Founders Bolt Cutter - Founders Brewing Company

lovindahops

New York

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

After being the dd for the wine and chocolate festival at the fair, I definitely deserved to open one of my two bolt cutters.

A- With an aggressive pour, bolt cutter pours a reddish amber body with a solid head of tan foam that rises to the top of my surly tulip. As the head recides, remnants of the foam drift to the edges of the glass. Strong carbonation rips through the glass

S- sweet caramel and earthy tones lead off a richened fruit presence. Some vanilla oak and slighlty sweet syrup are present in this bold barleywine

T- Very strong surge of butterscotch and fruit like candy is galvanized as the predominant characteristics from the get go. An earthy presence flows through with an extreme presence of hoppiness characterized by piney flavors. Certainly bold but masking the alcohol well throughout the tasting. Really a big sweet barleywine flavor as was hoping for

M- A little thin but still sweet and clinging to the pallet

O- I really enjoyed this as an all out flavor assault for a barleywine. I wish I could sense the bourbon that everyone mentioned but nevertheless this is a wild brew that some aging will do well. I'm looking for a few more of these. Thanks founders!

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 04:45:21 | More by lovindahops

Greywulfken

New York

4.49/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: center-pour into tulip: clear deep amber with orange highlights; slim head of tan slips away without a trace

S: chewy caramel; suggestion of candied bitter orange; warm brown sugar sweetness

T: alcohol was a little sharp up front; warming, boozy; sweet orange and coriander in a solventy pool; some malty roasted/burnt orange rind

M: at just below room temp, medium body, no real carbonation, some astringence (alcohol); slight chew up front, but then dissolves and slides quickly across the palate; boozy aftertaste - probably a good cigar beer

O: hey, look, its Founders and its a barleywine. You know you're not going to go wrong. This was an excellent barleywine, but (yes, a but) I was not stopped dead in my tracks. I've had Founders Nemesis 2010 (an American barleywine), and plenty of other b'wines - this is up there with the best barleywines, but I don't know that it clearly displaces the best of the bunch.
It is obvious that you need to buy this if you see it, and I credit those with the discipline to store this for a couple of years. It will no doubt be fantastic.

Aged really well: had one on 3/2/13 and it had already morphed into a superior beer than it started off as - more citrus notes on the tongue and nose, all the malt and hop flavors melded and mellowed; super smoothness and deliciousness.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 04:08:09 | More by Greywulfken

homebrew311

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is bright orange with minimal head. Spotty lacing present. Nose is a solvent infused Devil Dancer character, a bit of earth, tons of earthy hops, a touch of maple and vanilla. Taste is vegetal spicy character with heavy onion hop character and solventy alcohol burn. Not a big fan. Mouthfeel is heavy with mild carbonation and plenty of burn. Overall, big disappointment here. Things are out of balance and very overpriced.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 03:35:07 | More by homebrew311

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Capone's in SEPA.

Bolt Cutter comes in a goblet with a small trim of off white bubbles up top leaving a skim of foam for a bit before fading off, no lace but some swirls bring it back. The body is a deep amber golden color that is on the bright side, not much activity after a bit.

Smell is big on caramel and toffee with some toasted malt characteristic. Bourbon and maple in the scent. Sweet and alcoholic, I can sniff it from the glass cold and warm. Not a distraction. Not well integrated yet, I can see this blooming later on becoming a sweeter scent as a nice hop presence is noted.

For 15% this can be a lot hotter than it is, the alcohol is masked but not fully so it seeps out in the taste all over. The hops come forefront bringing out some sharp pine, with a mix of bourbon and slight maple tones leading to some more sweet caramel. English in nature that will mature when the hops drop.

Body is above medium with a harshness from the hops and alcohol mix, that is not all that scorching. A hoppy barleywine now, that probably will tone down with time. Carbonation is muted but there and keeping the beer from being dead.

A pretty good barleywine that has both English and American characteristics with the Founders touch. If I find a bottle I'll see where it takes me. Right now, I could not see drinking more than 8oz's though as it's ripe.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2012 01:45:49 | More by onix1agr

RandomBattle

New York

3.9/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle to Founders tulip, perfect!

Appearance - pours a darkish amber and produces a nice 1 finger white soapy head. Very well carbonated.

Smell - the first of the varying aromas I got from this beer was just straight up alcohol, which is understandable given the ABV, but not exactly inviting. That asides I got a lot of hops and some sweet, malty caramel.

