Fremont Dark Star - Bourbon Barrel
Our Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in 15 year old single use Kentucky bourbon barrels. The roasted and chocolate malts complement the smooth oats to bring you a stout delight wrapped in gentle embrace of bourbon barrel-aged warmth. A touch of sweetness dances in balance with the hops to finish with a wave and then she’s gone.
Down & Dirty: 2-Row, Roast Barley, Crystal-60, Chocolate, and Carafa-2 malts with Flaked Oats and Magnum, Willamette & Cascade hops. 9.5% ABV
2015 release: 14.5%
2017 release: 14%
2018 release: a blend of 24, 18, 12, and 8-month Bourbon Barrel-Aged Dark Star in 7-12-year old Kentucky bourbon barrels. Columbus instead of Magnum hops. 13.6%
2020 release: 14.5% 50 IBU
2021 release: 12.7%
Down & Dirty: 2-Row, Roast Barley, Crystal-60, Chocolate, and Carafa-2 malts with Flaked Oats and Magnum, Willamette & Cascade hops. 9.5% ABV
2015 release: 14.5%
2017 release: 14%
2018 release: a blend of 24, 18, 12, and 8-month Bourbon Barrel-Aged Dark Star in 7-12-year old Kentucky bourbon barrels. Columbus instead of Magnum hops. 13.6%
2020 release: 14.5% 50 IBU
2021 release: 12.7%
4.1
322 reviews
Seattle, United States
Community reviews
How: Draught.
Where: MBCC 2021.
Appearance: Black colour with a small tan head.
Aroma: Roasted malt, bourbon, caramel, chocolate, vanilla, alcohol.
Body: Full body, low carbonation.
Flavour: Roasted malt, bourbon, alcohol, coffee, chocolate, vanilla.
19th February 2022, 5oz pour on a flight in The Brewhouse, San Juan Capistrano. 2021 version (13.9% ABV) according to the beer list behind the bar. Black bodied with a small beige head. Malty, boozy and chocolately, lovely in fact!
Bottle at Weathered 2022 (2021 release). Black with small beige head. Bourbon, oat, wood, chocolate. Simple, but solid.
Waxed, capped bomber from Tavour. Pours very dark brn/blk with a large foamy dark tan head. Aroma of chocolate bourbon and heat. Full bodied. Flavor of chocolate, burnt malt, something suggesting oats, bourbon and heat. Not dry, but not really sticky. Bitterness from burnt malt and heat. Very tasty ale.
Sampled at Sbwf 2021. This is an excellent barrel aged carracter. Big chocolate taste and aroma. Very sweet malty taste that lingers
Draught @ MBCC '21 [ Red Session 🧙♂️🍻🇩🇰 ]. - Mikkeller Beer Copenhagen Celebration 2021, Øksnehallen, Halmtorvet 11, 1700 København V, Danmark.
[ As Fremont Dark Star - Bourbon Barrel ].
ABV: 12.7%. Clear dark black brown colour with a large, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, light brown head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, roasted, caramel, bourbon, barrel, chocolate, barrel - bourbon - vanilla. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and light bitter with a long duration, bourbon, barrel, wood, dark malt, sweet malt, caramel, chocolate, chocolate - coffee, barrel - bourbon - vanilla. Body is medium to medium full, texture is oily, carbonation is soft to flat, finish feel is warming. [20211023]
8-4-8-4-17
Black body with thin tan head. Chocolate malt and bourbon aroma. Very big malty taste with almost no barrel. Chocolate finish
Tap@MBCC 2021, Copenhagen - black with a brown head. Dark roasted and sweet malty, chocolate, caramel, full bodied, complex layered bourbon infused malty finish. Beautiful.
Tap @MBCC 2021, Red Session. Black, thick tan head. Bourbon, coffee, rich malty aroma. Sweet flavour, coffee, choc and bourbon. Warming, boozy finish.
Taster at MBCC 21. Black with light brown head. Roasted malts, bourbon, coffee, oak, light
MBCC. Black with a light brown head. Aroma is sweet, roasted malt, chocolate, coffee and bourbon. Flavor is very sweet and moderate bitter. Dry and moderate bitter finish with warming alcohol. Oily and boozy. 231021
--Keg at SBWF 2021. -- Black, small head. Generous aroma of licorice and coffee. Sweet with full body and rounded mouthfeel. Caramel and treacle. Licorice and salmiak. Mid bitter finish.
2020 version 12.7% …. Black pour with a tan head and spots of lacing … aroma of spicy bourbon, vanilla, chocolate/cocoa, roasted malts, light coffee, dark fruits coconut and fudge …. Taste is of vanilla, spicy bourbon, dry oak, dusty cocoa, dark fruits, chocolate, roasted malts, some coffee, coconut and fudge …. Silky, oily and rich …. Finish is of coconut, silky fudge, roasted malts, vanilla, dry oak and spicy bourbon …. Solid impy stout
650 ml bottle, vintage 2020.
