Dark Horse Bourbon Barrel Plead the 5th Imperial Stout

This beer is a big and full bodied Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels with lots of roasted malts, but very balanced with heavy hops. Brewed with a top secret root, this beer has an amazingly complex flavor that you must wait for.

Previous years: 11% - 14% ABV

4.2

547 reviews

Marshall, United States

Community reviews

4.1 2016 vintage. Vanilla, bourbon, chocolate, wood and coffee in nose. Pours pitch black with tan head. Taste is sweet to medium sweet with chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, coffee and roasted malts. Medium bitter finish, soft carbonation, full to average body. Overall nice sipper.

4.1 0.15 l sample from a leaking 0.355 l bottle from 'Ace Drinks', 11% abv acording to the label, bottled in July 2016. Pitch black with some light brown bubbles on top of it. Sweetish, malty, moderately roasty aroma of praline, mocca, vanilla and bourbon. Quite sweet, malty, gently roasty taste of praline, mocca, licorice, vanilla and quite some bourbon, followed by a long, gently roasty-bitter, slightly earthy, rather warming finish. Medium to full body, almost oily mouthfeel, very soft carbonation. Great beer, perfectly balanced, has enough earthy bitterness too balance the heavy sweetness, the bourbon rounds it up brilliantly.

4.3 355 ml bottle at home, vintage 2016 at 11% ABV. Pours a very dark brown to black with a light brown head. The aroma is full of mild bourbon along with roasted malt, molasses, coconut, honey and hints of alcohol. Full body with a soft carbonation, a medium sweetness and a light to medium bitterness. The flavor starts with bourbon followed by sweetish roasted malt - dark chocolate, caramel, brown sugar, molasses and nuts. Finishes with some residual sweetness and a light roasty bitterness, nuts and bourbon. Lovely and really long lasting finish - the beer nearly coats your tongue. Very good and really complex with well integrated notes of mild bourbon. Becomes even better upon warming. Excellent. Aroma: 9 Appearance: 4 Taste: 8 Palate: 4 Overall: 18

4.2 Pours a pitch black coloration with a tiny, fizzy head. Smells of dark chocolate, coffee and vanilla, with a lightly boozy bourbon note. Taste follows the nose, with strong notes of chocolate, coffee and vanilla and ligher notes of toffee, dark fruits, tobacco, charred oak, bourbon and a hint of a certain musty earthiness. Finishes with a light bitterness and booziness. Thick, creamy mouthfeel with a rich body and low carbonation. This is reasonably complex and quite well-balanced, although the barrel-character is not that much at the forefront. Still, all the different notes intermingle harmoniously without anything standing out too much. Remionds me a little of KBS, actually.

4.3 355 ml bottle at 11% ABV, bottled 12/07/16. Thanks to Werckmeister! Pitch black body, with a small, creamy, coffee-colored head. Aroma of melting dark chocolate, wood, bourbon, tobacco, cocoa powder, dark fruits, some vanilla, some soy sauce. Tastes delicious, with similar aromas, subtle booze, while really smooth and creamy. Full, oily mouthfeel, with a low carbonation. Finishes perfect, smooth, medium dry, medium roasty, a bit sweet, a bit warm, wooden, with dark chocolate, bourbon, tobacco, some dark fruits. Delicious! So balanced, with the bourbon barrel prefectly integrated and just enough alcohol warmth, really smooth to drink for the ABV. Complex, but also really round, with every aroma in its right place. Outstanding example of a bourbon BA Imperial Stout! Score: 8 / 4 / 9 / 5 / 17

4.3 12oz bottle at home. Vintage 2016. Bottled 12.7.2016. 11% ABV. black color, small coffee colored head. smells of bourbon, earthy, some dried fruits, plums, light coconut, marzipan, very nice smell. full body, light carbonation, oily mouthfeel. tastes of bourbon, coconut, marzipan, bitter chocolate, cocoa, bit earthy, some spices, light vanilla. finishes light to medium roasty bitter with notes of coconut, bourbon and marzipan. lovely beer. lovely bourbon notes. just a tad too much vanilla for me, but overall this is great. very smooth and delicate barrel notes.

