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Silver & Steel Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

North Carolina
United States
Silver & Steel Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, Highland Brewing Co.
Judges Ratings 
1 Review
85
Aroma:
21 / 24
Flavor:
32 / 40
Appearance:
6 / 6
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
16 / 20
Description 

Celebrate 25 years of Highland Brewing with this luxurious imperial stout. A blend of Imperium and Black Watch, aged in bourbon barrels for 18 to 24 months. This imperial stout reflects on how things change and improve over time. Smooth and decadent with big bourbon and chocolate notes accented by vanilla, coconut, and coffee.

Beverage Profile
ABV: 
12.8%
IBUs: 
40
Served at: 
50º F
Hops: 
Chinook, Willamette, Mount Hood
Malts: 
Two-Row, Dark Munich, Chocolate, Carafa II, Roast Barley, Honey, Flaked Oats, Wheat, Special B, Blackprinz, Caramel 90, Caramel 120
Judges Review 
Sal Mortillaro II's picture
Judges Rating:
85
Aroma:
21 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
32 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
16 / 20

Silver & Steel Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout by Highland Brewing Co. is being judged as a Specialty Wood-Aged Beer (category 33B) with an Imperial Stout (category 20C) as its base beer per the 2015 BJCP Guildelines.

This beer pours a very dark brown color with a slightly murky clarity when held to the light. A creamed coffee-colored head quickly fades and leaves a ring of large bubbles around the edge of the glass. The aroma consists of a moderately high malt sweetness with a mixture of low notes of chocolate, roast, coffee and moderate whiskey barrel lactones. Low wisps of alcohol are apparent as the beer warms and no hops or esters are detectable in this beer. In the flavor, malt sweetness is moderately high and quickly followed by a fleeting dark fruit flavor and moderately low flavor of ethyl alcohol. As the alcohol subsides, very low vanilla and coconut lactones, chocolate and very low roast linger into the aftertaste though they are fleeting and quickly replaced by ethyl alcohol. There is no hop flavor but an apparent low hop bitterness helps to bring balance to this beer aided by the noted alcohol. This beer has a medium-full body with medium-low carbonation, which lends to a nice creaminess in this beer. There is no astringency with a moderately low alcohol warmth in this beer. Overall, this is a well executed beer that lacks the malt depth and complexity of better examples of other barrel-aged stouts.

Brewery Introduction

Highland Brewing was founded in 1994 by retired engineer and entrepreneur Oscar Wong, establishing it as the pioneer of Asheville, NC’s now booming craft beer industry. Proudly regional, Highland’s beers are distributed in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia.... Read More