UPDATED: JAN 7, 2022 2017 version. Big, black, roasty, chewy, slightly sweet, hint of booze and vanilla, nicely dry. Really solid stout.

UPDATED: NOV 29, 2021 12 ounce bottle from Stein's Lincoln St, 11/28/21. They tell me this is new ,so, mmkay. Dark brown, thin head, poor retention. Aroma of roast, molasses, dark fruit. Taste is molasses, roast, vanilla, green hops. Dark chocolate, buckwheat, mild coffee. Full bodied, decent balance for the booziness. Nice.
Earlier Rating: 4/5/2014 Total Score: 3.5
Bomber shared at the April 5, 2014 Charlottesville tasting. Pours a dark brown color with a thin tan head. Fair head retention. Aroma of chocolate, nuts, whiskey, mild wheat. The taste is chocolate, roast, nuts, mild whiskey. Medium bodied.

UPDATED: NOV 20, 2021 Taster showing pitch black with sparse white foam. The nose shows moderately intense sweet notes of coffee and light mocha. The palate is lightly carbonated and medium bodied. Lightly alcoholic with light notes of dark chocolate with a moderately hoppy bitterness.
Earlier Rating: 7/26/2016 Total Score: 3.5
4.0 tap into a snifter showing pitch black and no head. The nose shows a lot of intense roasted malt notes. Upon warming up, bourbon notes of oak, vanilla, smoke, and a nice banana note in the background. The palate is medium bodied and moderately carbonated. A very intense but dry nutty forwardness begins the attack, the mid palate revealing the bourbon in the background. Big apparent alcohol spiciness running throughout and on the finish. Rye lends itself to the spiciness with a roasted malt bitterness framed around the bourbon oak and vanilla. Great flavors but the alcohol spice is a little too overwhelming.

UPDATED: OCT 28, 2021 Didn't realise this was a new entry (at least for now). Hmm. Fudge, Indian sweets, whiskey is a bit much for the underlying beer. Perhaps the booze sticks out a little less in this one.
Earlier Rating: 4/6/2014 Total Score: 3.8
Tap. Black, small tan head lasts well. Aroma of vanilla, mocha, nutty/ fudgy Indian sweets, cardamon, galangal. Rich velvety texture. Taste has mocha vanilla, lush fudginess but a nice lean towards dry near the end. Unfortunate big boozy rush at the end is a jolt. Maybe better in bottles - it’s not hot or unpleasant, but jumps out a bit. Better as it warms: booze more integrated into bourbon-like flavours, but still a bit much for the beer.

UPDATED: OCT 27, 2021 12 oz bottle received as a birthday gift from my wife. The pour is an opaque black brown with a ⅓ inch foamy khaki head that is lasting. The aroma is chocolate malt, nutty pecan and some spice from the rye. The taste is carmel mat right up front, rich, sugary, Bourbon, oak and alcohol present. As the beer warms, I get the rye and pecan notes, though not really any of the chocolate I get on the nose. The palate is medium to heavier bodied, soft low carbonation and the mildly burning alcohol finish. Not exactly my cup of beer, but fun.

UPDATED: OCT 19, 2021 Cake&Stout! Marvellous richness of coffee, chocolate, licorice, cocoa and pecans. Thick, rich and sweet.

UPDATED: SEP 22, 2021 $3.10 bottle, WW. Very dark brown, not quite black, with a dusting of a head. Nose is bourbon, brownie, cocoa, chocolate, toasted nuts, vanilla. Dark chocolate, liquified brownie, vanilla, bourbon, nuts, roasted dark malt. Quite good. Light booziness in the end.
Earlier Rating: 8/12/2017 Total Score: 3.8
2017 bomber, $9.49 from Wine Warehouse. Almost feels wrong to be enjoying a beer today, but I have to take my mind off of the insanity that’s happening right here in my city. Pours thick and black with half inch of dark brown head. Aroma is slightly boozy chocolate, a little smoked peat, cookie, vanilla. Flavor is sweet chocolate - reminds me of a chocolate chip cookie, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, a little nuttiness.

UPDATED: SEP 10, 2021 Pours pitch black w/ a quickly fading mocha head & little lacing. The aroma is pretty much bourbon & booze. The flavor is surprisingly mild. There’s a touch of bourbon & a hint of pecan but otherwise a pretty standard imperial. It has a slick, oily mouthfeel. Still very good nevertheless.
Earlier Rating: 8/15/2015 Total Score: 4
Omg! Delickousness, smooth, 13%? Really? Love this! So good w/ an excellent mouthfeel!

UPDATED: AUG 29, 2021 w00tstout has a medium, beige head, and a very dark brown appearance, with no lacing. The aroma is of dark-roasted malts (brown bread crust) and bourbon barrels. The flavor is the same, with lots of sweetness, but no bitterness. w00tstout has a medium body, and a semi-sweet finish. RJT

UPDATED: AUG 15, 2021 12 oz bottle from Kroger in Short Pump, VA I feel honored to do the second review on such an outstanding stout. My first reaction was 'Oh My!' The black velvet stout poured to an opaque black color with a head that seemed to regenerate itself. The head was light tan and easily formed a tan collar on the stout. The aroma of roasted malts and pecans is detected on the nose. The taste has hints of dark chocolate, roasted malts, and pecans. The balance of all these ingredients is amazing. The stout has a medium body and soft carbonation. I purchased a six-pack, so fun for a week. Thanks, Stone and Wil Wheaton!
Earlier Rating: 1/12/2020 Total Score: 3.8
12 oz can from Total Wine and More in Short Pump, Va The stout pours an opaque black color with a tan head that dissipated quickly. No lacing. The aroma of roasted malts tinged with chocolate and pecans. The taste is most complex. This is the first of this style for me from Stone. The stout has a medium body and soft carbonation. Only hints of the bourbon barrel aging, which is good. Some brewers age too long.