Hampline Brewing Co.’s new small-batch imperial stout, Notorious NTB, was aged for a year in Booker’s bourbon barrels from Jim Beam.
Hampline’s head brewer, Wes Osier, made just five barrels — or 155 gallons — of the beer, which clocks in at 10% ABV, but feels even stronger.
The beer is available on draft now at Hampline, 584 Tillman, on the taproom’s nitro tap. Hampline also canned about 20 cases of the beer, which can be purchased in 4-packs of 16-oz. cans to go.
Notorious NTB’s vanilla flavors come from a half liter of vanilla extract. Hampline soaked a pound of Madagascar vanilla beans in Everclear PGA for a year-and-a-half to make this potent addition.
Osier also used a host of different grains: Maris Otter; several crystal malts, all of British origin; black, chocolate, and roasted malts; and Carafa 3, which adds espresso-like coffee and chocolate flavors.
To balance out the sweetness, Osier added a lot of Fuggle hops — 80 IBU’s worth.
The beer’s name, of course, is a tribute to the late rapper, Notorious B.I.G.
Hampline’s “NTB” means “Natch the Bear.”
Hampline’s bear logo is inspired by Natch, who was the first bear at the Memphis Zoo when it was founded in 1906.