44 of the Best Barrel Aged Flavor Stouts, Blind-Tasted and Ranked

Learn about how we rate & review beers with our BJCP blind panel here


Boulder Beer The Dude’s D’Spare (82)

“Uses a blend of specialty malts for a dark chocolate, roasty flavor with hints of black licorice. Aging it in first-use Cabernet wine barrels adds depth, bringing out soft fruit flavors and subtle oakiness.”

Thirsty Dog Brewing Company Barrel-Aged Siberian Night (83)

“Our Siberian Night Russian imperial stout aged for 11 months in fresh bourbon barrels. The dark chocolate malt yields a milk chocolate flavor that blends perfectly with the vanilla flavor from the barrel.”

Great Divide Brewing Company Oak Aged Y (85)

“Crack open Yeti Imperial Stout’s sophisticated sibling Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. Although these beers come from the same clan, they have entirely different personalities. Aging on a blend of French and toasted oak chips infuses a subtle oak and vanilla character into Yeti's already intense chocolate, roasted coffee malt flavor and hugely assertive hops profile. Who says you can't tame a Yeti?”

Full Sail Brewing Co. Bourbon Barrel Stout (85)

“This beer was brewed in November of 2015 and was carefully aged for months in Wild Turkey Bourbon casks from Kentucky. This extended aging presents hints of vanilla and allows the stout to pick up the flavors of the wood, bourbon, and oak. This year’s Bourbon Barrel–Aged Stout is inky black with aroma of dried cherry, shaved chocolate, and whiskey. It has a full malty palate with flavors of dark chocolate, vanilla, cherry, dried figs, and a subtle hint of molasses.”

Ecliptic Brewing Barrel-aged Oort (86)

"Named after the mysterious region of our solar system that breeds comets, Oort Imperial Stout has massive amounts of roasted barley combined with three types of Caramel malts for a rich, full mouth feel. Chinook, Cascade and Sterling hops lend a balanced bitterness and subtle hop flavor. This barrel-aged version slumbered for twelve months, imparting notes of rich, bitter chocolate, vanilla and oak."

Westbound & Down Brewing Company Western Justice (2024) (86)

“BBA imperial stout. Smooth, full bodied. Flavors and aromas of chocolate brownies, vanilla, espresso beans, and pralines.”

MadTree Brewing Barrel-Aged Axis Mundi (86)

“The Siberians believed a ‘World Tree’ connects worlds through its roots and branches. While this Russian imperial stout isn’t the world’s cosmic axis, it does connect you to rich flavors.”

pFriem Family Brewers Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout (86)

Aged Oola Distiller’s bourbon barrels for a year, resulting in huge roasted malt, chocolate mousse, coconut, and ripe cherry flavors.

Epic Brewing Big Bad Baptist Black Gold 2024 (86)

“Flavors only attainable through true craftsmanship and patience.”

Pure Project Enchiridion (86)

“Blend of barrel-aged stouts. Aromas of crème brûlée, toasted oak, wildflower honey. Flavors of flourless chocolate torte, fig, vanilla bean.”

Four Peaks Brewing Company Sirius Black (86)

“Sirius Black is our Russian lmperial Stout to which we have added more complexity by adding locally roasted Indian Monsooned Malabar coffee and licorice root to the beer. It has an intense roasted malt and coffee aroma with flavors of toffee and caramel as well as a slight alcoholic "heat."

The Pike Brewing Company 2015 Pike Entire Wood-Aged Stout (87)

“Smooth and chocolaty, reminiscent of small-batch bourbon with its vanilla and wood overtones. Aged in Woodinville Whiskey barrels, which impart creamy vanilla and whiskey flavors.”

Stone Brewing Company Bitter Chocolate Oakmeal (87)

“A recipe of unsweetened chocolate, flaked oats, and dark-roasted malts is made even more complex, care of bourbon oak barrels that impart oak and coconut-like flavors up front while accentuating the smooth mid-palate with oak vanillin notes.”

Black Laboratory Brewing Willett BA Black is Beautiful (87)

"For our version of Black is Beautiful we adjusted some of the malts to match our house stouts. We then took a portion of it to age in a single Sour Mash Willett Bourbon barrel and aged it for 9 months. Pours jet black with aroma and flavors of chocolate, vanilla, raisin and bourbon."

Reuben's Brews Barrel Aged Stout (88)

“This brew is a rich, big imperial stout deliberately brewed to age in bourbon barrels for many months. It has a rich body, vanilla notes, bourbon, light oak, and an underlying flavor profile of smooth milk chocolate.”

Sunriver Brewing Wood Series: Chocolate Ice Cream Imperial Stout (88)

“Infused with the flavors of chocolate ice cream, gooey marshmallow swirls, caramel, and fudge finish.”

Pivotal Brewing Company Dr. Darkness (88)

“Aroma of cocoa powder, dried fruits, molasses, bourbon-soaked raisins. Flavors of vanilla, bourbon oak, cola, brown sugar, Hershey’s syrup.”

Oskar Blues Barrel-Aged Ten FIDY 2018 (89)

Aged in bourbon barrels for at least 8 months, resulting in vanilla, oak, and bourbon flavors.

Single Hill Brewing Company Overstory with Hazelnuts, Vanilla, & Chocolate (89)

“Dessert flavors of hazelnut, vanilla, chocolate with our blend of barrel-aged imperial stout.”

Greater Good Imperial Brew Co Bourbon Barrel Aged Evana (90)

“Aged in bourbon barrels. Creamy chocolate flavors with a smooth and subtle bourbon flavor reign supreme.”