Taste - this is a big beer and the tastes are very evident of that. Strong hops, sweet, sticky malt, sugary caramel, and a slight alcohol burn. At the current moment in time this seems more like an American barleywine then an English style, primarily due to the strong hop presence.

Mouthfeel - for a big beer the mouthfeel was pretty much on point, asides the alcoholic twang it went down fairly easy.

Overall - I agree with everyone that said age will do this one well, I plan on sitting on the rest of my bottles for a while. Given the hype and average retail price I don't think I will be buying anymore though.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 00:41:11 | More by RandomBattle

tut2528

Illinois

3.61/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

thanks to sleuthdog for opening this at the tasting!

A: pours more like an Irish Red Ale, with a deep red-orange color with about a 1/2 fingers worth of head formation that is slight beige in color. This looks like an IPA. There is even some transparency.

S:There is a huge hop note, strong sweet fruit punch, bread, biscuit, alcohol burn, grass. This really isn't what i was expecting...

T: This is such a weird tasting brew, and the complexity is very straightforward. Its got a sweet caramel, with big grassy hop note, some orange-peel with a ass load of creaminess in the finish.

M: medium bodied, alcohol definitely felt on the lips along with the creaminess

O: very nice brew, and definitely grassy hop forward. definitely would be interesting to see how this develops. the most intriguing part is the huge creaminess in the the finish which allows to mask the 15%. overall, a solid brew, but not the best of the style. I honestly feel this falls in between an American BW and a English BW.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 00:37:41 | More by tut2528

sleuthdog

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into snifter

Appearance: This presents as a light straw or orange color with a minimal half finger size head. Light does penetrate this when held up to the light.

Smell: Hop forward with bread and some spice. I'm getting an orange character as well. Some sweetness in the background with maybe brown sugar or molasses.

Taste: Best way I can describe this is as an orange, grassy, sweet taste. I get a big sweet caramel with some bread notes. This is one big sweet beer.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and creamy as it coats my palate completely. Alcohol does give a slight burn as it swirls in my mouth.

Overall: I have to say this is not an english style barleywine but rather more an american style barleywine. I really did enjoy this but this is going in knowing not to expect an english style.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 00:31:42 | More by sleuthdog

oline73

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had this on-tap at the Capone's Black Friday Event. Served in a tasting snifter.

Appearance: The beer pours a clear reddish amber color with a layer of off whit head. The head fades to a ring around the glass and leaves some lacing.

Smell: Right off the bat I notice the strong alcohol burn. I'm getting an aggressive hop presence along with some dark fruit. Warm and full of citrus peel hops.

Taste: I would say that this beer could use some age. Quite bitter and very hoppy. Citrus peel hops are backed up by some sweet brown sugar, dark fruit, and maple syrup notes. The finish is very bitter. There is a hot alcohol burn throughout the whole sip.

Mouthfeel: The body is just on the syrupy side of medium with fluffy, tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I thought this beer was too young. I think it could be fantastic in a year or two. The sweet notes were very good, but they need time to come to the front some more.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2012 02:47:41 | More by oline73

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This poured out as a reddish orange color with a thin white head on top. The head settles just leaving some scattered spots on top and some very thin lacing on the glass. The smell of the beer is potent, very big orange citrus notes here as well as some earthy hops and plenty of ethanol. The smell almost reminds me of a cleaning product of some kind but at the same time it still smells good. The taste of the beer gives of some massive malt characteristics, it's boozy and sweet, elements of caramel and apple in there some maple and some bitter hops as well. The mouthfeel of the beer is medium to heavy, it's smooth and oily, lightly carbonated. Overall it's a big beer, lots of nice things going on in this one. Might be interesting to have again someday once it's been aged for a little. This beer has a lot of complexity and is very good. Definitely worth trying.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2012 01:21:22 | More by Knapp85

SteelersX

New York

2.88/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Copper/orange in color. white head that dissipates.

Smell - sweet with noticeable alcohol. mixture of fruits. Noticeable hop aroma but not as hoppy smelling as I was expecting which is a good thing.

Taste - MEH. Hits the roof of my mouth with a sticky sweet fruit bomb and stays there for minutes after a sip. A fair amount of pineappley hop flavor. Bourbon barrels? No. Maple? Maybe due to the overpowering sweetness. Some bitterness at the very end.
Mouth feel is sticky. coats my lips and doesn't go away.

