Melange No. 3 - The Bruery

timc100

Illinois

4.84/5  rDev +9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

2012

A: Pours out a gorgeous murky ruby brown (yes, I think that's pretty) and leaves a surprisingly substantial head. Beige with big, barrel aged bubbles, big alcohol legs, pretty sticky. Has a much darker appearance in the glass than the pour - very dark ruby with no light getting through

S: Damn! Huge, huge boozy aroma of caramel, figs, raisins and bourbon. At first the chocolate from the BT comes through, but as it warms it turns into a big BW. The bourbon is very intense and enticing - an apple and grape skin flavor came through as well as big rich caramel and some vanilla. It is very woody as well - nice charred oak and oaky vanilla. It smells more like a liquor than a beer.

T: Huge and very, very sweet, but thankfully not cloying. Rich caramel, dark fruits, and chocolate sweetness. Very boozy, the bourbon comes through strong. It finishes sticky and sweet leaving a coating in the mouth. Really nice warming sensation on the back of the mouth and throat.

P: Usually I am put-off by big beers that don't have an incredibly viscous mouthfeel, but the medium-full mouthfeel on this works perfectly. Incredibly smooth, very soft carbonation - almost none, decently sticky, chewy, long lasting finish.

O: I'd call this a barleywine, and a great one. One of the most bourbon intense beers I've had and I loved every minute of it. A big, sweet boozy monster that is incredibly well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 16:38:23 | More by timc100

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.09/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle poured into a tumbler.

Appearance - Deep brown. No real head. Slightly transparent at the edge. Leggy on the swirl.

Smell - Boozy as hell. Bourbon and brown sugar. Much more brown sugar than barrel complexity, but it smells like candy. Some oak and vanilla, but mostly sugars.

Taste - Sharp alcohol, bright fruity flavor. Probably from the alcohol. Less brown sugar, more of a deep caramel flavor. Some light roast. Lots of oak in the finish. Dry, amazingly.

Mouthfeel - Heavy, boozy, rough, sharp and alcoholic. Might be the two margaritas and multiple beers I had before this, but it's pretty dry.

Overall - Delicious blunt object of a beer. Bourbon brown sugar. Great stuff, if nothing but sugar and alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 02:15:00 | More by Alieniloquium

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.31/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Bottle: Poured a dark cloudy brown color ale with a relatively large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of roasted malt with sweet notes, some bourbon and some vinous notes makes for a unique mix. Taste is a mix between bourbon and vanilla notes with some oak, dark fruit and some vinous notes which feels more or less balanced with the rest of the mix. Body is full with limited filtration and light warming alcohol. I didn’t really dig the mix between rich stout/old ale sweet notes and the dark fruit and also vinous feels of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 19:09:18 | More by Phyl21ca

Brabander

Netherlands

4.73/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This beer was brought into a tasting by Mar02x. We had a Westvleteren tasting of different Westvleteren 12 bottle dates, end 2013 beginning 2013. After those bottles were gone the bigger work started. Tasted at the restaurant of the best beerbrewer in Holland: De Molen in Bodegraven on the first Easterday 2013.

This was the best beer of the tasting without a doubt. What a well balanced beer and what a depth. Sweet with almost no carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 18:48:47 | More by Brabander

spicelab

Australia

4.21/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to MrKenendy for sharing. Reviewed from notes.

Deep mahogany with a beige head of modest retention. Falls to a collar.

Initial balsamic pungency gives way to stewed fruit, toffee apples, cherries, muscatels, raisins.

Flavours are wayyy richer and sweeter. Redskins, stewed plums blackcurrant and caramel fudge.

Syrupy, rich and decadent, but not overly big for the ABV. Light carbonation. All told, it's quite drinkable.

Big but balanced. The high sweetness is offset by the barrel complexity, making it a pleasure to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 04:08:22 | More by spicelab

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown with a bit of red around the edges with a thin finger of frothy off-white head. Fades very quickly.

S - Caramel, dark caramel, and chocolate malts, oak, vanilla, Bourbon, brown sugar, black licorice, wheat, raisins and other dark fruits, and some booze.

