~$14, 4-pack of 12 oz. bottles - Purchased at Chattanooga Wine & Spirits
Background
Bourbon-barrel-aged beers are nothing new at this point. Also nothing new is adding coffee to the brewing of a beer. I believe this is the first time I’ve seen both things in one beer, though…but the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout (or Bourbon Barrel Coffee Stout) is not even that new, either, having won awards in 2013 and 2014.
Alltech Lexington Brewing & Distilling is one of “only a handful of joint brewing and distilling operations in the world.” The produce Town Branch Bourbon and Rye, some liqueurs, Kentucky Ale, Kentucky Kölsch, and several other adult beverages.
For this particular beer, Alltech “builds on the success of its barrel-aged brother, the beloved Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale,” brewing and aging the beer with their Café Citadelle Haitian coffee. The official name on the website is “Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout” and it shows the same on the 4-pack carrier pictured on the website, however when I bought my 4-pack is read “Bourbon Barrel Coffee Stout”…while the individual bottles still omit the word “Coffee.” I am guessing that they recently changed the name to make sure people know there is coffee in it, but it hasn’t been fully enacted yet.
This beer has a mid-range 8% ABV and a relatively low 25 International Bitterness Units rating.
Notes
As expected—it is a stout—the beer poured thick and black into the glass, producing a creamy head. The first sip has malty beer notes up front, with a touch of fizziness. The middle of the sip had an abundance of rich black coffee flavor and it wasn’t until the finish that I picked up a slight oak note from the Bourbon barrel. There is a touch of sweetness in the mix, as well.
I paired this beer with a RoMa Craft Cromagnon Anthropology, my favorite vitola of a cigar I haven’t had in months. The Cromagnon fired up rich and full-bodied with semi-sweet chocolate and earthy flavors.
As I figured it might be, this was an excellent pairing. I would definitely go with a rich, full-bodied Maduro to pair with this stout…with almost any stout, for that matter. I honestly don’t have much more to say about this…great beer, great cigar, great pairing…check out Small Batch Cigar’s website if your local shop doesn’t carry RoMa Craft.