Papier (Bourbon Barrel) - The Bruery

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

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

Had this at the bruery reserve initiation. I did a side by side of each of the 3 papiers. Third was the bourbon.

Again, the appearance was very similar to the rye and brandy. Pours no head.The color was a murky ruby hued caramel brown. It seemed to be more hazy than the other two though.

Aroma: Big oak and bourbon flavors up front. Vanilla, toffee, caramel. This one was my favorite based off the aroma.

Taste: Lighter bourbon flavors than I was expecting. There was a lot more oak here. I was a little disappointed, because the aroma was so inviting. It has lots of vanilla, toffee, and caramel just like the other versions. This one just seemed to have a lighter flavor.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, rich, and creamy. Medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends a little dry with some heat.

Overall, this was my least favorite, not to say it wasn't bad. I was just a little let down after having the first two. Again, I am really shocked as how this beer hides the abv. Hardly any traces. I would still like to try this one again someday.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2010 21:33:00 | More by mothman

claaark13

Indiana

4/5  rDev -9.9%

05-06-2013 15:29:32 | More by claaark13

UCLABrewN84

California

4.3/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle pour at the bottle share held at Chloe's inside Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles, CA.

Pours a murky brown with a foamy khaki head that fades to nothing. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, and lots of bourbon aromas. Taste is much the same with vanilla and bourbon flavors on the finish. There is an alcohol kick after each sip. This beer has a low level of carbonation with an almost flat mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer with some great aromas and flavors but it's still quite boozy.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 05:34:53 | More by UCLABrewN84

Crookdrain

New York

4.25/5  rDev -4.3%

03-04-2013 22:05:19 | More by Crookdrain

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev -4.3%

03-02-2013 03:29:14 | More by t0rin0

jbuddle

New York

3.75/5  rDev -15.5%

02-25-2013 16:42:34 | More by jbuddle

Hessian257

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

02-24-2013 05:34:14 | More by Hessian257

Azrael

4.25/5  rDev -4.3%

02-09-2013 06:10:20 | More by Azrael

MrFootstones

California

4/5  rDev -9.9%

08-26-2012 19:21:58 | More by MrFootstones

seeswo

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -15.5%

05-23-2012 22:07:29 | More by seeswo

whartontallboy

New York

5/5  rDev +12.6%

01-14-2012 06:08:57 | More by whartontallboy

ygtbsm94

Virginia

4/5  rDev -9.9%

01-12-2012 07:46:43 | More by ygtbsm94

clarkenstein

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

01-08-2012 21:03:42 | More by clarkenstein

photomike

California

5/5  rDev +12.6%

12-15-2011 05:08:36 | More by photomike

spycow

Illinois

5/5  rDev +12.6%

12-14-2011 00:33:28 | More by spycow

GRG1313

California

5/5  rDev +12.6%

11-24-2011 18:44:52 | More by GRG1313

AgentZero

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Thanks to Alex for sharing.

A - Doesn't pour with much visible carbonation. Pretty thick looking. Brown bodied beer with some reddish highlights.

S - Nice caramel, dark fruits, bourbon, oak and vanilla. Really everything you could ask for as far as an Old Ale goes.

T - Love the taste of this. It's slightly hot, but the bit of alcohol warmth is great with the caramel, barrel, and vanilla. Bourbon is great. This is a fantastic beer.

M - Full bodied, pretty low carbonation.

O - Fantastic beer, drinks well enough for something with this much ABV. Quite smooth. While it's a little more rough than the newest beer in this series, it's also less sweet and I like it a bit more. Would love to drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 02:49:20 | More by AgentZero

Jstark5150

California

5/5  rDev +12.6%

11-19-2011 06:37:43 | More by Jstark5150

jerz

California

5/5  rDev +12.6%

11-16-2011 06:16:08 | More by jerz

westcoastbeerlvr

California

4.75/5  rDev +7%

11-14-2011 22:43:53 | More by westcoastbeerlvr

Sean9689

Illinois

4/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Alex & Bryna for this one. Big 750ml bottle with into mini-snifter.

A - Pours a reddish brown color, totally flat.

S - Well, there's probably some beer in here somewhere mixed with all this bourbon! Smells Burnt sugars, oak, bourbon, hot, dark fruit. If you enjoy bourbon, you'll enjoy this.

