It’s always fun to get your hands on a beer that you can’t get where you live. But when you can get your hands on a beer that’s hard to find even in its home market? Well my friends that is a special treat indeed. Such was the case for me with Jackie O’s Bourbon Barrel Wood Burner Imperial Smoked Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels. I can’t get it here in Georgia but was fortunate enough to receive one in trade from our own Scott White.

On their website, Jackie O’s lists their brews under two categories, “production beers” and “taproom bottles and drafts”. And if you look at the taproom bottles and drafts, you will see that they have a whole list of beers under that heading. They do limit you to 6 bottles purchase per person per day on these gems, though no indication of whether that is amongst all the taproom brews or per each. It seems that these beers are also available in stores, however, as Dave Coulter reports he got a bottle that way.

From the label:

“Over the years we have brewed a plethora of big stouts and porters, and the idea of brewing an imperial smoked stout was something we had been kicking around for awhile. When an open brew day presented itself, we knew exactly what to do. The base stout focuses on rich caramel and chocolate notes with a deep savory/smokey backbone. The entire batch found its way into bourbon barrels where it rested for over a year. An enticing combination of sweet and savory, with waves of dark chocolate and vanilla that wash over the palate. Cheers to stoking the creative flame in all of us!”

Jackie O’s Bourbon Barrel Wood Burner Imperial Smoked Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels has a very formidable alcohol content of 11% by volume. On their website, the brewery lists a taproom price of $11.99 for an 11.7 ounce bottle, though Dave Coulter reports it runs $5.99 in stores.

Jackie O’s Bourbon Barrel Wood Burner Imperial Smoked Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels pours to jet black color with a respectable head formation of tan foam that forms on a vigorous pour down the middle. Taking a sniff, you get the bourbon right away: it's huge and mixed with a hint of raisin. Taking a sip, you get a sinfully thick rich mouthfeel , then big notes of raisin, dark chocolate, prunes, licorice, hints of soy sauce and of course huge notes of big boozy bourbon . There's a touch of oaky vanilla underneath as well, and a big alcohol warmth in the finish.

What about the smoke? That only comes through as an afterthought in the finish for me. You really have to look for it to find it, and I think the Bourbon notes really drown it out. The beer finishes with an intense warm alcohol booziness.

All in all, this is a rich and complex sipping beer that has to be tasted to be believed. I think to a degree that Jackie O’s may have tried to do too much, losing the smokiness with all that bourbon flavor going on. Still, the end result is truly remarkable, and a beer I certainly would buy if I had the chance.

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