BOYD has previously been our annual imperial stout that guaranteed on decadent, rich and velvety fronts. But with the return of its original moniker, Bring Out Your Dead, this Armagnac Barrel Aged Imperial Stout deserved to be something different.

With this blend, the goal was to create something with more complexity and depth by using multiple vintages, while remaining approachable. As Rocky, the director of our barrel program put it, “while this is still a very big beer, it’s quite a bit lighter than some recent versions”.

The 2025 edition of Bring Out Your Dead is a blend of Armagnac barrel aged vintages: 40% was aged for 30 months (since June of 2022) and the other 60% for 14 months (since Oct 2023). Armagnac is typically distilled to a lower alcohol level, which leaves the spirit with more depth of flavour prior to it being blended, meaning the barrels are bringing a lot more to the table.

So what’s it taste like, then? On the nose, you’ll find boozy brandy armagnac notes with molasses, burnt sugar and marzipan, but deep down it’s rich bodied, with a medium sweetness and a boozy warmth. You’ll find notes of apricot, molasses, fig and dates, alongside lingering oak tannins and caramelized sugar. Rich and velvety, it’s the perfect mix of roasted malt, oak aging and subtle spirit uptake.