T - Caramel, dark caramel, and a bit of chocolate malts, oak, vanilla, Bourbon, brown sugar, black licorice, raisins and other dark fruits, molasses, wheat, a hint of smoke, and some booze.

M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a warming and sweet finish.

D - Very bold and very complex. Also well balanced and the Bourbon is kept in check.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 05:08:25 | More by ngeunit1

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

4.56/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured in to a Bruery tulip. Still trying 'new' Bruery offerings to dictate my level of 'engagement' in RS this year. Thanks to cduckett16 for this in a trade.

A - the beer pours a murky deep brown in color; there are some lighter brown hints around the edges within the very quickly dissipating head; lacing is virtually non-existent

S - up-front, the beer smells like a bourbon-raisin punch to the nose; I get all the vanilla, "rich caramel" and oak that the label suggests I should; I also get some sugar cookie and general alcohol notes; the barrel aging aromas are prevalent

T - bourbon-soaked raisins; I recently had Fruet for the first time and feel like that is much sweeter than Melange; I get candied dark fruits and that sugar cookie flavor again; there are caramel, brown sugar, figs, toffee, and a hint of cherry in here; take all of those wonderful flavor notes and swirl them in to a vat of bourbon

M - this beer certainly provides that sticky sweetness I expected, but it's not at all syrupy, at least not to me; there is extremely little in the way of carbonation in the bubbly form, but I think the carbonation comes through in the overall mouthfeel experience; somehow, it's present without seeming so...like the fizz is there but concealed in all the complex flavor notes; the heat is noticeable but not overpowering

O - I'm glad I've already ordered up four of these bottles through RS; this is a really good and complex blend of what I anticipate to be three amazing Bruery beers...I've only had the White Oak. I'm sitting on a BT and Papier can't be too bad; that said, I wish the sweetness in Melange 3 shone through like it did with Fruet...hopefully that one is blended in to another Melange offering. Great sipping beer with numerous flavors present and a great balance of beer infusions.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 21:01:33 | More by SkeeterBoganski

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4.6/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Presentation: 750 mL bottle covered in red wax. Poured into a Cigar City tulip glass after being chilled for half an hour. Huge thanks to sugit for this long time want.

Appearance: Dark brown in color, although it can appear almost black in color at times. Medium brown on the edges. A one finger beige head that recedes rapidly into a pretty nice lacing. The head is really light in color compared to the body.

Aroma: Really big bourbon barrel character takes center stage. There's also strong caramel, vanilla, oak, and dark fruits. The alcohol is strong, but the sweetness definitely tones it down very well. Does a really nice job of combining the best notes of a barrel aged stout and an english barleywine.

Taste: Unapologeticly sweet and barrel forward. Really big notes of caramel, molasses, vanilla and bourbon. Despite the slight burn of the alcohol, this is really easy to drink and goes down smooth. This is really tasty. Light milk chocolate, figs, and more dark fruits add complexity and complement the barrel tones.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and adequately carbonated for the style. Definitely some warming tones on the way down.

Overall, an insanely tasty blend of beers that surpasses the individual components. This is incredibly easy to drink for the ABV and really tasty to boot. I would definitely classify this as a hugely sweet, barrel aged strong ale. This was a huge want of mine for a while and it completely surpassed my expectations. I will be seeking this out again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 02:46:39 | More by Gosox8787

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.61/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The perfect ending to an incredibly crappy day.
Pours a deep burnished brown with faint ruby at the edges and a smallish tightly bubbled khaki head that slowly dissipates to a ring on top. The smell of bourbon and oak hit my nostrils as soon as I pop the cap off the top. Upon closer inspection I am greeted with light and brown sugars with a fair amount of dark pitted fruit and a hint of ethanol. the flavor is sweet up front with brown and syrupy sugar. Dark and light fruit come next along with a bit of vanilla and wood. The alcohol and bourbon come in next with a ferocity that won't quit. Long lingering tannic wood and alcohol burn long after the sweet liquid settles to the bottom floor. Medium to thick body with a light to moderate level of carbonation and a sweet harsh alcoholic mouthfeel. Nice sipper, but there is no denying the alcohol content of this one. This is tasty but it needs some time to settle down.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 22:36:15 | More by johnnnniee

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle poured into a snifter. The brew appears brown in color with ruby around the edges to more of a orange color when held to the light. A tan cap sits atop with spotty lace clinging to the glass as it fades.

