Each week on the Tavour app, we highlight top-notch beers from independent craft breweries across the U.S. — and sometimes even from abroad! Here are just a few of the sought-after Stouts we shared with beer lovers recently. Have you scheduled your beer delivery yet?

River North Brewery - Whiskey Barrel Aged Mr. Sandman (2020)

Dark Beer fans fall all over themselves for a taste of Mr. Sandman. It’s the brew that won Paste Mag’s Imperial Stout blind tasting, beating out almost 100 other beers from top breweries around the country!

It doesn’t get better than that! Unless, of course, you take that winning brew and let it slumber in Whiskey Barrels for up to 10 months. 

That’s exactly what the Stout masters at River North did to make this Whiskey Barrel-Aged Mr. Sandman!

It has all the roastiness and molasses-like caramelization that impressed Paste’s judges in the original, with added layers of oaky vanilla, bourbon sweetness, and a touch of barrel char. All those barrel notes roll right over the incredible 13% ABV, softening it into super smooth drinkability. 

Revision Brewing Company - Monogrammatic

After 16 months spent slumbering in Woodford Reserve Bourbon Barrels, this Imperial Stout drips with notes of gooey caramel, rich baker’s chocolate, and hints of burnt sugar.

If that sentence alone makes your mouth water, you’re going to want a taste of Monogrammatic from Revision Brewing Company. If we had to describe this beer with an actual monogram, we’d only need 3 letters: WOW.

That’s what came out of our mouths after the first sip, and then silence as we basked in the decadent, whiskey-laced flavors. At 14.1% ABV, it’s one of the booziest beers we’ve ever seen from Revision, but it goes down dangerously smooth.

That’s to be expected with this Nevada brew crew — this is the 6th time we’ve managed to snag one of their BA Stouts, and all the others have 4+ ratings on Tavour. If you were lucky enough to taste any of them, you won’t be surprised that Thrillist praises Revision as The Best Brewery in Nevada!

Crux Fermentation Project - Tough Love - Banished 2020 Series‍

Every November, folks around Bend, Oregon start clearing out fridge space, polishing their finest glassware, and eagerly calling up family and friends to make plans. It’s not Thanksgiving — it’s Crux Fermentation Project’s annual release of Tough Love Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout! 

It comes as no surprise that this year is a quieter release, without the usual, big taproom party. But, that hasn’t stopped the sheer excitement among locals! Like @Jeff D., who raves, “Been waiting for this all year!” And @Mary R. who says, “Yes! Dark fruit, vanilla smooth, and bourbon. Going to age nicely.”

While many others, like @Skye F. and @Liana R., bemoan the fact that they don’t live in Bend, we managed to get access to a small stash for Tavour members. This year’s Tough Love [Banished] 2020 is the 8th addition to the series, and it tastily evokes all the years of Crux’s barrel-aging mastery. 

To craft it, the brewers used copious amounts of dark, roasty malts for velvety chocolate and coffee flavors. They also added sweetly spiced black strap molasses. Then, they “banished” the brew to Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels for a year, allowing its mocha richness to become wrapped in delicate notes of oaky vanilla, dried cherry, and leather.

And, it clocks in at a body-buzzing 14% ABV!

Hoppin' Frog Brewery - Maple Whiskey Barrel-Aged B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher

What do you get when you take a GABF Gold Medal award-winning Stout and age it in maple-filled whiskey barrels? An incredibly delicious, winter-ready, world-class beer!

Maple Whiskey Barrel-Aged B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher Oatmeal Imperial Stout is coming to you from the towering craft giants at Hoppin’ Frog. They’ve been collecting awards both nationally and internationally since their inception in 2006. 

Each velvety sip of this full-bodied brew is laced with notes of rich, dark chocolate, creamy caramel, and freshly roasted coffee, with hints of oaky vanilla and dunked in maple-kissed Kentucky Bourbon! A whisper of sticky molasses, dark cherries, and ripe, juicy plums tickles your nose before its bold 9.4% ABV warms your belly. 

Craft fans worldwide can’t get enough of Barrel Aged B.O.R.I.S., especially when the weather gets frightful — they call it “beautiful stuff” and “extremely well-balanced and smooth.” After one taste of this bodacious brew, you’re likely to agree! 

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