Black Ops (2017)
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Tasting Notes
The aroma opens with dark chocolate, espresso, and a pronounced bourbon character from barrel aging, undercut by vanilla and a whisper of oak. On the palate, roasted malt drives the flavor — bittersweet cocoa, dark dried fruit, and a molasses-like richness that builds steadily. The body is full and almost chewy, with carbonation that stays restrained enough to let the weight sit. The finish is long and warming, the barrel's alcohol heat folding into lingering coffee and dark caramel notes.
About the Brewery
Brooklyn Brewery was founded in 1988 and operates out of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where it helped anchor the borough's identity as a serious beer destination before that became a cliché. The brewery is best known for Brooklyn Lager, a workhorse amber lager that still accounts for a substantial portion of their volume, but their limited and seasonal releases — Black Ops chief among them — demonstrate a more ambitious, cellar-worthy side of the operation. They have a significant international footprint for an American regional brewery.
Food Pairings
A chocolate lava cake or flourless torte plays directly into the beer's bittersweet cocoa and vanilla notes without competing with them. Aged Gouda works well because its butterscotch and caramel undertones echo the bourbon barrel character. Braised short ribs or oxtail have enough fat and umami depth to hold up against the beer's full body and roast. A slice of pecan pie threads the needle between the sweetness and the oakiness the barrel contributes.
Style Guide
Black Ops is a barrel-aged imperial stout, a style built on an already high-gravity stout base — typically well above 10% ABV — that's then matured in spirit barrels, most commonly bourbon or whiskey casks. The barrel aging adds layers of vanilla, oak, and residual spirit character on top of the roasted malt foundation of chocolate, coffee, and dark fruit. It's distinguished from a standard imperial stout by that explicit wood-and-spirit dimension, and from a pastry stout by its relative restraint with adjuncts — the emphasis stays on malt complexity and barrel influence rather than added flavorings.