The aromatics initially are all barrel characteristics. Sweet smelling like vanilla mixed with coconut and a mild tangy alcohol inclusion. Burnt sugars like caramel or toffee give way to almost a raisony feel.

The taste is sweet with burnt sugar before the onset of barrel presence. Vanilla gives way to tangy booze inclusion. Some coconut, oak and caramel to toffee round things out with a mild amount of raisony dark fruits.

This is a medium to fuller bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. A very nice brew that is so easy drinking I could probably tank a whole bottle myself. Only after the fact did I realize that Fruet is (I believe) a part of this blend and it makes sense as that brew is really felt in this and helps temper some of the more raw booze from black tuesday.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 20:31:33 | More by stakem

jvillefan

California

3.93/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

A: It is a very hazy muddy brown with a very minimal head.

S: Very hot on the front end and throughout. There are hints of bourbon, cherries, and caramel.

T: Alcohol is first unfortunately. Followed by bourbon, cherries, caramel, and a pleasant tart.

M: Very slightly carbonated but very heavy and viscous.

O: Very good, very heavy. This is a once in a while beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 04:21:12 | More by jvillefan

dogfishandi

New York

4.49/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml waxed and capped bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours out a murky chestnut dark, deep red / brown color. A nice layer of light tan colored head with some tight, retentive bubbles. Bits of spotty lace and some nice sticky legs left on the glass after a swirl.

Big sweet aromas. Big caramel, maple sweetness. A range of different dark fruits; plum, fig, vanilla, maybe a bit of butterscotch. Some nice smooth bourbon barrel aromas, becomes pretty boozey as it warms.

Follows the aroma. Lots of caramel and maple sweetness that blends so nicely with a range of dark fruit/ stone fruit, figs and bourbon barrel. Such a nice sipping beer, never becomes astringent.

Thick, and very sweet. Smooth, light carbonation which helps on the overall smoothness of the beer.

What a beer, so thick, sweet, and full of flavor. The bourbon mingles with the sweetness of the beer so nicely, very rounded flavors. A top notch beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 01:10:04 | More by dogfishandi

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

4.4/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle 15,0% Abv.
Served lightly chilled and split between an over sized wine glass and a snifter.
No bottle date

Thanks to futura123 for this bottle.

Appearance: Melange #3 appears a very deep brown in the glass, with a backlight showing deep red highlights and bright golden edges. A rough pour yields a good sized beige coloured head that lasts well for the abv, but does not leave much in the way of lacing.

Smell: Mmmm, this smells fantastic – the nose is absolutely massive and incredibly decadent. The initial nose offers tons of bourbon, dark caramel, vanilla, oak and butterscotch. As the nose opens up a big dark fruit character (cherries, bourbon soaked raisins, figs and dates) becomes apparent, alongside brown sugar, a toasted character, a touch of chocolate, a leathery note, some liquorice, a touch of tobacco, and a lightly spiced note (reminiscent of Christmas cake batter). There is a little alcohol noted, but it is gently warming and not harsh or unpleasant.

Taste: Wow, this is quite a lot sweeter than I expected and strangely seems sweeter than all of its components! Don’t get me wrong, I love massive sweet beers, but I have a feeling it might get a little much since I have the whole bottle to my self. Flavour notes include: Sweet dark caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, butterscotch, some oak, bourbon soaked raisins, cherries, figs, molasses, dark treacle, some toasted notes and a little chocolate. As with most beers from the Bruery, there is far less alcohol noted than you would expect.

Mouthfeel: The body is just about bang on for the style – full, fairly sticky and with a distinct sugary feel. The carbonation is however not quite as good. The medium level is a little high for me and it could be a little smoother.

