King Henry - Goose Island Beer Co.

homebrew311

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at FoBAB.

A: appears a deep burgundy with a light brown collar of head, decent clarity, some lacing

S: the nice smooth toasted coconut character that I loved so much in BCS Rare is prevalent, the PVW barrels shine among notes of leather, raisins, honey, and molasses

T: leather and bourbon up front, notes of marshmallow, cream, honey, and molasses. The balance is impeccable. No heat whatsoever.

MF: smooth and creamy, mellow carbonation

O: the fact that this beer didn't even place at FoBAB is quite shocking. A GI brewpub only brew called Honey B took best in the Barleywine category as well as best in show... I firmly believe that this brew was leaps and bounds better. To each their own I guess.

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2011 02:49:41 | More by homebrew311

Alpar

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

***This review was done prior to the Pappy Van Winkle Barrel aging on King Henry***

A: A very rich mahogany red. Little carbonation, barely a ring on the outer perimeter of the glass.

S: Really sweet, lots of malts, spice, bread, pit fruit e.g. plum maybe peach and bourbon. Is there some nutmeg in there?

T: Similar to the smell, very sweet. I can feel the carbonation and taste it. This beer is not flat, although it does appear to be. The spices are very prevalent in the taste along with some subtle bourbon notes. I am getting some oak here as well.

M: Oily yet thick thus very smooth. Coats the mouth perfectly.

O: Very well done. I was expecting a not so great barleywine yet this was phenomenal. I am beginning to realize that I really enjoy almost all of GI's special barrel aged beers. Can't wait for the bottling.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2011 01:48:31 | More by Alpar

Sean9689

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Goose Invasion @ Small Bar Fullterton.

A - Pours a rusty reddish color, cream head, thick collar that leaves no lacing or retention.

S - Sweet dark fruits, burnt sugars, caramel, candy. Very sweet and the alcohol is nearly undetectable...very rich.

T - Goose has this listed at 13% on the tap menu, which I really can't believe, I barley get any alcohol from this beer. Super sweet, sugars, light bourbon, oak, big dark fruits. Sweet candy finish.

M - Full, good carbonation, uber rich.

O - I think this might be too sweet for some people, but I really loved this one. The rich sweetness was amazing and if this beer is really 13%, I'm amazed at how well they hid the alcohol. Def want this one again...hope it pops up somewhere soon!

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2011 14:36:58 | More by Sean9689

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Great Taste 2010

Pours a light layer of tan head. Color is a copper brown with a slight ruby hue to it.

Aroma/Taste: This beer has a lighter bourbon flavor than most -bal aged barlywines. I am guessing it is due to the fact that it was aged in old bcs barrels and the bcs took most of the alcohol notes. It has a lot of malts going on here. Big toffee notes with some caramel flavors. Also there is a decent amount of dark fruits showing. Also has some chocolate and burnt sugar flavors.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth with some warmth to it. A fuller body with a medium amount of carbonation.

Overall, this is a pretty decent beer. I want to try it again when it is released to re-evaluate it, but so far I like it. It is pretty drinkable for how big it is.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2010 23:22:35 | More by mothman

jeonseh

Indiana

4.69/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Bottle

A - Dark brown and ruby body. Looks a bit like whiskey actually as it has a warming look to it.

S - Slight dates and dark fruit initially. The barrel really shines through as you get lots of sweet bourbon and a good oak presence

T - Dark fruit and a strong date presence comes through initially. There is a ton of bourbon and butterscotch that give it a nice sweetness along with a nice bourbon presence. There is the most chocolately barleywine that I've had as well which is where you can tell that this was aged in second use BCBS barrels. This adds such a nice complexity that you don't normally find in BW's. The finish is pure bourbon and oak.

M - Medium body with light stickiness that makes this easy to drink but helps deliver the flavor. The finish has lots of oaky spiciness to it.

O - Great barleywine with tons of barrel and chocolate presence to it. Definitely lived up to my expectations. This one is still drinking great and is super balanced.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 16:44:21 | More by jeonseh

mindspin315

New Jersey

4.84/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

This is seriously a beer to end all beers. If any barrel aged English BW can get better, let me know? (Ok, I see you lurking Kuhnhenn BBBW).

