Scotch Ale Oak Aged - Brasserie Dunham

MasterSki

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Patrick (papat444) for this oddity. Served in a tulip.

A - White foam settles to a thin collar, leaving tiny specks of lace. Hazy ruby-amber body.

S - Is this wine barrel aged? Super vinous barrel characters dominates, with only a touch of scotch ale presence - pretty much all wine, oak, and perhaps a kiss of sweet malts. May be a mild lactobacillus character developing too?

T - Taste has a bit more balance, with a nice mix of red wine and smokey scotch ale. I think combination of flavors is actually pretty effective, as the spice and smoke flavors are common to both elements. Alcohol is extremely well-hidden.

M - Smooth medium body, with pleasant moderate carbonation. Lightly tannic texture, with no perceptible alcohol.

D - Not at all what I was expecting from an Oak Aged Scotch Ale, but a pleasant surprise. I'll have to check out other offerings from this brewery next time I'm in Quebec. Had no problem sharing the 500ml with Jason.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 15:56:39 | More by MasterSki

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

According to the bottle, limited edition of 288 bottles though there is no number marked. Weird.

Poured from a 500ml. bottle.

Appearance: A hard pour nets me barely a finger's worth of head before it disappears. Cloudy, almost opaque dirty brown body with a sheathing of lace that more or less lasts.

Smell: Red wine, oak, vinegar without the sour.

Taste: Red wine, cork, mellow with some peat in the shadows. Am i drinking wine? It certainly feels like it. Not a fan at first but as it warms, SOME malt shows and the lingering wine soaked oak is interesting.

Mouthfeel: Next to no carbonation, very smooth, not as dry as wine. Weird hybrid makes it feel like a smooth red wine. Limpid with some mild thinness.

Overall: I must admit to not really liking this at first but it has won me over to a certain degree. Not the oak aging i was expecting which might explain my initial response. Ended up being ok with it and i think a wine buff might appreciate it more.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 00:42:16 | More by papat444