Brooklyn Brewery Black Ops Barrel Aged Stout Review (2025)

By Richard Thomas

Rating: A-

Just in time for the Holidays, Brooklyn Brewery has released another batch of its collaboration with Four Roses, a bourbon barrel aged stout. What makes this year different is doubt now hangs over the future of Black Ops. The collaboration is based on Brooklyn Brewery and Four Roses having the same parent company, Kirin. The Japanese firm started as a brewery and owns beer companies around the world, but at home it has become a conglomerate with fingers in many industries. If a brewery is in the same corporation as a distillery, drawing barrels from that distillery for whiskey barrel beer is only logical.

What puts the future of Black Ops in doubt is Kirin announced a desire to sell Four Roses earlier this year. Should that sale happen, Four Roses may or may not continue supplying barrels for Black Ops in the future. Whether Brooklyn Brewery would seek another partner after that is another question mark. The same can be said of the Four Roses and New Belgium collaboration beer, Oakspire.

But for now, Black Ops is still a familiar thing: taking Brooklyn Brewery’s Russian Imperial Stout and aging it for three months in Four Roses barrels. Brooklyn Brewery’s Garrett Oliver called it “a stout-drinker’s stout,” because this year the beer came out at 12.4% ABV. That is roughly one point higher than last year’s brew, and firmly in the same alcoholic strength territory as wine. Considering each can of Black Ops is a pint, that makes sitting down to finish a can by yourself the equivalent of drinking 1/3 of a bottle of wine.

The Beer
The stout pours as a totally black, velvety brew, with a reasonable head, but one that fades fast. Compared to last year’s installment, the coffee and cocoa powder notes are a full step forward, sharing center stage with the deep vanilla and roasted malt rather than serving as supports.

The flavor has the roasted malts, deep vanilla, cocoa powder and hints of coffee that I would expect from any stout of this kind, but also a strong current of tart red berries. The stout is too heavy for truly casual drinking, but it is quite yummy. The fruit dimension makes it a good choice for a dessert beer or a moody pour for indulging a boozy sweet tooth. The texture is supremely velvet. Heavier than ever, this is not a casual drinking beer. I don’t know if I would even take it in as a dessert beer, given how filling it is. However, it is perfect for slow sipping in front of a fire or as a substitute for the tea and treats of teatime (if your intention is to mellow out rather than perk up).

The Price
A four-pack of this beer is $17, and a 750ml bottle is $23.