4.3 Aromat: rewelacyjnie mocny i intensywny. Tona pralin belgijskich, masa czekolady, wiśnie w likierze czekoladowym, suszone śliwki w czekoladzie, bardzo wyraźny ale nieprzesadzony bourbon, wanilia, kokos. Piwo pachnie cudnie ale tak w sposób nieprzesadzony. Wygląd: czarne, smoliste, mała, brunatna, drobnopęcherzykowa piana, chwilę się utrzymująca. Smak: słodkie, bogate, pyszne. Mnóstwo belgijskich pralin na pierwszym planie, także takich posypanych gorzką czekoladą, gorzkie kakao, mocny ale niezagłuszający reszty bourbon, wanilia, kokos, sporo nut palonych, kawa, całkiem niezła goryczka. Dobry balans, w piwie jest dużo słodyczy od czekolady, pralin i wanilii a równoważą ją będące też w sporej ilości nuty palone, gorzkie ziarna kakao, kawa, gorzka, naturalna czekolada. Są tu też ciemne owoce i wiśnie w czekoladzie, sporo suszonych śliwek też by się znalazło Odczucie: pełne, wyklejające, ciało ponad średnią, wysycenie niskie, alkohol bardzo dobrze ułożony, gorzka czekolada na finiszu. Całość: świetne, kapitalne zbalansowane, bardzo słodkie z dużą ilością goryczy, świetna beczka bo wyraźna ale subtelna, nie zagłusza reszty piwa, świetny aromat, bogate, wykwintne, pyszne piwo. 9/4/8/4/18

3.7 Bottle picked up at a small liquor store in Marshall, MI and shared with the CB crew. Pours a deep brown with a small tan head that dissipates quickly. Bourbon forward nose with some chocolate and light malt aromas. Smooth, body but a tad thin. More bourbon, vanilla and chocolate on the palate as it warms. Slighly warming finish with lingering bourbon notes.

4.2 Pours dark with low brown head. Aromas of bourbon , leather, muscavado, roasted malts. Taste has notes of bourbon, roasted malts, chocolate, hints of coffee, brown sugar. Mouthfeel dry, medium bodied, average carbonation, medium bitter finish

4.2 Pours black with a low tan head. Aromas of chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, muscovado sugar. Taste is chocolatey and roasted with vanilla and caramel notes and quite bitter. Classic imperial stout. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation and quite dry.

4.4 Bottle from de Caigny, vintage 2016 at 11% ABV. Dark color, short frothy head. Aroma of cookie, chocolat, bourbon, molasses. Sweet, chocolate chip cookie, roasty coffee, bourbon. Wonderful., amazing, lovely.

4.8 Bottle at home, vintage 2016. Pours pitch black, not too thick; thin, creamy beige head. Nose has lots of clean bourbon, boozy, alcohol with roasted malts and some cask-vanilla in the background. Taste is incredibly smooth and soft, with lots of sweet and creamy roasted malty butterscotch, toffee, caramel and almonds blending with vanilla cask tones, alongside milky chocolate and espresso, slight charcoal bitterness and som real booze in the finish. Complex, clean and balanced altogether. Aftertaste lingers and lingers, bittersweet and boozy. Huge body, sticky but velvety soft mouthfeel, low carbonation.

4.9 Aroma is full of bourbon, roasted malts, dark chocolate.Taste is dominated by a pleasant bourbon note,toffee, sweet milk chocolate, peppery alcohol, oak, vanilla,big roasted malt,cocoa.Full body,oily,thick,very good..