Overall: As I suspected, the sweetness became a little much as I approached the end of the bottle. That said, Melange #3 is still a fantastic beer and would be perfect split with a friend. I have not had White Oak Sap, however I can’t say that I noted much wheatwine character and I would guess that the Anniversary ale and Black Tuesday make up a much higher proportion of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 10:09:17 | More by Thehuntmaster

dbc5

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

750 ml bottle poured into 10 ounce Kentucky Bourbon Stout snifter.

A: Pours a murky brown. Almost has a muddy quality on the pour. Surprisingly, getting a 1 finger cream colored head on this (didn't expect that on a beer over 15%). Head sticks around and getting some nice lacing on the glass. Really impressed by this given the alcohol content.

S: Getting smacked in the face (nose I suppose) with bourbon on the pour. Opens up a bit and picking up oak, caramel, vanilla, caramelized sugar, apples, plums, and raisins. I swear I'm picking up a light citrusy character. Not picking up roasted malts to the degree I would expect given that Black Tuesday is listed first on this blend.

T: Surprisingly, bourbon flavors are not as present in the taste as the nose suggested. Don't get me wrong, it is present, but more balanced than I thought. This isn't to say the beer lacks alcohol heat. It is certainly perceptible and contributes a nice warming sensation in the throat. Caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, RICH chocolate, oak, and bourbon. Very sweet and very complex.

M: Thick and syrupy with minimal carbonation. This almost drinks more like a liquor than a beer. Alcohol contributes an oily character.

O: The complexity and flavor here is insane. So much going on. While one should never expect a 15% plus beer to be "drinkable" this one is somewhat less drinkable than some other beers I have had in this ABV range (e.g., Bourbon County Variants, BB4D, BB Monster 29, even Black Tuesday). A really nice beer to enjoy over the course of a few hours. Extremely glad to have the opportunity to enjoy this. Would be interested in getting another to lay down for multiple years.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 02:11:35 | More by dbc5

Scotchboy

Idaho

4.31/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Waxed 750ml bottle that we ended up splitting 3 ways. My portion into a Deschutes tulip. Huge thanks to Sean for this one!

A: Tawny pour yields a nearly opaque brown body with transparent tan hues along the edges. Minimal head but good lacing and legs.

S: Huge vanilla and caramel, with a hefty amount of oak; booze. Strong, sweet bourbon with a good amount of brown sugar as well. Pretty sweet and sugary, with a distinct spirit presence and plenty of barrel notes.

T: Bourbon, and everything that comes with it; caramel, and vanilla to slightly lesser extent. Lots of oak and rich, decadent chocolate. I've never had BT but I'm sure I can taste it here among the flavors, lingering with dark roasted malt sweetness, chocolate, and coffee. Surprisingly there is hint of tangy citrus and wheat in the midst of this beast.

MF: Very full bodied - viscous and creamy, with low carbonation.

O: Pretty darn sweet and boozy to the nose, while the palate actually yields a unified flavor profile. Not 3 beers I would pick to blend (and the tangy wheat IS a bit odd) but overall a masterfully crafted beer, though the sweetness really got to me. Nightcap beer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 15:27:41 | More by Scotchboy

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.51/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for sharing this

Consumed 1/19/13

Appearance: Dark, dark brown - off-white head, bubbly - head dissipates quickly, but keeps a nice ring around the edges of the glass, leaves a few spots of lacing

Smell: In a word, absurdity - bourbon, booze, and sugar - cooked, caramelized malts - sugary, sweet caramel, toffee, and molasses - vanilla, wood - sweet chocolate - dark fruits, including cooked apples, figs, grapes, and raisins - so much sugar

Taste: Similarly mad - so much booze, this kind of tastes like a liqueur - bourbon, caramel, wood, vanilla, molasses, toffee - very, very sugary - dark fruits and chocolate - sugar and brown sugar - roasty and burnt malts - the menace of Black Tuesday is quite apparent - rich chocolate and coffee - extremely complex and intense

Mouthfeel: Full body, slick, syrupy, insane - like a rich liqueur

Overall: This is madness! (Not Sparta)

This beer is so crazy that it warrants an overused reference to a movie that came out almost 5 years ago. Burnt, roasty, and woody with a stupid amount of bourbon, caramel, and sugar. So much sugar. Why.jpg

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 22:54:12 | More by angrybabboon

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Split with angrybaboon.

