Autumn Maple Barrel Aged - The Bruery

largadeer

California

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from HopHead84. Thanks, Shane. You're like some kind of alcoholic Santa Claus, randomly delivering delicious new beers to the drunken masses.

Pours a clear but dark amber, appropriately autumnal, with a small white head that settles to a disc around the glass.

The nose has a massive yam presence, sweet and caramelized, baked with brown sugar and drizzled with maple syrup. Whiskey barrel notes of vanilla, spicy oak, and warming alcohol enhance the already rich base beer. There's a spicy component as well, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. This smells decadent.

The taste lives up to the nose, sweet yams marrying maple syrup and brown sugar, and backed by a huge boozy barrel presence. Spiciness comes through mid-palate, cinnamon and nutmeg most prominently. While this is fairly hot, the solventy element works beautifully thanks to the sheer richness of the base beer. Full bodied with moderate carbonation, a touch syrupy but surprisingly drinkable. While this is sweet from start to end, the finish reveals some mild woody tannins that add a balancing element.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2009 19:40:42 | More by largadeer

Overlord

California

4.15/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Ah, sweet, sweet -bal aging.

Pours a dark murky brown with a surprisingly robust tan/light brown head. Force carbonated? If so, FTW. FTW, indeed.

Smells like dessert! Some sweet molasses laden bourbon, some pumpkin/yam, and an interesting musty spiciness.

Taste is really nice, and this is an improvement by leaps and bounds over the non -bal aged version. Somehow, it actually has more carbonation, too. Dappled sugars/caramel malt/bourbon, vanilla, brown sugar, and a touch of molasses round it out. Really quite nice. Some interesting ... and unidentifiable for me ... spices to it.

Not as drinkable as I would have liked, but excellent nonetheless. One of the most unique drinking experiences of my life.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2009 09:39:49 | More by Overlord