Against The Grain Bo & Luke

Against The Grain Bo & Luke is an American Double/Imperial Stout. Originally created as a collaboration with Brouwerij De Molen, this is the second version of this. Really big thanks to BDR pal Trent for hooking us up with this! From the bottle/website: We took the ingredients in bourbon whiskey (Barley, Rye, Corn) and then smoked them with cherry wood and brewed a huge imperial stout with them. Then to top it off we aged it in Pappy VanWinkle Bourbon Barrels. The smell is roasty and rich with that burnt BBQ end sweetness/smokiness. Flavors of roasted malts, caramel, vanilla, bourbon, mild smoke (it did come out a bit more as it warmed), some BBQ dry rub spiciness. The smokiness lingers with a bit of bourbon after each sip. This beer is an amazing accomplishment. All of those flavors are individually there, each subtle yet complex at the same time. Yet somehow those individual flavors blend into one coherent beer as well. Amazing. Each sip flows from one note to the next without an abrupt shift on your palate. More thanks to Trent, this is not a cheap bottle ($28!), and it seems some amount of password associated silliness was required to even buy one!