Appearance: Deep rich brown with bar click red highlights. Small tan head drops to a spotty cap and small collar. No carbonation

Smell: Toffeee and booze soaked raisins. Sharp alcohol. Crazy sweet. Molasses, maple, caramel. Sugar in all kinds. Touches of butterscotch. Some roasted elements. Vanilla, oak and so much sugary sweetness. Candy. White chocolate. Caramel malts. A touch of something earthy.

Taste: Sugar. Caramel, toffee, touches of brown sugar. Butterscotch and vanilla. So much overcooked and caramelized malt. Sugary sweet. Bourbon and something akin to honey. So much raw sweetness. Bourbon sugar. Oak and minor roasted malts. Light brown sugar. Sherry. Sugar and alcohol.

Mouthfeel: Syrupy, but warm syrup. Not quite full. Minimal carbonation. Lingering alcohol dryness.

Overall: My name is Wilford Brimley and this beer gave me diabeetus.

Take Black Tuesday, add sugar, drop some of the bourbon and stout characteristics, and you get this. So much sugar sweetness and alcohol. So sweet it's distracting and detrimental.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 22:52:08 | More by Goblinmunkey7

TK5150

Maine

4.9/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A- Pours a murky brown/amber with a small beige head that recedes quickly into a small ring around the glass. Alcohol legs on the side of the glass as I swirl.

S- Big sweetness. Caramel, molasses, oak, bourbon, vanilla, and just a hint of alcohol. Awesome.

T- Big sweetness again. Caramel, molasses, sugar, oak, and bourbon. Dark fruits come through towards the finish with some light heat from the alcohol and barrel. If I didn't know Black Tuesday was one of the beers in this blend, I would never have guessed there was a stout in here. Either way, it works, and its fantastic.

M- Full bodied, but not huge. Lighter side of full bodied I would say. There is a little bite to it.

O- One of the best beers I have ever had. I like big, sweet beers, and this hit the spot. While it is sweet, the barrel character helps balance it out. A true piece of blended beer art.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 16:29:18 | More by TK5150

s1ckboy

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 bottle with just over a year of age on it.

A - Deep brown body, barely an off white head.

S - Oak, bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, toffee. Sweet.

T - Bourbon, vanilla, toffee, chocolate, very sweet. Can definitely pick up on elements of both black tuesday and their anniversary beers.

M - Medium mouthfeel, low carbonation, very smooth.

Very good. Was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. Not sure if it is greater than the sum of it's parts, but it's pretty close.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 14:30:47 | More by s1ckboy

LaChupacabra

California

4.58/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 2, 2011. 750ml served in snifter glass at cellar temp.

A: Pours deep brown with red highlights. Tan head that quickly fades to a thin skin around the edges of the glass. Little lacing left behind.

S: Lots of sweetness: vanilla, toffee, maple, caramelized sugar, candied dark fruit. Also bourbon/oak.

T: More bourbon and oak in the taste than in the smell. Still lots of sweetness and dark fruit. Also some leather, coffee and toasted malts. Boozy, warm finish. Very good, but also very sweet. A bit boozy, but in a good way. And considering the 15% avb, the booze is actually hidden very well.

M: Medium-full body that is syrupy & sticky. Medium-low carbonation.

O: Great beer! It's heavy and really sweet, so I'd definitely recommended it as a beer to share with several people.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 23:51:58 | More by LaChupacabra

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.23/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml, 2011 vintage
5oz mini snifter

A: This pours out a dirty reddish, brown color. Faint light tan head. Fades really quickly. Forms a ring around edges. Carbonation is ok considering the ABV on this monster. Definitely some alcohol feet are showing through here.

S: Big nose here. Pulling some booze. Caramel. Toffee. Vanilla. Sweet malts leading to dark fruits. As it warms, the nose opens up even more.

