Brooklyn Brewery has once again partnered with Four Roses Distillery to launch the 2025 edition of its limited-release Brooklyn Black Ops stout. Marking the seventh year of the collaboration, the Russian Imperial Stout was aged for three months in hand-selected Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon barrels and will be available from late October.
The 2025 vintage has an ABV of 12%. The partnership between the New York-based brewery and the Kentucky distiller first began in 2019 to celebrate the shared craftsmanship between brewing and distilling.
This cross-category collaboration is part of a wider trend that has seen brewers increasingly use spirits barrels to impart new flavors and complexity into beer, particularly stouts and other dark styles.
Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery’s brewmaster, said: “I’m going to say that Black Ops 2025 might be our best Ops release yet. All the flavors are punchy, sleek, racy and so well-integrated and smooth that the 12.4% ABV is a bit sneaky.”
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He added: “This is a ‘stout-drinker’s stout’ full of clean roast flavor and beautiful bourbon notes – I’m loving it after dinner and with desserts.”
The barrels for the project were hand-selected by Four Roses master distiller Brent Elliott.
“It’s always a pleasure to revisit this collaboration and search for the exact Four Roses barrels that will best complement the incredible beer Brooklyn Brewery creates,” said Elliott.
He continued: “This partnership allows me to think a bit differently — to explore how our bourbon can take on a new life while still delivering the balance and nuance Four Roses fans expect.”
Elliott noted the beer “hits all the right notes for our loyal bourbon drinkers, yet offers a flavor profile that’s entirely its own.”
According to the official notes from the brand, the beer has a flavor profile of dark cocoa nibs, milk chocolate, and vanilla-forward oak. These notes are accented by subtle hints of caramelized sugar and bourbon sweetness.
The brewery suggests pairing the stout with desserts, dark chocolate ganache, or strong aged cheese, and also recommends it as a float with vanilla ice cream.
Brooklyn Brewery, a pioneer of the American craft beer movement, distributes its products to 30 US states and more than 30 countries globally.
Established in 1888, Four Roses Distillery is known for its process of using two mashbills and five proprietary yeast strains to create 10 distinct Bourbon recipes.
The 2025 Brooklyn Black Ops will be sold in 16-ounce four-packs. It will be available nationwide where Brooklyn Brewery products are sold, at the brewery’s Tasting Room in Williamsburg, and at the Four Roses Distillery Visitor Centers in Lawrenceburg and Cox’s Creek, Kentucky.