Black body, with a medium, creamy, tan head.
Aroma of bourbon, dark chocolate, soy sauce, some coffee, some liquorice.
Tastes similar, a bit more boozy.
Medium, creamy mouthfeel, with a moderate carbonation. Finishes medium roasty, quite sweet, wooden, with bourbon, dark chocolate, soy sauce, liquorice.
Tasty! Quite typical BBA Imperial Stout, while very well balancex and smooth to drink. Great balance between roasty and sweet notes. Score: 8 / 4 / 8 / 4 / 17
15.7.2021: 650 ml bottle at Werckmeisters place, 12.7% ABV, vintage 2020 shared by Werckmeister, many thanks! Pours a nearly black dark brown with a light brown head. Aroma of mildly roasted malt, chocolate, toffee, nuts, green nuts, toffee and mild bourbon - smooth smell. Full body with a soft carbonation, a medium sweetness and a light to medium roasty bitterness. The flavor is similar to the smell but with more bourbon, spicy bourbon, sweet roasted malt, lots of chocolate, toffee, nuts and some dark fruity malt. Finishes with a light to medium roasty bitterness, nuts, mild bourbon, nuts, toffee and hints of alcohol. Overall really well balance, smooth with well integrated alcohol.
Aroma: 8
Appearance: 4
Taste: 8
Palate: 4
Overall: 18
0,75l bottle at home. Vintage 2020. black color, small coffee colored head. smells oats, spices, milk chocolate, bourbon, lovely smell. full body, light carbonation. tastes of soy sauce, marzipan, berry notes, bit oxidized, milk chocolate, dried fruits, bitter chocolate, very nice bourbon notes, some vanilla. finishes lightly roasty bitter with notes of bitter chocolate, bourbon and vanilla. this is very nice, very smooth, very good balance. great to drink.
9, 4, 9, 4, 18
On tap at Brouwers Cafe - this is the 2019 13.1% version. Smooth, sweet chocolate, rich, strong, delicious.
66cl black waxed bottle at home. Pitch black, foamy light beige head. Dark chocolate and coffee, quite a harsh boozy bourbon, dried fruits, vanilla, some charcoal, herbal, medium bitterness. Nice boozy dried fruity dark chocolate linger. Good body, low carbonation
vintage 2018
Appearance: Pours opaque black with tan head, no lacing.
外观：黑色，浑浊。米色泡沫，无挂杯。
4/5
Aroma: Toasted malt, oat, raisin, caramel, almonds, chocolate, aniseed and cinnamon, with hints of soy sauce.
气味：烘烤麦芽、葡萄干、焦糖、杏仁、巧克力、八角和肉桂，伴随着些许酱油味。
8/10
Taste: Toasty malt, grain, chocolate and nuts with hints of bourbon oak. Slight sweetness balanced with gentle bitterness. Warming sweet-bitter malty bourbon and spicy finish.
味道：烘烤麦芽、谷物、巧克力和坚果，伴随着些许波本桶味。轻微的甜度平衡着柔和苦度。尾韵温暖，苦甜交织，呈现麦芽、波本和香料味。
8/10
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied, soft carbonated. Oily and smooth.
口感：酒体较重，杀口感柔和。口感油润顺滑。
4/5
Overall
Thanks to the oat, the beer is rather old school - British, I mean, with good alcohol hiding, creamy smooth palate and balanced flavor profile. The problem is it's somewhat weak, especially on nose.
因为使用了燕麦的缘故，这款酒相当的老派——或者说英式，伴随着隐藏的很好的酒精感、细腻顺滑的口感和平衡的风味。问题在于味道有点寡淡，特别是闻上去。
16/20
Not my favorite stout, oatmeal adds a lot saccharine sugar, bu the bourbon barrel is a nice touch.
Huge roasted flavours and distinct barrel tones, vanilla and Bourbon and some wood as well. Somehow I expected more wow factor even though this is extremely well done.
Bottle, 650 ml shared with Max, Miro B and Bazz. Black with brownish head. Roasted, chocolate, cocoa, dark, some dark fruity notes, bourbon, very smooth. Medium sweetness with very nice bitter finish. Medium to full bodied. Quite balanced old school impy, nothing sticking out too much, well rounded. Very hard to find a flaw in this one, seems to be a thing with Fremont.
Quite literally the best dark beer I have tried.