Overall not worth my sobriety. If this beer was 10% I would be happier. The price tag is ridiculous for what this is. So many better beers out there for the money. A fail from Founders in my opinion.
Hey - you can't bat 1000

The high ratings has to be the hype talking. No Rare flavor here.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 23:19:04 | More by SteelersX

joefuzz

New York

4.93/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

pours deep orange with a very small off white head

smells is fairly hoppy for a english barleywine some amazing citrus notes with a slight sweetness.

taste like a iipa on the first sip...as it warms the malt character shines through with a slight oak taste if i didn't see 15%abv on the label i would have never guessed

mouthfeel is on the lighter side with light carbonation

overall if you are comparing this to king henry you will be very thrown off. this beer is exquisite in its own right...something completely different, awesome beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 07:27:11 | More by joefuzz

ncketchum

Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served cellar temp into a pint glass, split with my dad and sister over thanksgiving leftovers

A - Pours a murky honey-brown, three fingers of brown-orange head, good retention and lacing

S - malt forward nose, caramel, followed by hops and a little burn of alcohol

T - as with the nose, malt and breadiness up front, sweetness of caramel and maple syrup, then a rather large hop presence at the same time as the alcohol starts its subtle, slow burn

M - smooth, thick, and warming

O - excellent barrel aged barleywine, nice balance of hops and malt, aging in the different barrels gives a good amount of complexity. A great offering from Founders, happy to have had the opportunity to get my hands on this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 01:41:57 | More by ncketchum

mdaschaf

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured a very nice orange color with a one finger off-white head with great retention, lasting for the majority of the time it took to drink it. Sticky lacing forms down the sides.

S: Wow, surprisingly hoppy, lots of pine and citrus upfront with some caramel, toffee, and oak that come forward. Lots of vanilla comes out in the middle. It was rather resiny with a little bit of alcohol at the end.

T: More hops upfront, very piney mixed with some grapefruit. The hops transition to some caramelized sugar, vanilla, bourbon, oak, and a little bit of maple.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation. Slightly boozy, but it doesn't really impede the drinkability.

O: As someone that isn't a huge barleywine fan, I liked this beer quite a bit, probably because of the barrel aging. Surprised at how hop forward it was, but I am sure this will fade with time. Great beer to have for thanksgiving dinner.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 00:57:39 | More by mdaschaf

Shane-o86

4.43/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours into a glass a blood orange with a one finger head that disapates after a minute or so. Leaves nice lacing objects the glass the entire time.

S- Immediate smell of crisp hops and Carmel.

T- Taste the hops at first but they soon mellow out and the malty Caramel taste takes over. Alcohol taste is present but not overwhelming for the ABV. Slight fig aftertaste.

M- Almost creamy mouthfeel but remains very crisp.

O- overall a very good barleywine, however there are similar if not better ones for less money.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 20:48:18 | More by Shane-o86

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Founders 15th Anniversary Party, into a snifter.

Redder brown, with a very small offwhite head that only leaves some whisps of retention. Nose of bourbon, maple, sweet caramel and malts. Some peripheral citrus, alcohol and cotton candy even perhaps. Taste has some maple, bourbon, white raisin, alcohol, sticky caramel and bitter citrus. Alcohol is well hidden but not completely disguised. A tasty American Barleywine, but not mind-blowingly awesome.

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2012 18:08:26 | More by liamt07

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-Such a beautiful hue. Burnt marmalade or blood orange. Slow, lazy bubbles rise to feed the head. Head is the color of lightly burnt marshmallow. Head dies off to a thin film and a cluster of bubbles. Thick seams of lacing. Very pretty.

S-A surprisingly intense haymaker of hoppiness. Hops are sudsy, and candied citrus. Tropical hops too. Wood-induced spice. The notes from the barrels start to set in after the hops waft out of the glass a bit. Dried-out biscuit and rich toffee. Caramel liqueur. Fruit cake and dried plums and figs. Vanilla extract and yes, even a bit of warm Maple Syrup. Herbal tea with a shot of Bourbon. Astonishingly complex.

T-The hops attack first. Soap and bitter pine followed by tangy grapefruit. Apricot hops too. Then a neat amalgamation of Maple Syrup infused with Bourbon. The syrup flavor is great. Coffee Cakes and baklava. Fig Newtons. The more I dissect the flavors, the more noticeable the oak becomes. Vanilla and scorched wood. Caramel all over the place. Boozy carrot cake...I could go on forever.