Appearance: Dark ruby hued brown body. A sort of head forms quickly and dissipates equally as fast. Lots of lacing and legs.

Smell: Huge fresh oak, caramel, toffee, bourbon, and hints of dark chocolate. Other aromas of come through such as dark fruits (raisins, figs, plum, black cherry), vanilla from the wood, toasted coconut, sweet apple skin, and a faint roasted nuttiness (pecans), tobacco. Light sherry and port wine presence as well. Incredible aroma. You could pull plenty of different aromas with each smell.

Taste: The light aroma presence of sherry/port wine comes out big in the flavor. Sweet apple skin, caramel, toffee, and figs upfront. One of the biggest tastes is toasted coconut. The palate is left with plenty of flavor. Everything from to sweet caramel/toffee, dark fruits, bourbon, char, and vanilla. Along with a mild dark chocolate presence.

Feel: Low carb...not flat, but not gonna tickle your tongue. Incredibly smooth, glides across the palate with a heat that would never tell you this is 13%. Def knows how to coat the palate and stick around. Mild alcohol heat (incredible for the high ABV).

King Henry is absolutely amazing. It is worthy of all the hype it gets! From aroma to feel, I can't name a beer that does it better for the style. This is most def a sipper to be enjoyed with company. Although going solo on this wouldn't be a bad decision either!

[100/100]

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 07:31:37 | More by mindspin315

Doogermeister

Illinois

4.89/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Pours a very dark/dark amber almost black color.

Smell is mild when comparing it to a BCBS but has a similar aroma to it.

Taste is a much smoother more refined bourbon county. The beer I feel is like a grand reserve BCBS but with little bourbon barrel flavor. One of the greatest stouts I've ever had and at 50 dollars a pop, still well worth it.

The mouthfeel starts out thick then rapidly thins out due to high alcohol content. The mouthfeel isn't as thick or as syrupy as a BCBS. I feel that it is much more refined. In every way

King Henry is one of those super rare beers that should never be passed up at almost any price. It is a rare find and well worth the money. Best stout I've had, hands down.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2013 01:35:56 | More by Doogermeister

writerLJBerg

Oregon

4/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle courtesy of claspada. Thanks! Reviewed from notes.

A: Placid dark mahogany color with a barely discernible head. Stains the glass with brown sludge.

N: Can smell the caramel and vanilla from halfway across the room. Lots of honey, brown sugar, and a touch of licorice. Candied pecans. Very well rounded.

T: Balanced and well put together. Lots of interplay between the sweetness of bourbon and the underlying bourbon. There's a slight cocoa to this and similar oak flavors to Sucaba. It's a natural for the style.

M: Rich, filling, and the alcohol is actually well-hidden.

O: This is a beer worth lingering over, but it's very much a dessert. In fact, after so much apparent praise above, the reason this isn't getting higher marks is that by the end of my half of the bottle, I'm fairly sick of drinking this. It's really good upon the first impression and through the first 4 oz, but this is not one that goes the distance for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 04:38:46 | More by writerLJBerg

weonfire

Illinois

4.31/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle date: 10/08/11

A - Dark Brown/Mahogany, tiny amount of head around rim, tiny amount of carbonation rising, zero head.

S - Sweet bourbon, vanilla, toffee, chocolate, carmel, brown sugar, touch of biscuit, aged fruits: prune, figs,

T - Bourbon, vanilla, toffee, chocolate. Finish: dry biscuit, bitter vanilla and booze (4/10)

M - Heavy, extremely thick, very full body, super cream, frothy, syrup, chest gets warm from booze

O - This is the heaviest, fullest, closest to syrup beer I've ever consumed. So much that it wasn't even drinkable until just about room temperature. Yes, the nose is excellent. The taste doesn't have the bourbon one would expect but is very pleasant, vanilla is very dry and bitter with a rather hot finish. No matter- the overwhelming characteristic is the over exceeding thickness, syrup. I cannot get past that.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 23:03:18 | More by weonfire

williamjbauer

West Virginia

5/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottled bomber served in snifter, shared with my dad to celebrate the birth of my son.