Lakefront Brewery Black Friday 2019 (90)

"Combines massive caramel and roasted malts with huge vanilla and oak flavor."

Broad Brook Brewing Company Rooster Inhaler Barrel Aged Imperial Stout (90)

“Russian imperial stout. Roasted-chocolate and burnt-malt flavors. Aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels.”

Junkyard Brewing Company Mega Munchies (90)

“This snack attack is known for its creamy caramel, rich chocolate, smooth peanut flavors.”

Area Two Experimental Brewing Barrel-Aged Chocolate Cookie Stout (91)

"Barrel-aged chocolate cookie stout with natural flavors added."

Anderson Valley Brewing Company Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout (91)

Aged for three months in Wild Turkey Bourbon barrels, this luxurious stout has a deep ebony hue and a beautiful mahogany head. The woody, vanilla-like notes that the barrels imparat mingle with aromas of fresh baked bread, toffee, and espresso and envelop the rich chocolate and roasted barley flavors with a fine bourbon character.

DESTIHL Brewery Dosvidanya Rye (91)

"Our Dosvidanya Rye has deep, rich, dark-chocolate maltiness and earthy, spicy rye flavors."

10 Torr Brewing Menacing Vibrations (91)

"Roasty and deep ... providing swirling intense flavors of coffee, chocolate, bourbon, and vanilla."

Verboten Little Nonsense (91)

“This imperial oatmeal stout was aged for nine months in bourbon barrels. Robust flavors of dark malts, the smoothness of oats, and the complementary flavors the bourbon barrels bring will warm you up this winter.”

Cellarmaker Brewing Company Regeneration Cycle (91)

"Regeneration Cycle is an onslaught of delectable richness from Madagascar vanilla bean and organic toasted coconut. Brace yourself for intense aromas of nougat, coconut fudge and patisserie pain a chocolate followed by divine flavors of sticky caramel, coconut macaroon and pot de crème."

Hoppin' Frog Brewing Extended Barrel-Aged D.O.R.I.S. The Destroyer Double Oatmeal Imperial Stout (92)

"Extra-long aging in select Bourbon Barrels adds intense flavors and aromas of oak, toasted vanilla, and fine tobacco to the deep-roasted and full-bodied character of our infamous Double Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout."

Uhl’s Brewing Co Deep Dark Depths (93)

['"Unencumbered by spice or flavor additives, this unique barrel aged imperial stout explodes with bourbon character, enveloping an incredibly complex base Imperial Stout with divine layers of chocolate malt flavor. It’s been slumbering for 10', '176 hours, soaking up all that goodness - now it’s time to share."\n']

Schlafly Beer/The Saint Louis Brewery Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (93)

“Brewed with a big malt flavor, plenty of hops bitterness, and roasted barley for notes of dark chocolate. Aged in freshly emptied Kentucky bourbon barrels.”

Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee 2016 (93)

“Each year this excellent coffee stout is made with a different bean variety. With the change in coffee comes a change in the flavor profile, making each release truly unique from the previous year’s.”

Ratio Beerworks BA Genius Wizard (94)

Brewed with specialty grains and molasses, then barrel-aged for 12 months to produce subtle sweet vanilla and oak-forward flavors.

Pure Project Dualité (94)

"Aged in rye whiskey barrels with organic Ghanaian cocoa and organic Tahitian vanilla beans, this stout’s jet-black body gives way to aromas of whiskey-soaked lady fingers and fudge. Its flavors of brownie batter, toasted marshmallow, and dark molasses wash through with a velvety mouthfeel. Designed to embody the complementary and contrasting expressions of chocolate and vanilla, we hope you enjoy the beauty of this duality, or should we say, dualité."

Highland Park Brewery Barrel-Aged Griffith (10th Anniversary) (95)

“Coffee rounds out the flavor profile with blueberry, melon, and jasmine notes.”

Rogue Ales Rolling Thunder (95)

“Black with ruby hues, Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout delivers a complex array of aromas and flavors that explode upon drinking, making this culmination of grain, oak, time, and effort a revolutionary experience.”

Oskar Blues Brewing Barrel Aged Ten Fidy (96)

"Aromas of molasses and vanilla mix with flavors of dark chocolate, espresso beans, and roasted barley."

Fort George Brewery Matryoshka 2022 (96)

“Integrated flavors of vanilla, anise, chocolate, coffee, charred oak.”

Goose Island Brewery Bourbon County Stout 2019 (97)

"Flavors of cocoa, fudge, vanilla, caramel, almond, plus leather and tobacco."

Surly Brewing Company 2021 Barrel-Aged Darkness (97)

"This special edition of our massive Russian imperial stout matured in Elijah Craig 12-year bourbon barrels and brings waves of chocolate, vanilla, dried fruit, and cherry flavors, enhanced by the oak and bourbon character of the barrel and its previous occupant."

Wolf's Ridge Brewing Moscatel Barrel Magellan (97)

"Imperial Maple Stout aged in imported Moscatel wine puncheons for 18 months. Flavors of maple and chocolate marry with French oak, mild citrus, toffee, and raisin from the cask."

New Image Brewing Co Noema - Blend No. 6 (98)

“Flavors of marshmallow, almond, cacao—a 3 Musketeers candy bar.”

Westbound & Down Brewing Company Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (2021) (99)

"Oak and bourbon forward with big brownie batter flavors and delicate coffee and vanilla notes from extended aging in select Blanton’s, Weller, Dickel bourbon barrels. Think Ghirardelli brownie mix with bourbon substituted for water."