Zipline Brewing Company - Barrel-Aged The Stout

Closing out this special offer is Zipline’s Barrel-Aged The Stout. As Zipline put it: this is the one; this is the beer they were waiting to brew… This is THE Stout. And this particular take on The Stout—a massive imperial stout in its own right, packed with milk chocolate, roast, and licorice—spends some time aging inside of bourbon barrels for a little added oomph.

Barrel-Aged The Stout pours a super dark chocolate-brown color, with a little light coming through at the edges. This is especially dark and dense, with some nice viscosity in the glass. A medium-tan foam shows excellent retention and lacing. Generous aromatics from the get-go, leading with cocoa and dark fruits. There’s layered chocolates here, caramel and nougat, with a luxurious sweet-savory focus overall. The bourbon-barrel influence contributes some welcome warmth, nicely rounded bourbon, and hints of charred oak.

Overall, Barrel-Aged The Stout is an impeccably layered impy stout with deep vinous notes, layered chocolate, and a generous barrage of dried and dark fruits: dates, raisins, ripe figs… Secondary notes of cocoa, roasted malts, and baker’s chocolate fill things out further, while fruity notes paralleling cherry and strawberry manifest as this warms. Lots of dense heat and roast throughout. A brilliant core imperial stout, with delicious barrel accents that make this the ideal beer to conclude a showcase of Zipline’s work. Finishes with figs and chocolate.

Appropriately sized for some additional cellaring time, and some extra caramelization and sherry character will work perfectly in this framework. We’d be inclined to pair this stout with grilled beef or lamb kebabs, or a creamy vanilla dessert.