I'd been looking with great envy at how West coast BAs regard the output of this brewery until my daughter came through with a Christmas present. Today was Father's day so why not. Whoever does the blending of this really knows their craft because this is very refreshing in taste and mouthfeel. It doesn't feel complex so much as very easy to drink; probably dangerously so if I wasn't planning on remaining relatively stationary. I wish I had additional bottles to age because I think cellaring might do very interesting things but that's for some lucky soul to discover on his/her own. I'm just glad I had this. Sláinte.

My daughter gave me this 2021 as a Christmas present so it's only right that I split it with her husband (no lie, I thought I tried this previously because if something like this is new to me I drink alone). Just an outstanding oatmeal stout. Very bourbon and chocolate forward but still very much in balance. If I had ready access to this it would be a permanent cellar resident.

4.43/5 rDev +1.1% look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5 Had this after a BCBS. 11/05/2019 12 ounce bottle poured into a DFH tulip. Huge fluffy dark tan head over dark brown body. Smell is very malty with a tinge of chocolate, coffee and char. Taste is deceivingly creamy with the chocolate and coffee making their presence felt. Mouthfeel is nicely full. I planned on aging the remaining three. This should work very well.

Bought this in the summer last year with no bottling or packaging date. As you can see the carbonation hasn't diminished one iota. Still a strong bourbon smell and taste noticeable as soon as you open it. Not sure how much longer I'll age the remaining single but for whatever reason this seems to fall off less than previous barrel aged old Raspys.

What is most impressive is how well balanced everything is. You can smell the bourbon as soon as the cap is popped but it's not overwhelming. Nor is the booze. Just a rich molasses, licorice and malt blend of perfection. To the cellaring mavens, such as @Beersnake1 who I know has tried this already, are you planning on aging this? Because I don't know if this can be improved upon. But that's why we experiment amirite? Another North Coast success story which never gets old.?

The good news is that I don't think cellaring hurt this. The bad news is that the maple isn't as prominent as I wish it was, which might be an unrealistic expectation on my part. The fudge is still nicely featured and maybe the maple adds a sweetness that I expected to be different. The bourbon is borderline nonexistent though. All in all this was a good but not great cellaring experience.

Still no loss of carbonation with a full head. I think through time I've become conditioned to how Founders thinks of maple syrup adding to their barrel aged stout flavoring because even though I don't taste maple syrup as I ordinarily think of it, there's a sweetening flavor, over and beyond the fudge, that enhances everything. The mouthfeel may have become creamier through time. I still have one bottle from the original four pack; I don't feel like it's a mistake to age it further.

4.06/5 rDev -10.4% look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4 Poured into a DFH tulip. Inky brown body topped by a full fluffy head. Lots of chocolate and malts in the smell but the bourbon and barrel are AWOL. Maybe the maple manifests itself as a sweet smell but not the expected woody bitterness. Same with the taste; the fudge is absolutely out front but masking almost everything else. Although as it warmed I started to detect the maple. Mouthfeel is fine for a big Founders stout. Maybe I've been spoiled but I expected slightly more from this.

Hadn't intended on cellaring this this long because of all the negative comments about pepper tastes but this has aged very well. Very creamy chocolate taste with still a barrel presence as well as coffee. Incredibly smooth mouthfeel. Still have one left in my cellar fridge to experiment with. Slainté.

Almost gave up on this because my 2019 experience was shall we say less than optimal. I'm not sure what happened but it didn't taste any different than Founders Breakfast Stout; which isn't a bad thing per se but when you're paying a premium for barrel and bourbon and detecting none of them, it creates a bad feeling. So I was ready for an amicable parting of sorts, since it's not like alternatives aren't readily available, until an online friend said this years is really really good. And the price wasn't bad. So I took the plunge and my friend was right. So life is good.

I think I cellared this too long; not that it tastes bad per se, it's just better when it's fresher. Still beats not having any wee heavy at my disposal. That's why we experiment. Live and learn. Still one in my cellar fridge to be consumed promptly.

Even at well over two years this still has a licorice and molasses edge to it which is what attracted me to the style. Sláinte.

I'd planned on aging this a lot longer but I'm not going to live forever so let's get it on. Smell is very thick with burnt sugar and malts. Taste was more hoppy and bitter than expected, maybe like the namesake (one of my favorite writers), which I'm sure further aging would have changed. Not getting as much leather and tobacco as JW Lee's Harvest Ale; not that there's anything wrong with that but I've kind of regarded them, perhaps erroneously, together. But this is an excellent barleywine

I'd planned on aging this a lot longer but I'm not going to live forever so let's get it on. Smell is very thick with burnt sugar and malts. Taste was more hoppy and bitter than expected, maybe like the namesake (one of my favorite writers), which I'm sure further aging would have changed. Not getting as much leather and tobacco as JW Lee's Harvest Ale; not that there's anything wrong with that but I've kind of regarded them, perhaps erroneously, together. But this is an excellent barleywine

Drinking this after a Jackie O's Cellar Cuvée 1 makes me realize that, nothing against the earlier ale at all, that this must be the #1 value in the craft beer world.

Poured into a DFH tulip. Nice sized head with decent retention over slightly dark brown body with good retention. Smell was nicely boozily sweet with a distinct hoppy piney bitterness, not as much as Bigfoot but still obviously present. Taste was nicely sweet but with a bitter aftertaste. The aftertaste faded as it warmed (stored at 50 degrees) but never completely disappeared, which was expected (thinking that an American Barleywine is going to be like a British one just ain't happening). It was very enjoyable as it warmed up.

Having the fifth of a sixer that cellaringt hasn't hurt, at least to me. The funny thing is I don't even like pecans much but this tastes fine.