3.8 Bottle Aroma-caramel, coffee, chocolate, vanilla Appearance brown, hazy, minimal head, Taste-medium bitterness, light sweetness, lightly sour, Palate-full body, sticky, average carbonation, long finish, Overall- very good

3.8 Third pint on draught at Brewdog Bar Reading. Black colour with beige head. Big dark roasted malts, big soy sauce, bourbon barrel, big liquorice, dark chocolate, light hoisin sauce, big espresso, coffee beans, booze, molasses, light chalky, dried dark fruits, light gravy granules, light sour, don't really get the hops. Great complexity, bit too much soy sauce umami + booze for me to love this as much as most people, still very nice.

4.0 02-04-18 // tap at Brewdog Berlin. Deep black. Beige head. Chocolate sauce with mild bourbon in the nose. Taste of coffee, dark roasted malts, chocolate. Some bourbon.

3.9 Bottle on the stag train to Bristol (cheers Dave) and keg at Brewdog Seven Dials as Dark Horse Bourbon Barrel Plead the 5th Imperial Stout, 12%. Opaque black, foamy ring of brown head leaves minimal lacing. Aroma is papery, woody bourbon, little medicinal, little Calpol and calming herbs (Kalms tablets). Body is smooth with soft carbonation. Taste is woody, bourbon forward, estery sweet pear, boozy, woody and surprisingly thin, quite floral. This ain't great on keg (3.6). Much preferred the bottle (3.9). (8-4-8-3-16=3.9)

4.3 Cocoa and vanilla on nose. Silky smooth palate. Sweet chocolate and vanilla, some coffee with mild booze and dark chocolate finish.

4.1 Keg at the brewdog seven dials.. An oily black coloured pour with a halo of dark tan head. Aroma is lovely bourbon, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, brown sugars marshmallow. Flavour is composed of thick oily, black cake, tangy, bourbon, tangy cake. Palate is full bodied, oily, moderate carbonation, light woody tannin. Nice.,

3.7 2Apr2018 Intense dark chocolate, toasted nuts, dark chocolate cake, charred wood, sharp alcohol, dark roast malts, cacao, light Bourbon. Hazy, very dark brown, small, creamy, beige head. Light bitter. More dark roast coffee, dark chocolate, cacao, toasted nuts, bitter, dark chocolate, soft carbonation, full bodied. Hum, nice, but falls way short of expectations. Keg at BrewDog, Seven Dials.

4.4 Aroma: vanilla bomb, coconut, roasted dark malts, cocoa, bitter chocolate, woody. Appearance: jet black and creamy head. Taste: bitter chocolate, vanilla, woody notes, coconut, roasted dark malts, caramel, very velvet. Palate: full body and medium carbonation. Overall: great beer, amazing bourbon barrel notes, very good base for aging.

4.3 Nose is heavily nutty and oaky. Sweet chocolate. Star anise. Flavour is creamy. Intense cocoa. Bourbon. Strong alcohol. Palate is full. Finish leaves cinnamon, spirit and nuts. Excellent.

4.2 Keg at BrewDog Lothian Road, Edinburgh. Black. Really mellow aroma, not boozy at all. Sweetness from the bourbon, but subtle and super smooth.

4.1 Bottle from Brewdog Castlegate. Pours black with a dirty tan head. Aroma is treacle, coffee, molasses, chocolate. Taste is a chocolatey, coconut, coffee, treacle and a good spicy boozy hit. Really good stuff.

4.0 Draft. Deep brown body with orange highlights. Tan head, diminishing. Aroma of roasted malts, dark chocolate, toffee, bourbon. The flavor is moderately sweet and lightly bitter. It finishes lightly to moderately sweet and lightly to moderately bitter. Medium to full body, velvety texture, moderate carbonation. Taste of roast, bourbon, sweet chocolate, peppery alcohol, oak, vanilla. Restrained bourbon taste which is a plus. Alcohol is there, but not overly pronounced (not bad for 14%). Excellent balance. Goes down smoothly. Top-shelf imperial stout.

4.3 The aroma is malt, figs and a little coffee and chocolate. Pours Dark Brown almost black with brown head fully diminishing and very good lacing. The taste is a medium bitter. The body is full, the texture creamy, the carbonation lively and the finish bitter and long. A VERY GOOD Stout!!!