Panda at h ome thanks to Cloin. An opaque dark black coloured pour with alasting loose dark tan head. Aroma is semi sweet, vanilla oak, chocolate, bourbon biscuit, little grape, cakey malts. Flavour is composed of rounded, chocolate malts, smooth roast, vanilla, oak, cakey malts, light jammy fruit, strawberry square. Palate is medium sweet, rounde , moderate carbonation, Good.
Sample thanks to Cloin: Poured a deep black with a light brown creamy head. Aroma is chocolate, roasted malts, boozy. Taste is chocolate, rich roasty malts, spices, boozy, burn of alcohol but not over the top.
Bottle at home, from Beerdome, 06/01/21 - watching Merica implode !
2020 release ... why these aren't listed separately god knows ... trick missed here US admines!!!
Pitch black with an initially billowing handsome khaki cap that settles in time and stays for the show.
Nose is dark malts, rich chocolate, oak, toffee fudge, brown sugar melt, light bourbon pinch, spice.
Taste comprises mellow roast, balanced bourbon, dark chocolate, hint of coffee, light spice, alcohol, burnt toffee, toasted brown sugars, molasses.
Full bodied, smooth massaging carbonation, semi drying close with a balanced kiss of alcohol.
Solid BA impy stout ... very drinkable.
Nera come la notte con schiuma color cappuccino cremosa. Profumo elegante, caramello, cioccolato al latte, caffè, prugna, uvetta, vaniglia, bourbon. Al palato, ciocolato, melassa, caramello e frutta scura disidratata, vaniglia, tostature di caffè e malto, luppolatura decisa, leggerissima nota di tabacco e robusto ma dolce abbraccio etilico di whisky. Retrogusto sontuoso di cioccolatino al whisky. Corpo pieno, morbido, rotondo e viscoso, carbonazione bassa. Ottimo bilanciamento tra dolce ed amaricante.
Az újabb üveg Fremont a tegnapi Rusty Nail-hez képest kevésbé játékos karakterű, ez esetben egy kőkemény vonalvezetésű, mégis lágy esésű imperial stout-hoz lehet szerencséje a palack tulajdonosainak. A főzet a legmélyebb csokoládés, kakaós folyamok képét idézi, sűrű hullámokban tárja fel a sötét árnyalatok legjavát. Enyhén fűszeres, masszív szerkezet, amelyben a különféle bourbon-jegyek játsszák a főszerepet, sűrű szövésű hálójában vanília, csokoládés péksütemények, brownie, marcipán hangulata akad fenn. Az alkoholfok ez esetben sem ízében, mint inkább hatásfokában mutatkozik meg leginkább, állja a sarat az ünnepek elmúlása okozta teher ellenében is.
Pours a pitch-black coloration with a large, creamy, mocha-colored head. Smells of lightly roasted, sweet caramel malt, some chocolate and vanilla, lighter coffee and bourbon, as well as just a hint of charred oak. Taste is a great balance of roasted, quite caramelly malt, molasses, chocolate, coffee and vanilla, with a distinct Bourbon presence and slight hints of tobacco, leather and charred oak also coming through. Finishes rather sweet, with a very light bitterness and some chocolate, coffee, vanilla and Bourbon lingering in the aftertaste. Full mouthfeel with a rich body and light carbonation.
I have to say that having this right after the base beer was a rather interesting experience and I probaly prefered the non-barrel-aged version of this to be honest, which was just way better balanced for my personal taste. The long aging in barrels has basically caused the bitter, herbal hops, which represented a great counterpoint to the already quite caramelly sweet beer to completely fade away and has also added even more sweetness in the form of some distinct vanilla accents, which also seem to overshadow the roasted malts a little here, along with the mildly boozy Bourbon note.
While this is a much richer beer than the base stout, with a slightly thicker mouthfeel and some nice additional bourbon, vanilla and oak notes, it does not feel distinctly more complex, as these just overshadow some of the more interesting notes of the base beer, while the balance is noteably worse in my personal opinion. Don't get me wrong, this still makes for a very enjoyable BA stout with a very nice, warming, but not quite too boozy Bourbon presence in the finish, but overall it's just too sweet and a tiny tad too boozy for my personal taste, while I also much prefered the more roasted nose of the base beer to the sweeter and more boozy aroma of this.
60 cl bottle, 2019 vintage, served in a snifter. Poured black with two finger mocha tan head. Aroma: bourbon, coffee, vanilla, chocolate, caramel, nuts, dried dark fruit. Taste: dark chocolate, bourbon, espresso beans, vanilla, caramel, charred oak, toffee, licorice, burnt brown sugar, molasses, sultana, hops, plums, nougat. Chewy and velvety mouthfeel. The barrel makes this brew sooo complex!! Full body and a charred roasted bittersweet finish with lots of bourbon in it. Beautiful bourbon barrel aged juice...beware of this piece of dark arts...beware!