Caramel brown fairly clear with half finger brown head that quickly dissipates and leaves some minimal bubbly lacing and nice alcohol legs. Aroma is the nectar of the gods with sweet caramel, molasses, alcohol, bourbon, vanilla, oak, and chocolate with a touch of toasted coconut. Taste is the finest sweet caramel malt I have had in a barleywine. Vanilla, oak, smoke from the bourbon but not as pronounced as I expect in this beer's debut. As the beer warms the chocolate character from the Rare starts declare itself. Full body, minimal carbonation. Best barleywine I had to date. Hope the GI barleywine will be somewhat close to this.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 09:47:57 | More by williamjbauer

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4.44/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Dark brown burgundy in color with a minimal head and light lacing ring, barely sticks to the glass when swirled.

S - Maple syrup, oak, bourbon, figs, dark fruit, light peat moss, dark chocolate and molasses.

T - Follows the nose, boozy.

M - Thick and full bodied, slick, viscous.

O - So glad for the opportunity to try this rare beast of a barley.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 21:15:51 | More by jzeilinger

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.93/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

(Served in a snifter)
10/09/11 on bottle
A- This beer pours a deep hued walnut body with a nice thick head of light tan that last for most of the beer.

S- The full aroma has some spun sugar aromas blending into toffee and dark prune hints that lead to a luscious caramel malt finish with some hints of golden raisins. There is a slight buttery aroma to the caramel that comes through as it opens and makes it hard to stop sniffing and start drinking.

T- A big sugary flavor but not overly sweet starts as a maple burnt sugar malt flavor with a more light roasted malt underneath and some buttery oak barrel flavor that really comes alive in the finish. The finish has a nice sweetness that is balanced by a bourbon barrel character that is not really alcoholic but does cut the sweetness nicely.

M- This beer has s medium-full mouthfeel with a crisp little fizz and a gentle alcohol warmth that shows through when it is pretty warm.

O- This is a big luscious barleywine that is sweet and tasty with layers of big barrel and bourbon character that keep coming out as the beer opens. It was sad to see this one end. Thanks emerge for sharing.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 14:59:36 | More by rhoadsrage

popery

California

4.24/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours dark brown, lighter at the edges. Little to no head. Quite murky. Aroma is a great blend of huge molasses, vanilla and oak. Sweet bourbon note. A bit hot still. Tons of caramel, treacle and other toasted sugars. Taste is similar. Tons of molasses and caramel. Pretty big booze note. Good vanilla and other barrel notes. Some of the bourbon delicacy is gone but it's still a nice sweet flavor. Thick feel. A bit syrupy but it works well with the flavor. I think it's not quite as good as it was fresh but still a delicious beer and it's a shame that more barley wine/old ale style beers aren't made in this style. Great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 21:17:47 | More by popery

Hugonaut13

Illinois

4.93/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

22oz bottle poured into Bourbon County snifter at cellar temperature. Has sat in a 50 degree fridge for over a year. Let's see how it's drinking.

A - This is a dark BA Barleywine. Looks like an extremely thin stout with ruby tones when held to the light. Minimal carbonation. Some bubbles around the edge of the glass. No lacing.

S - Smells of bourbon soaked dark fruits with some vanilla splashed in. Smells fantastic.

T - Bourbon soaked chocolate covered raisins right off the bat, fading into a rich vanilla oak. Leaves with some sweetness that hangs around well after the sip. This is absolutely delicious.

M - The 13.4% is not present at all. This is an easy drinker. (admittedly, to those who like BA beers) Not much in the way of carbonation, I'm also not finding that to be a problem here. If this was more carbonated, it would seem out of place.

