Empyrean Ales Carpe Brewem: Old Fashioned Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout

Stout brewed with lactose then aged in bourbon barrels with orange peel and cherry flavor - 6-7% ABV

I picked up this little beauty as part of Empyrean's variety 12-pack (on sale!). I have a soft spot for bourbon barrel-aged brews, so I was excited to try this stout. In a lot of ways it doesn't conform to expectations that one might have of a stout, it isn't super dark, like many stouts are; nor is it heavy as you would assume a stout to be; most barrel-aged brews tend to be higher in ABV, this one is less than 7%, which makes it eminently drinkable. I suspect that the bourbon barrel may have used in previous batches, as the bourbon-oak character is somewhat subdued, but gives a pleasantly warm tinge to the brew. There's chocolate, coffee and some caramel as well. The cherry flavoring adds a little zip to the mix and the orange peel rounds it all out. Overall a pretty good drink...even if it is "dark"...