This big, rich stout serves as the base for Vanilla Boom—bourbon barrel–aged, with vanillas from Ecuador, Madagascar, and Uganda—a beer that scored 99/100 with our blind panel and went on to become one of our Best 20 Beers in 2024.
Joe Quinlan, cofounder of the Big Friendly in Oklahoma City, describes it as “our favorite base imperial stout recipe, designed to give creamy notes of vanilla, toffee, and caramel, with a whisper of roasted malt.”
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.140 (32.2°P)
FG: 1.048 (11.9°P)
IBUs: 22
ABV: 12%