T - Uh yeah, bourbon. Not a crappy cheap bourbon note, but rich, smooth, a higher-end. Burnt sugars, dark fruit, oak. Like the nose, a lot of bourbon, smooth, sweet.

M - Body is medium, flat, oaky sweet finish.

O - If you like bourbon, you'll like this. A sipper for sure, no doubt. Really enjoyed this one, and at 17%, it's a nice after-dinner drink to split many many ways with friends. Recommend.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 15:19:36 | More by Sean9689

MasterSki

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to d0b for this one. Bottle #353. Served in an Alvinne snifter.

A - Pours still. Ruby brown body, murky, some legs.

S - Surprisingly mellow for 17% (although still clearly boozier than Adam from the Wood). Dark fruits, caramel, vanilla, bourbon, light oak. Extremely raisin-forward, with great complementary barrel flavors.

T - Taste is hotter than the aroma suggests. Lots of bourbon, oaky vanilla, dark fruits, raisins, prunes. Even though there is tons of brown sugar and caramel flavor it never seems to get cloying.

M - Again, nearly still with only the vaguest hint of carbonation. Full-bodied, with some moderate alcohol warmth and a lightly sticky finish.

D - Pretty drinkable for 17%, although I think 4oz is an appropriate serving size for this sort of beer. A very nice old ale, but not as good as Adam from the Wood, or even 100% BA Coton. As the Solera method works its magic, subsequent Bruery Anniversary beers should get increasingly smooth and mellow. That being said, it's nice to see where the magic started. I found the Brandy and Rye versions of Papier more interesting, and I hope those variants show up again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 01:21:55 | More by MasterSki

Halcyondays

California

4.15/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle, song on the stereo, Steve Miller's Jet Airliner,

A: Pours brown with no head, great colour and a nice viscosity to the look.

S: Great smell. Bourbon, wood, vanilla.

T: Wood, sweet bourbon, very good flavour. Vanilla on the finish. Tasty, but not as good as the rye. Still a little bit of booze on the back end.

M: Smooth, creamy, very full-bodied and viscous.

D: A real nice beer here. I like the rye barrel aged a little better, but I enjoy how the bourbon takes over in the end here with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2010 07:52:32 | More by Halcyondays

nickd717

California

4.22/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into glass at The Bruery Reserve Society Initiation. Thanks to our massive beer-pooling efforts and relentless attacks on the tasting table, we were able to amass quite a bit of each -bal aged Papier incarnation. Bourbon was my least favorite of the -bal aged versions, but hey, that's like picking the biggest wimp in a roomful of Chuck Norris clones, is it not?

Pours a cloudy brown color, pretty similar to the color of one of those bears that you see on the Discovery Channel grabbing at salmon as they try to jump up a waterfall. Unlike those bears, this beer does not have a head. Pretty flat-looking.

Smells of sweet caramel and toffee, bourbon, vanilla, spice, and oak.

Flavor is nice and tasty, with -bal aging evident. There's lots of bourbon in there for sure. Also caramel, toffee, vanilla, mild oak, raisin cake, and pie spices. A little on the hot side, but not terribly. Definitely smoother and mellower than regular Papier, although not nearly as much so as Brandy & Rye Papier.

Body is fairly full and carbonation level is low, although not quite Angels Share low. (Side note: I just tried the latest release of Angels Share and it's actually carbonated, so this is the last flat Angels Share joke I plan on making! Congrats, Tomme!) The low carbonation works well in this beer. Really smooth on the palate, although not quite as smooth as the other -bal aged versions, which are at Rico Suavé levels of smoothness.

Drinkability is pretty high. Overall a really solid beer, one I feel very lucky to have tried.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2010 00:21:30 | More by nickd717

bulletrain76

California

3.88/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled at the Bruery's anniversary. Dark brown with red tint and barely any foam. The aroma is an assault of rich bourbon, caramel, and vanilla, The sweet malty base is there, but the barrel dominates. The flavor is a mix of brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, and lots of bourbon. Lacks the hotness of the brandy version, though the bourbon is still the overriding characteristic. Full bodied with low carbonation and light stickiness. Smooth bourbon domination, but is a good way.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2009 10:19:43 | More by bulletrain76