4.2 (2015 vintage) Super classic one. It is heavy on bourbon instead of vanilla. It is a roasty one but much less than basic version. Not a sweet one. ABV balance awesome. I like it.

4.1 Shared 12 oz. bottle poured to snifters displaying a black/brown hue, with a presentable layer of dark, brownish tan froth, and dots & dashes of foamy cling to the lacing. The nose was pronounced roastiness, with strong cocoa, coffee to the back, nuttiness, barrel induced vanilla, and caramel sweetness. Full bodied, with just a touch of effervescence, and a bit of silkiness on the tongue, the taste successfully mimicked the aroma notes, with roasted & earthy bitterness, and hefty booze that complemented smoothly. Excellent!

3.9 ups, zle piwo zameldowalem ;) poprawka: Rami Rami is drinking a Bourbon Barrel Plead The 5th Imperial Stout (2013) by Dark Horse Brewing Co. at Muzeum Azji i Pacyfiku Aromat sups, gleboko beczkowy, burbonowy. Ale o dziwo w smaku agresywnie, intensywnie, alkoholowo... jakby nieulozone i kwaskowate. Palone. Chyba po prostu minal jego najlepszy czas?

4.5 Dark Horse Brewing Co. - Bourbon Barrel Aged Plead The 5th Imperial Stout Vintage 2014 Alkohol: 11% obj. Kolor: Czarny, nieprzejrzysty. Piana: Umiarkowana, beżowa o drobnej budowie. Nienajgorzej radzi sobie na powierzchni trunku. Opada w średnim tempie. Na szkle brak krążkowania, tylko punktowe plamki. Milimetrowa obrączka przyklejona do ostatniej warstwy trunku. Zapach: Oszałamiający aromat! Zachwyca swoją siłą z każdą sekundą. Monstrualna beczka po bourbonie. Ogrom wanilii, ciasteczek kokosowych i mnóstwo dębiny. Wącham i wącham i sam nie mogę w to uwierzyć jak dużo się tutaj dzieje. Akcenty pralinek belgijskich połączone z ajerkoniakiem, mleczna czekolada, ptasie mleczko i czekoladowe baryłki z alkoholem w środku. Strasznie przyjemne i niekończące się wrażenie. Smak: W smaku bombonierka w płynie. Czekoladowe baryłki oblane najlepszej jakości czekoladą, a w środku likier owocowy. Przewyborna beczka po bourbonie dająca długie posmaki wanilii, kokosu, ciasteczek Kokosanek, dębowego drewna. Coraz mocniej zaczynają dominować wiśnie w czekoladzie, toffi i karmel. Pokazuje się odrobina migdałów, kakao i słodkiej Caffè Latte. Niesamowita lekkość i aksamitne odczucie w ustach. Sięgam po kolejne łyki raz po raz z ultra krótkimi odstępami czasowymi. Plead The 5th uzależnia od pierwszych kropelek. Nie pozwala, aby przerwy były zbyt długie. Bogate, złożone, wielowymiarowe. Alkohol delikatnie rozgrzewa od środa, ale ani krzty nie wychodzi przed szereg. Tekstura gęsta, ale nie oleista. Ogromna pijalność. To jest jak nektar od Bogów. Chapeau Bas! Wysycenie: Niskie. Podsumowanie: Wersja Vintage 2014. Niesamowite piwo! Mega gładkie, leciutkie w odbiorze, a bogate w aromacie i smaku. Powaliło mnie intensywną beczką po bourbonie, akcentami pralinek czekoladowych, ajerkoniaku, mlecznej czekolady, wiśni w czekoladzie. Królowały posmaki wanilii, ciasteczek kokosowych, toffi i karmelu. Pomimo braku oleistości i tylko umiarkowanej tekstury piwo stało się łatwiej przyswajalne i z każdym łykiem lżejsze w odbiorze. Bajka!