The nose was a little iffy, smelling a little sour. Thankfully that’s not the case and the flavor is incredible. At first, you get the cherry flavor and sweetness, followed by a subtle hint of the pistachios, and then the cacao nibs, malt and barrel come on full force. This is excellent!

This is very good. Lots of bourbon, sweetness from the vanilla and chocolate, a hint of tartness from the cherries, thickness and sweetness from the molasses. Will have to get more of these.

Still tastes great. Starting to detect a hint of age, but not in a bad way.

Still tastes as I remember it. Sad they haven’t made this again.

Holding up really well.

Still so good.

Holding up nicely so far. Still strong whiskey and fig flavors, with malt on the finish.

Really interesting. Bold malty flavor, softened by the brandy and made slightly sharp by the whiskey. Sweetness from the figs and dates.

Still lots of mildly bitter cherry. Not my favorite BC, but still good.

Has definitely changed a little in the last year. Cherry is still forward, but not overpowering and not too sweet. The dark chocolate and malt come in powerfully after the cherry and linger through the finish, with a little hint of the cherry on the back.

The cherry flavors kind of resemble similar notes to aged BCBS, but with a bit more sweetness and a touch of tartness. While not my favorite variant, it’s pretty solid.

Starting to lose a little something. Presented a little more bitterness than I remember. Probably best fresh.

Lots of chocolate and cherries. Very dark. Interesting. The chocolate lingers on the back of the tongue.

Light mouthfeel, not heavy. Dark roasty malty flavor with some chocolate bitterness on the finish. Very interesting.

Very bourbon forward and has a nice sweetness. Very different from any other Black Ops I’ve had.

This is very good. Lots of bourbon, sweetness from the vanilla and chocolate, a hint of tartness from the cherries, thickness and sweetness from the molasses. Will have to get more of these.

Lots of dark chocolate and roasty malt with a hint of sweetness from the maple and booziness from the barrel.

Founders knocked it out of the park with this one. Loads of chocolate, very rich, no bitterness. Only a few sips in, but looking forward to seeing how it changes with some warmth.

So much coffee. Not sure this has changed much in 3 years. The cinnamon just ends up adding a butter finish.

Did a side by side with 2019 Café de Olla and 2020 Special #4. In the end, they’re both fantastic, but the Café de Olla wins. Thankfully, the cassia bark aka cinnamon has calmed down in the Café de Olla.

Coffee in this is tasting really nice. I still hope they go back to a coffee only BA stout, but this is good. The base also shines through with a lot of dark chocolate and malt.

This seems like it has changed a bit since being fresh. Overwhelming amount of rich, dark chocolate and malt with just a hint of the coffee, orange and cinnamon.

Lots of coffee up from that gives way to the acidity of the orange peel and spice of the cassia bark. The finish is dark roasted malt, that leads into dark chocolate and heat. Still prefer 2015/6 coffee over any subsequent release so far.

Holding up very well. Bourbon, vanilla and coconut sweetness, followed by barrel, dark chocolate and roasted malt.

Not gettin much coconut, if any but the bourbon and roasted malt comes through and is boozy and full flavored.

Really damn good. Tons of dark chocolate (slightly too bitter), nice smooth coconut & subtle vanilla finish, topped off with bourbon warmth.

Mmm, just as good as I remember with lots of flavorful coffee. Oh how I wish they’d make this exact recipe again. This one was stored very well and purchased recently from another BC enthusiast.

Aroma is still on point. No carbonation left. Flavors have changed - it’s past it’s prime, but still good. Lots of dark chocolate on the finish with a touch of booziness. I hope they make this exact style again someday.

Not exactly as I remember it, in that the coffee has faded a little and the dark chocolate from the base has amped up. Still fantastic, but best fresh. I hope Goose Island makes this again someday.

Lots of chocolate. Richness reminds me of 2015 Rare. Really awesome,