Beer Review: Brooklyn Brewing Black Ops Four Roses

photo by Kevin Gibson

This year’s limited edition stout is aged in small batch bourbon barrels

Brooklyn Brewery’s annual Black Ops release is back, and for the 2019 release, it’s aged in Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon barrels. It’s a hell of a pairing. Black Ops, of course, is the imperial Russian stout which the brewery insists in its marketing may or may not exist. “We can neither confirm nor deny its existence,” is the company line, speaking to the relative rarity of the coveted beer sold in limited-release bombers and in rare draft appearances.

Letting the beer rest for an unspecified number of months in barrels that once held the ultra-smooth Four Roses only raises the stakes for this big, robust stout, which no doubt would be a winner, even if left alone. To top off the barrel-aging, this process is followed by a re-fermentation with Champagne yeast. Once bottled, it’s topped off with a cork finish, Champagne style.

If you get your hands on one of the 750ml bottles, don’t be afraid to sock it away for a year or two, because a beer like this will change and potentially even improve with some age. For my purposes, I opened my bottle within a few days and enjoyed it on a chilly evening. I was not surprised in the least when the 2019 Black Ops warmed me right up, filling up my senses in the process and making me wish I had another bottle to save.

Poured into a tulip glass, a big, fluffy, tan head tops a motor-oil black beer, and that head unleashes welcoming aromas of coffee and chocolate, along with hints of vanilla and caramel. I found myself simply sniffing and re-sniffing, breathing in the sweet aromas.

Take a drink and the thick, creamy beer coats the palate quickly, but never gets too sticky; waves of rich, chocolaty malts wash over the senses, and yet the robustness of the flavor never goes over the top. The stout’s flavor yields just enough nuances from the oak and bourbon to complement and never dominate the delicious base beer. With every sip, I was more convinced this year’s Black Ops was locked away in its cask quarters, which were hand-picked by Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliott, for just the right amount of time.

Interestingly, even at 12.9% alcohol by volume, the booziness in the flavor is minimal at first, building gradually into a warming, bourbon-like finish—which is exactly what you want from a beer like this one. And as noted, my palate never felt overwhelmed; I’ve had big beers similar to this one that left behind an awkward coating, but Black Ops finishes more cleanly than I ever would have expected.

The beer was officially released Dec. 9 at Four Roses Distillery, with Elliott and Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver on hand to tell the story behind the beer. Of course, this sort of demystifies this supposedly covert black liquid, but the new Black Ops is certainly worth talking about.

Look for bombers and possible draft availability in markets where Brooklyn beers are distributed, including 25 states and 20 countries outside the U.S. but be aware quantities are limited.

Editor’s note: All of us at Alcohol Professor are saddened by the loss of Four Roses formed distillery manager and brand ambassador Al Young, who had been with the company over 50 years. He passed away December 25, 2019. Our thoughts go out to Four Roses and his family.