O - It's bittersweet that this is my last bottle as it's probably my favorite beer I've ever had. I truly hope the new Bourbon County Barleywine can even come close to resembling this. If you have a chance to try/get one, do it.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 19:39:18 | More by Hugonaut13

imscotty

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Dark brown in color. Very little head; very little lacing; very little carbonation evident.

S: Strong malt smell, caramel and vanilla

T: This beer is impressively smooth in taste. Besides the malt bomb base, I detected plum, raison, vanilla and current. Not as powerfully flavorful as other Barleywines I have had (Thomas Hardy's for example) this beer is smooth and very drinkable. I did not feel the 'heat'. I usually like my Barleywines aged for several years to knock down the sweetness, but this one was not too sweet. Seems ready to go now.

M: This beer had a surprisingly light mouth feel. I did not find it as thick or sticky as others described. King Henry had a great finish and left a nice lingering aftertaste.

O: From the reviews I was expecting the best Barleywine ever, but it did fall a little short for me. It was so smooth tasting that it seemed to lack the power factor. There was complexity, but it was subtle. This reaction is undoubtedly my bias to the slow sipping English Barleywines (I've had some fine aged Thomas Hardys).

I have one bottle of KH left. I intend to age it a few more years and revisit this review. I shared the first bottle with several friends, but maybe I should have the next bottle to myself to fully feel the love :)

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 19:21:39 | More by imscotty

beerdrifter

Germany

4.49/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up in a great trade with Evan! An aggressive pour yielded absolutely no head or lacing, only a dark mahogany very flat looking beer. Probably the darkest Barley Wine I've had. That's where the minimal downside ends. The nose is amazing and complex with loads of dark fruit along with hints of chocolate, bourbon, maple, licorice, and molasses. The taste is bold and complex as well. Bourbon, chocolate fudge, oak, and dark fruits up front along with hints of maple, toffee, licorice, molasses, and just a touch of black cherries. Considering the 13.4% ABV, this is one smooth beer. The mouthfeel is thick and somewhat heavy and syrupy, but with an almost creamy feel to it. Yes, it's a sipper, but it's not hot and boozy and has an amazing subtle warming on the finish. Overall, this is absolutely a world class Barley Wine. And it was bottled after AB InBev's takeover to all you haters. Goose Island is here to stay!

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 18:55:50 | More by beerdrifter

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.41/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

This was sent to me by mjmadsen21, big thanks on this one. This poured out as a very dark burgundy color with a fizzy tan head head on top. The head doesn't last long and only leaves a thin ring around the edge of the glass. Not the most impressive looking beer that's for sure. The smell is big, lots of bourbon, sweet fruity malts and plenty of ethenal heat filling the nose. The taste of the beer is sweet, loaded with dense malt and plenty of sweetness. Elements of vanilla and caramel. The mouthfeel is heavy, creamy and oily thickness with some bubbles that gently dance on the tongue. The beer is smooth and sticky. Overall it's huge, very boozy even after sitting in the bottle for a couple years. Really nice barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 02:24:44 | More by Knapp85

Skull40

Indiana

4.96/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

A - Dark reddish brown. Nice legs and carbonation. The head dissipated quickly.

S - The smell was a sweet scent reminiscent of caramel, molasses, dark fruits and some oak.

T - I picked up heavy caramel the whole way through the bottle. I also got toffee, dark fruits including prunes and black cherries, slight vanilla, oak, a red wine taste and bourbon with little alcohol burn.

M - Creamy mouthfeel

O - This really is a great beer and one of the best barleywines I've ever had. I wish I could have tried this fresh, but at this point it's still very hard to beat.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 22:34:11 | More by Skull40

PsilohsaiBiN

New York

4.88/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

2011 Bottle: Thanks Marti403

Appearance: Dark brown opaque, with a small head that quickly recedes to the perimeter.

Smell: Coconut, chocolate, bourbon, dark fruit(raisins, dates, figs), brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, yum.

