The first time I tasted a Stock Ale was years ago in London. It happened after a long day of posing on crosswalks, pretending my friends and I were The Beatles. 

We sank down in a pub and ordered pints of the most popular beer on draft. Within minutes, we were sipping away on dark brown pours, happily lost in mellow caramel and sweet toffee notes backed with surprisingly bubbly carbonation. 

It was a Barleywine-meets-Sherry kind of goodness I never thought I could top — until I had a sip of today’s Strike Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stock Ale!

Shockingly, the brewing duo that freakin’ nailed this beer style aren’t from England at all. 

Florida’s Cycle Brewing joined forces with Jackie O’s from Ohio — both lauded breweries sit pretty on Thrillist’s list of Best Breweries in America! The result is a Stock Ale with oodles of honey and bourbon-kissed flavors in its malty depths!

Upfront smacks of vanilla and oak from the Bourbon Barrels instantly make this brew even tastier than the one I tried in England! And with a massive 13.4% ABV, it’s way boozier too. 

The sharp carbonation in this dark ruby-brown behemoth makes for some tingling refreshment, but let it linger on the tongue for smooth, relaxing undertones of caramel, toffee, and molasses. Whispers of dark cherry and plum on the end add further complexity. 

You’ll want to grab your stash fast because there’s no telling if Cycle and Jackie O’s will ever get together again. And once this BA Stock Ale’s all gone, you’ll have to swim over to London to taste anything close! 

Rated 4.17 on Untappd!