Springdale Barrel Room Maple Barrel Aged Brigadeiro

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 8.5%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.33/5
- Untappd: 4.22/5
 - RateBeer: N/A

"Breakfast stout brewed with oats, coffee, and lactose. Aged in bourbon and maple barrels. Aged 27% in barrels containing maple syrup, 73% bourbon barrels."

Pours pitch black and not even any hints of brown or red on the edges. Poured to two fingers of light brown head.

The aroma reminds me of the most decadent mocha iced coffee out there. Coffee is huge and there's a lot more oak than anticipated (but that's good). The sugary influence from the maple syrup is noticeable, but maple is not dominating and instead is enhancing other flavors. Some vanilla notes emerge as it warms, but like the non-BA version, the coffee is the star. I must note that bourbon is nowhere to be found. Maybe it accounts for some of the sweeter flavors, but as a standalone ingredient, it is lacking.

Coffee is the story here which is not surprising since it is a breakfast stout after all. It's creamy iced coffee up front and then bitter black coffee on the transition. The lactose is playing a bigger role than anticipated which is what's giving me that cream flavor. The maple is here, but like the aroma, it serves to compliment everything else rather than overpower with sugary sweetness. The maple and coffee work together wonderfully to really deliver a breakfast experience. It's really as simple as taking the base Brigadeiro and adding dashes of maple syrup. Sadly, like the aroma, there is no bourbon. I get it, this was aged only partially in bourbon barrels for three months, but I expected some bourbon in my glass doggone it!

Mouthfeel is full and creamy with a velvety body. The oats are making this a silky ride and drinkability remains high. While it is smooth, the mouthfeel comes up a bit thin considering it is nearly 9% abv. No alcohol to be found and despite being a breakfast stout, this would go great with dessert...or breakfast...I don't judge.

Maple Barrel Aged Brigadeiro improved upon the base beer by adding subtle notes of maple syrup to bring this breakfast stout full circle. I would have loved for there to be some bourbon in this, but one of the promised ingredients was M.I.A. Regardless of that, this was still a step above it's non-BA sibling and is a great example of what a breakfast stout should be.

Rating
8.7/10

Springdale Barrel Room Brigadeiro

The Stats
Style: American Stout
ABV: 7.5%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.09/5
- RateBeer: N/A
- Untappd: 4.04/5

"Brigadeiro is a breakfast stout brewed w/lactose, cocoa nibs and Brazilian coffee!"

Not much of a description, but whatever. Springdale Barrel Room is the sister brewery to Jack's Abby in Framingham, MA. Jack's Abby exclusively brews lagers, so the Springdale Barrel Room concentrates more on Ales and barrel-aged beers. The brewery is located directly next door to Jack's Abby and has an extensive collection of IPA's, barrel-aged sours, and even a stout or two for good measure. Today, I am trying their "Breakfast Stout", an American Stout brewed with coffee, cacao, and lactose.

Pours pitch black in color with a finger of light brown head.

The aroma isn't just coffee-forward, but one of the richest coffee aromas I've ever experienced. Lactose is noticeable, but not too big and a dark chocolate bitterness has a good bite along with roasted malts.

The coffee on the taste taken on a more deeply, dark-roasted, bitter experience, but it is still just as rich as it was on the aroma. Like the nose, the lactose is here, but it is nearly a ghost. The cacao is pretty much non-existent and this is really just a straight up coffee stout, but a good one at that. Roasted malts are in abundance as is a kick of smoke to make things interesting. That small bit of lactose and the rich, dark coffee make for an iced coffee with cream taste that I am digging so much. It finishes with coffee grounds hanging on the back of the tongue and a bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is full, but not the thickest out there for the style. The body is smooth and there's no alcohol to be found.

Brigadeiro may have been lacking in the cacao, but the resulting coffee stout is ahead of most of the others in the category. It's rich, bitter, and smooth, so there's really not much more you want in the style. I think "Breakfast Stout" might be a bit misleading, but as a standalone coffee stout, it is great.

Rating
8.2/10