Taste: Good lord. Barrel character right off the bat with caramel and chocolate/vanilla/coconut blend seamlessly and fade out gradually into a finish that begins with dark fruit and ends with a sweet, caramel tinged, malted barley finish that's clean, leaving you yearning for the next sip. Subtle elements of the drink are left on your tongue, but in a way that doesn't fatigue the palate, like many other barley wines. There is also little to no alcohol burn in the finish, even if you drink it fast(which I don't recommend), which is remarkable for this abv.

Mouthfeel: Velvety, on the borderline of viscous, and just right for the style.

Overall: Well, hype is one thing, but when you get results to meet it, that's another story altogether. This is without a doubt, the best barley wine I've ever had. From smell, to mouthfeel, to taste, there is not much that makes up this brew that can be defeated by others for the style, imo. I say this having held the highest hopes for Sucaba, and although enjoying it, I wished it tasted exactly like this. I've finally found that perfect barley wine. Let's hope BCBW can come close to this masterpiece.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 03:45:40 | More by PsilohsaiBiN

KYGunner

Kentucky

4.74/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Deep brown with a tan head this Barleywine is deep, rich and clean in appearance.

The scent is magic. Robust tones of chocolate, caramel, malt and molasses dominate but don't overpower. Touches of coconut and dates can still be found in the background.

The taste is WOW! Never have I said wow after drinking a Barleywine but I actually exclaimed Wow! Rich and robust caramel mixed with chocolate fudge brownie! Even raisin, light coconut and a port or wine like complexity can be discovered in the richest flavored Barleywine I've ever had.

Imagine my disappointment when I'm in beer ecstasy and I'm told this is retired. WOW!

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 01:36:41 | More by KYGunner

barczar

Kentucky

4.76/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Pours a deep brown with amber highlights and a fleeing beige head.

Deep chocolate, raisins, bruised cherries, dates, figs, and booze forms the aroma. It's absolutely exceptional.

Raisins, chocolate, prunes, cherries, figs, vanilla, coconut, and bourbon overwhelm the palate with greatness.

Slightly syrupy body, with minimal carbonation and significant alcohol warmth.

Wow. Delicious. Aged a year, it's a touch hot, but damn it's tasty!

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 00:54:33 | More by barczar

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Bottled on 10/8/11. Poured into HF stemmed glass. First beer in our big barleywine tasting.

A- Pours a translucent mahogany brown without any head or lacing, fairly minimal carbonation but fairly normal for the style.

S- Caramel, brown sugar, oak, bourbon, vanilla, a hint of booze. Balanced, complex, fairly aromatic, but a little bit more booze then I would have liked but not bad considering the 13.4% abv.

T- Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, oak, hint of booze. Very sweet yet complex, extremely well balanced with a nice integration of flavors, nice barrel characteristics while still maintaining nice qualities of the base beer, in my opinion this is pretty much as close to perfection as you can get in a barleywine.

M- Incredibly smooth, fairly low carbonation, extremely easy drinking for 13.4%. Can't believe how smooth this is for 13.4%.

O- This was an absolutely fantastic barleywine that definitely lived up to my very high expectations. This was the best barleywine of our tasting, even better then Leon. Easily the best barleywine I've had, and just about as close to perfection as you can get for the style from I've seen. I definitely recommend seeking this one out.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 23:19:18 | More by jaasen64

dbc5

Ohio

4.95/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22 ounce bottle poured into 10 out Kentucky Bourbon Stout snifter.

A: Pours a deep brown with ruby edges. Held to light, some amber tones shine through. Color is beautiful (although I'm sure some would complain of it being too dark for the style). Very minimal head, even with fairly aggressive pour. No lacing to speak of, but do get some alcohol legs with each swirl of the glass.

S: So much going on in the nose. The bourbon is present and yet not overpowering, letting oak, vanilla, candied caramel, dark fruits, graham cracker, and a brown sugar sweetness push their way through. Phenomenal nose.

T: So much complexity. I am experiencing the beer differently with each sip. Caramel, toffee, dark fruits, vanilla, coconut, marshmallow, brown sugar, and of course bourbon. It seems that with each sip, a new flavor takes the prominent role. The use of dark malt (chocolate I believe) imparts an interesting element that isn't present in your typical English barleywine. I'm picking up some interesting flavor similarities between this and Dark Horse's BB Monster 29, although they are clearly different beers and the Monster 29 is far sweeter.