T: First and foremost, still getting booze in this beer. High octane is right, as others have mentioned. I let it warm up a little bit. Big toffee and vanilla notes. Almost butterscotch like. Definitely taste some of the barrel. VERY sweet beer, but I like it in moderation. Long lingering finish. This is a bottle to be split with many and enjoyed over dessert of some sort.

M: Full bodied and sweet as hell.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 15:32:27 | More by inlimbo77

Mora2000

Texas

2.93/5  rDev -34%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to SaucerSam for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a medium to dark brown color with some red highlights and a tan head. The aroma is extremely sweet. I get a ton of brown sugar and molasses notes, as well as some wood, maple and vanilla. Unfortunately the flavor is just as sweet as the aroma. I get a lot of dark fruit and oak, as well as some brown sugar. I get some maple notes as well. I know Black Tuesday is a part of the blend but I get no roasted malt or chocolate notes. Very boozy. Thick, syrupy mouthfeel and low carbonation. I am very glad I got to try this one, but it was way too sweet and messy for my liking. Still, definitely a unique brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 02:07:49 | More by Mora2000

libbey

Washington

4.63/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Blind BIF bottle #12 from trxxpaxxs. 750ml poured into my new Pretty Things glass.

A: The beer pours a deep dark ruby red with a minimal cap of head that settles quickly. There is very little lacing to speak of but each swirl of the glass leaves a thick sticky trail that slowly retreats back into the glass. This looks like a big beer. 4/5

S: Huge nose that fills the room up with giant vanilla and bourbon notes. A heavy dose of chewy caramel, dark fruit, candied plum for the malt base. Hints of tobacco and oak begin to emerge as it warms. Super complex with a ton of layers involved but it never becomes to muddled. Truly wonderful nose. 5/5

T: This is a high octane beer. Big dark fruit with lots of figs and plums. Big candied malts with layers of barrel. Maple, Vanilla and a touch of oak. ABV is present but it is beautifully masked by the layers of flavor and completely integrated with the beer. Fantastic. 4.5/5

M: The mouthfeel on this beer is crazy. It is so full and tacky and sticky. Lingering flavors of bourbon and vanilla marshmallows are left on the pallet. The carbonation is perfect. A treat in every sense of the word. 5/5

O: Overall this is an exceptional beer and one that should be shared with others so they can experience it with you. Certainly not an everyday drinker but one that should be reserved for a special moment. World class beer that should be pursued accordingly. 4.5/5

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 00:06:56 | More by libbey

Etan

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle (2011 I think). Got this in a trade a while back.

A: Pours a cola-like brownish black with a decent off-white head.

S: Piles of coconut, vanilla, rich prune, light chocolate, melted caramel in the nose. Smells like a barrel-aged old ale.

T: Lots of boozy warmth, raisins, caramel, vanilla, prune juice, slight roast. Tannic and warming in the finish. The balance is tipped toward the sweet side but not overwhelmingly so.

M: Thick, yet the carbonation offers a lighter feel.

O: This is very good. I'm not quite sure if the blend was too successful in making the beer unique, though - it tastes like a slightly darker, less fruity version of the anniversary beers. I'm still very pleased with how it tastes, more so than with some of the anniversary beers.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 21:19:27 | More by Etan

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 bottle

Appearance. Pours a murky deep brown with a little rust and a thin, light tan head.

Smell. Wow! Big sweet bourbon, some caramel candy, a little bit of coffee, molasses and chocolate. Smells pretty awesome.

Taste. Oh man. Sweet bourbon and chocolate. Just a ton of both!! Some nice caramel and toffee with a little creamy sweet coffee and toasted wood. Fucking incredible.

Mouthfeel. Full body, but not in any way thick or syrupy. Does that even make sense? Lets say it defys the laws of physics. Medium carbonation.

Overall. Good lord, this is just packed with flavour. All good stuff too. Wishing I hadn't traded away my other bottle now!!

Edit: I can't believe I drank that whole thing myself. Yikes. I'll be enlising some help the next time I crack something like this...

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 02:03:10 | More by Rutager