M-For 15%, this doesn't feel incredibly full. Don't get me wrong, it is full bodied, but it isn't massive. I kinda like that. Super, super, super dry. High, lingering bitterness. This goes down with frightening ease. Soft carbonation. Pretty boozy, but what would you expect from a monster like this?

O/D-Great beer. Shocked by its hoppiness. Impressed by its complexity. That being said, it is about one tier below some of the best Founders beers I have tried. Still, this is one of the better beers I have had in the past month or so. I would consider this brew a great success. So complex it makes my head spin. What a great beer to have with some turkey and stuffing.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 17:29:19 | More by VelvetExtract

JamesShoemaker

New York

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 ml split with my Mom, reviewed from notes. I felt very privileged to have access to this beer, some skillful convincing of the distributors on the part of my local store.

A - great looking beer, beautiful reds and oranges, much lighter than I expected it to be. Translucent. Pours a finger of foam that recedes fairly quickly, lacing up the sides, and some carbonation bubbles.

S - lots of hops, very floral. It smells like it's going to taste like a big, sweet, sticky bomb. The hops hide the alcohol deceptively.

T - hoppy at the beginning, receding into some bitterness at the end of the initial hop note. It moves into sweetness, caramel, licorice, the barleywine flavors. It's not nearly as strong as I expect, but I don't care for how heavy it is. It's still very drinkable though.

M - very syrupy. The alcohol remains hidden behind the hops and sweetness. The beer isn't quite as "hot" as I've read some people on BA describe it, but it's clear that the beer would benefit from some years in my cellar.

O - a good offering, the Backstage Series continues to impress. I prefer Old Numbskull (because I like my BWs hoppy), but Bolt Cutter is still delicious.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 13:57:45 | More by JamesShoemaker

jisom123

Indiana

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

We have to stop comparing the backstage series beers to each other.

Smells like cotton candy, maple syrup and an enjoyable booziness.

Very limited barrel flavor, and limited maple.

Great mouthfeel.

Hint of Belgian trip yeast flavors. Doesn't mesh well.

Not worth the price. Too much going on in the wrong departments, too little going on in the right departments. Still a good beer. not great.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 03:04:56 | More by jisom123

n2185

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: pours a clear copper with a finger of beige head that fades into a frothy ring with little lacing.

S: super citrusy at first with orange and pineapple aromas followed by caramel notes. The barrel aromas bring up the finish with maple and slight bourbon aromas.

T: grapefruit and pineapple up front with sticky caramel, vanilla, and maple. The bourbon and oak bring up the finish with a moderate alcohol burn and slight yeast notes.

M: medium-thick body with lowish carbonation, this beer is super sticky-sweet.

O: a good barleywine overall, with lots of complexity and depth. It's a bit boozy now, but I think it will improve with age. Thankfully I got a couple of bottles so I can see just how it ages.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 01:55:30 | More by n2185

effyeaAB

New York

3.15/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I'm not one to review often but this is a beer that I feel inclined to review for a couple of reasons. 1)It's a very hyped up release 2) I had to have people in different parts of New York go around to pick some up for me and 3) The price. So here we go...

A - Normal. It's a burnt orange copper-ish type color, zero head which was to be expected but nice alcohol legs which isn't really that important.

S - Hella boozy, I LOVE big boozy beers, hell my favorite beer is BCBS so go figure but this is just raw booze and you can definitely tell they dry-hopped the day lights out of it. I'm getting zero bourbon barrel here. And maybe, MAYBE some of the maple barrel character but could very well just be the caramel coming through. Citrus and pineapple are quite prevalent too which is kind of awesome to be smelling in a English BW.

T - More of the raw booziness, it literally dries your mouth out and I know it isn't the hoppiness either, it's just a booze-fest. Intense sweetness that's to be expected up front but again that dryness, it's just not hitting the mark for me in regards to what was advertised and what was delivered. Maybe they should re-classify it as an American BW???

M - Thin! Too darn thin.

O - It's a smart beer, 15% for their 15th Anniversary and they aged it in everything that you need to age it in to get beer nerds to prick up their ears. I mean if you read the beginning of the review I fought to get my hands on this stuff I was terribly excited but frankly and I know that this may be looked down upon but for the price it's just not worth pursuing. I'm very excited to have 3 more bottles of this to age and I'm hoping and praying that the hops die down and that the booziness kind of mellows itself out but for right now it's average at most.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 15:16:05 | More by effyeaAB

yamar68

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pretty mellow looking, boozy beer - burnt copper body topped with a slight half finger of pale khaki head that recedes after a few seconds... a thin collar retains pretty well and produces some oily booze legs.

