Batch #1

Batch #1 is Triton's anniversary beer. It's a bourbon barrel oatmeal stout. The beer was brewed in August of 2011 for Triton's opening. They brewed it and then put it in used Heaven Hill bourbon barrels to age. Once it's time for an anniversary celebration they pull out the barrels, top them off, and add CO2.

There are at least 8 more years of beer currently aging in other barrels somewhere in the back. As the beer ages the beer begins to evaporate, in distilling this is called the angels' share, more beer is added to replace what has evaporated to reconstitute the beer and keep it close to the intended ABV and flavor. Batch #1 was aged for 13 months. A beer like Kentucky Bourbon Barrel ale is only aged for 6 weeks. You can imagine how different the flavor would be.

The ABV is between 10.5% and 12.5% and it has 20 IBUs. It poured out a dark mahogany color with a tan to khaki head. It smells like caramel and chocolate with just a bit of an alcoholic aroma.

Up front it has rich chocolaty tones with heavy sweetness and a nice boozy flavor that I find intoxicating. There is a pervasive bourbon flavor with hints of oak throughout the entire beer. The woodiness of the oak against the sweetness of the malt makes it a nice complex drink. It finishes up with just enough bitterness to make it taste like semi sweet chocolate. The bear had a heavy mouth feel like any good stout should. It is warm and round with a great body.

This is not available for growler fills. Get in there and get a pint because it is damn good.

I give it a 4.5