Nickel Brook Cafe Del Bastardo 750ML

Nickel Brook Cafe Del Bastardo 750ML is a bourbon barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout from Ontario, Canada, bottled at 12% ABV in a 750ml format. Scoring 94 on BeerAdvocate and earning a 99% rating on RateBeer, this limited release stands among the most acclaimed barrel-aged stouts produced in Canada.

Quick Facts: ABV: 12%  |  Origin: Burlington, Ontario, Canada  |  Style: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout  |  Brewery: Nickel Brook Brewing Co.

Production & Heritage

Nickel Brook Brewing Co. operates out of Burlington, Ontario, and has built a devoted following through its barrel-aging program. Cafe Del Bastardo begins as a full-bodied Russian Imperial Stout that spends a full year maturing in bourbon barrels. What distinguishes this expression from standard barrel-aged stouts is the coffee infusion process: the brewery hand-selects coffee beans and adds six pounds per bourbon barrel, resulting in an intensely layered brew where coffee character and barrel influence develop in tandem rather than competing. This beer is a companion to the brewery's Kentucky Bastard, their non-coffee bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Vibrant espresso leads immediately, followed by waves of dark cocoa powder and toasted oak. Underneath, subtle vanilla and a gentle waft of bourbon warmth round out the nose.

Taste: The entry is rich and full-bodied, with bold dark coffee and bittersweet baker's chocolate dominating the front palate. At mid-palate, bourbon-soaked oak and creamy vanilla emerge, balanced by a cocoa powder bitterness that keeps the sweetness in check. Licorice and dark fruit undertones add depth as the flavors layer and evolve.

Finish: Long and warming, with a pronounced bourbon kiss that lingers alongside roasted coffee and residual oak tannins. The aftertaste is dry enough to invite another sip, with vanilla and chocolate fading slowly.

How to Drink Cafe Del Bastardo

Serve this stout at cellar temperature, around 50–55°F (10–13°C), in a snifter or tulip glass to concentrate the complex aromatics. It drinks best on its own as a sipping beer, treated more like a digestif than a session ale. For a decadent float, pour it over a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream — the bourbon and coffee notes create something close to an affogato. It also pairs beautifully as the base of a beer cocktail riff on an Espresso Martini, where its natural coffee intensity replaces cold brew. For a simple highball-style serve, a small measure blended with chocolate bitters and served short over a single large ice cube highlights the vanilla and oak.

Best For

• Sharing after dinner as a dessert beer with fellow craft beer enthusiasts
• Gifting to a barrel-aged stout collector who values limited Canadian releases
• Cellaring for one to two years to see how the coffee and bourbon integration develops
• Pairing alongside a curated dessert course at a tasting dinner

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cafe Del Bastardo taste like? Cafe Del Bastardo delivers bold espresso and baker's chocolate up front, layered with bourbon, vanilla, and oak from a full year in barrels. The overall impression is rich, warming, and complex, with a dry cocoa bitterness that balances the sweetness.

How does Cafe Del Bastardo compare to Kentucky Bastard? Both beers come from the same Nickel Brook barrel-aging program, but Cafe Del Bastardo dials back the bourbon intensity and turns up the coffee character significantly through the addition of six pounds of coffee beans per barrel. Kentucky Bastard leans more heavily into vanilla, caramel, and straight bourbon barrel flavors without the coffee infusion.

Is Cafe Del Bastardo good for sipping neat? At 12% ABV with layered bourbon, coffee, and chocolate complexity, Cafe Del Bastardo is built for slow sipping from a snifter at cellar temperature. It rewards patience and warms as it opens up in the glass.

Where is Cafe Del Bastardo made? Cafe Del Bastardo is brewed and barrel-aged by Nickel Brook Brewing Co. in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. The bourbon barrels used for aging are sourced from American distilleries, and the stout matures in those barrels for a full year.

What foods pair well with Cafe Del Bastardo? Dark chocolate truffles complement the cocoa and coffee notes directly. Smoked brisket or barbecue ribs stand up to the beer's intensity while echoing the barrel char. A classic tiramisu mirrors the espresso and vanilla flavors. Aged cheddar or Gouda provides a savory counterpoint to the sweetness. Crème brûlée works beautifully, as the caramelized sugar plays off the bourbon and vanilla.

What sizes does Cafe Del Bastardo come in? Cafe Del Bastardo is available in a 750ml bottle, a format common for premium barrel-aged craft beer releases intended for sharing or cellaring.

Is Cafe Del Bastardo worth the price? Cafe Del Bastardo positions as a premium limited-release barrel-aged stout, and its pricing reflects the year-long bourbon barrel aging and hands-on coffee infusion process. With a BeerAdvocate score of 94 and a RateBeer rating of 99%, it delivers critical acclaim consistent with its premium tier.

Why Cafe Del Bastardo?

The defining detail here is the six pounds of hand-selected coffee beans added to each bourbon barrel — a production choice that creates a stout where coffee isn't an afterthought but a co-pilot alongside the bourbon wood influence. A full year of barrel aging at 12% ABV builds genuine complexity rather than relying on raw intensity. The beer has earned a 94 on BeerAdvocate and 99% on RateBeer, placing it among the top-rated Canadian barrel-aged stouts. For anyone serious about imperial stouts, this is a benchmark release from one of Ontario's most respected barrel-aging programs.