Interesting... incredibly dynamic smelling beer but very smooth, oaky vanilla, citrus peel, some faint booze warmth, sweet syrupy malt character, surprisingly tame to the nose. Blossoms with some warmth... some dessert candies and sweet dark fruit comes to the forefront.

A lot more happening in the taste... sharp bourbon notes, that same vanilla oak, honey, pineapple and other tropical fruit, some caramel and leather... not so apparent though, certain aspects of the beer are overshadowed by the booze bill which I think makes it an excellent candidate for the cellar. As the beer nears room temperature, the beer really ties itself together. Booze translates to bitter juicy fruits, pineapple... balanced.

Dry, bitter, sake type finish is actually pretty enjoyable. Mouthfeel is spot-on, not too oily and not too thin.

Great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 03:20:48 | More by yamar68

mcintire78

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a: A beautiful deep gold to pale amber color, with a bit of carbonation and a substantial, finger high head that dissipates slowly.

s: Boozy and sweet (honey? sugar?)!

t: Sweet taste up front (toffee?) with a strong bourbon taste kicking in at the end.

m: Gentle up front, not much carbonation, but the alcohol burn catches up with you.

d: This is a sipper for sure. A beer for dark winter nights holed up in a cabin with a blanket pulled around you.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 02:05:57 | More by mcintire78

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750ml into a duvel glass

A: a beautiful brownish ruby amber, more ruby then anything, I get a massive two fingers of caramel covered head, that shows excellent retention, dissapating slowly and leaving tons of sticky lacing.... Beautful

S: surprising amount of dry hop aroma on the nose, I read that they dry hopped this one with a mountain of cascade hops, but still ... Very nice rich caramel/toffee aromas... Some nice light fruit notes as well, pinneapple and mango nice topical aroma, brown sugar, and some nice oak notes...

T: yum... This brew is deffinatly sweet, but I feel like the dry hopping rounds it out nicley.... This beer taste like tropical fruit covered on brown sugar with a touch of maple and burbon... It wasn't until tasting this that unread further into the beer to discover it is a blend of unaged, burbon barrel aged, and maple burbon aged, portions of the same beer.... Nice! I feel like the barrel aged components really round this out nicley, adding hints of maple syrup and burbon soaked oak... Very well rounded and very delicious.

M: heavy, full, luscious, with lower creamy carbonation, this brew is a touch syrupy but just right... A bite of bitter pine comes trough in the finish, drying the palate, and leaving a bitter residue in the mouth.

O: this is a great beer, very nicley done, wonderfully rounded... It is a very big barleywine, id love to see what a few years would do here.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 02:05:50 | More by PeterIngemi

josephwa

Minnesota

4.53/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - Solid carbonation, white head, golden copper color.

S - Mild aroma to this one. But what I do get is honey, sugar and caramel.

T - Hoppy, honey, caramel, and malty. A great mix of sweet and bitter.

M - Alcohol burn for sure on this one and well carbonated. Not thin, nor thick.

O - Extremely tasty. I love it but wouldn't go out crazy with purchasing more of this. Aging would help this brew in my mind though.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2012 15:42:38 | More by josephwa

Beerdregs

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Bolt cutter release party at St. Paul Pizza Luce.

A: Opaque copper orange color. Almost no head at all. A few swirls in the snifter glass brings up a minimal white head.

S: This is the bright spot with this beer. The work that the brewery did with this beer really shines on the aroma. I get a heavy hop aroma, maybe peaches and rich maltiness with the alcohol wafting up into the nose. I just don't smell the bourbon.

T: I don't taste the bourbon or the maple syrup. I was expecting a little more sweetness from the malt to balance the alcohol. The hops definitely play a strong role here especially in the finish with the bittering hops. Very boozy. I actually taste more of a canadian whiskey with this beer. As the beer starts to warm I do perceive a little bit of vanilla.

M: Very dry mouthfeel with mild carbonation and heavy alcohol burn that swirls up into the nasal passages.

O: This beer really teased me with the aroma and so I was kind of let down with the taste. I was expecting more from the bourbon and hoping for some maple syrupiness. The alcohol just kind of hijacked the attention for the beer. I think 15% is too much for me in a beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2012 02:58:29 | More by Beerdregs