bourbon.
The fact that summer is on its way out miiiiight be hard to swallow, but these scrumptious Stouts sure aren’t. What are you waiting for? Get sippin’!