M: Sticky, thick, and tongue coating. Carbonation is mild and appropriate for a barrel aged barely of this size.

O: Hands down, the finest barleywine (barrel aged or otherwise) I have had to date. I'm honestly not sure that I have ever enjoyed a beer more than this one. Were there slightly more head and lacing, this might have been my first ever perfect 5. Simply phenomenal.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 00:56:58 | More by dbc5

falloutsnow

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From: Beertopia, Omaha, NE
Date: Bottled 10/08/11 (cellared for over a year)
Glass: New Belgium globe glass

Goose Island's King Henry is an excellent, if not somewhat extreme, English barleywine. The heavy malt and dried fruit sweetness is well complemented by the oak aging, and there's deep complexity to be found in the cornucopia of other scents and tastes one can pick out. It's unfortunate that the beer is retired, because the beer is complex enough to be enjoyed many, many times over.

Pours a 1.5cm head of small and medium-sized bubbles, tan in color, with average to below-average retention, lasting under a minute. The beer leaves little lacing, a few dots and lines scattered across the sides of the glass. The body itself is a dark brown, opaque, with light bringing out burnt orange and red hues. Carbonation is not visible through the dark body.

The aroma is very complex: I suspect you could drink this beer many times over and still find elements in it that were new to you. I detect bourbon (obviously), but it's not the only focal point here. There's also plenty of caramelized sugars from the malt, raisins, prunes, dried dates, and dried figs, modest oak from the aging, and I'm also getting some vanilla and graham cracker, surprisingly enough.

Taste is similar to smell, with the beer exhibiting substantial bourbon and caramel-like sweetness with esters similar to raisins, prunes, and dried dates, hints of chocolate and vanilla. Specifically, tasting opens with sweet, but dark caramel malts and aged bourbon characters, becoming more complex with raisin, prune, and dried date flavors. Mid-palate continues to note the sweet, dark caramel and bourbon flavors, along with the dried fruits, but also adds in a bit of dry cocoa and vanilla. Back of palate notes some spicy ethanol characters, but these end up complementing the vast array of heavy flavors rather than detracting them.

Body is heavy to medium-heavy, as expected, with fairly low levels of carbonation, creating a smooth and sippable beer. A bit more carbonation would not have harmed the beer, and might have helped the flavors be further expressed. Closes dry, from the ethanol, and leaves a substantial stickiness across the palate.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 05:16:50 | More by falloutsnow

Damian

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Drank from a 1 pint 6fl oz/650 ml bottle
Bottled on: 10/08/11
Served in a snifter
Acquired in a trade with celticfutblclub

Review #725

Deep, dark, shimmery, burnt umber appearance. The liquid was topped by a thin layer of tan bubbles that quickly dissipated to an anemic looking ring.

The aroma was intense. Super sweet. Loads of toffee and brown sugary goodness. Punchy raisin and plum notes. Spicy. Strong indications of candied fruits. Brandy soaked fruitcake came to mind. Bourbon was evident, but with so many other strong aromas it was almost an afterthought. Vanilla and coconut notes were apparent. Touch of port. The nose got sweeter and more extreme as the beer warmed.

The flavor profile was fantastic as well. Lots of sweet caramel malts and brown sugar on the front end. Super strong raisin and plum notes. Lots of candied fruits and spices. Christmas cookies came to mind. Strong bourbon and port-like notes on the finish lent a touch of heat. Considering that this beer is 13.4% ABV, however, the alcohol was surprisingly mellow. Vanilla lingered in the aftertaste.

The mouthfeel was super smooth, slick and creamy. Oily. Medium bodied for style. A touch thinner than I anticipated. The liquid contained a frothy, finely bubbled, moderate effervescence.

Although King Henry did not blow me away like Rare BCBS did, it still impressed me greatly. Hopefully Goose Island will brew this again at some point, even if that requires using different barrels.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 23:12:06 | More by Damian