Coton - The Bruery

rapidsequence

Virginia

4.14/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

750 ml bottle. I bought this at Beer Run when it was released in 2010 for $21.

Appearance: Pours hazy brown, but when held to light, is actually pretty clear, and a deep dark garnet color. Hard pour yields a bit of off white head with minimal retention.

Smell: Rich, sweet malt and fruit. Raisins and dates, dried peaches and/or apricots. Some oxidation notes. Vanilla notes from the boubon, and some alcohol smell.

Taste: Super sweet with lots of complexity. Insane amounts of fruit flavor and considerable alcohol bite. Similar to port of sherry. Finish yields the bourbon, a bit of roast, and a long, warming boozy kiss.

Mouthfeel: Syrupy, low carbonation.

Overall: I like it quite a bit. Its really sweet though, and that gets a little old. SImilar to the Fruet I drank at Christmas, but less bourbony.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 00:57:59 | More by rapidsequence

jvillefan

California

4.53/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: A hazy brown body with a ivory/brown head.

S: Bourbon and deep malt aroma. There is a pleasant alcohol bite.

T: Sweet malt and bourbon flavors with a nice alcohol bite.

M: Amazing body with a great carbonation bite.

O: Amazing beer. Worth actively seeking this beer out.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 20:49:12 | More by jvillefan

claspada

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a ruddy brown color with light red hues along the edges and really no head to speak of but there is some solid lacing if your swirl this in the glass.

Aromas begin with tons of caramel, toffee, vanilla and oak. There is some dark fruits and molasses with some emerging spirit and alcohol.

The tastes begin with warming alcohol which transitions into the toffee and caramel maltiness. There is a super sweet candy maltiness and some maple syrup flavors as well with some light darker fruits as it warms. The sweetness and alcohol are still fairly present even after the 2-3 years in the bottle.

Mouthfeel is fairly full bodied with a very little amount of carbonation. Finish is fairly biting from the alcohol and fairly sweet.

Overall I cannot recommend this beer as each year they come out with a new one that is more balanced and less alcoholic thanks to the solara blending method they use. The overly abrasive alcohol and borderlining cloying nature make this a fairly big miss for me. Cuir was such an improvement as was Fruet so I can only assume this year's Bois will be even better.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 14:43:37 | More by claspada

NorCalYeti

California

3.93/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

big beer. poured cloudy (unfiltered). frothy, white, irridescent, broken bubbly thin head. good amount of lace. at first impression, everything about the beer reminded me of vintage bigfoot. pumpkin and allspice in the nose and taste. i'm not picking up a lot of barrel aged influence on the beer, sadly. beer is alcoholic and has a warming feel when consumed. really interesting astringent quality on the upper gums in the mouth. beer really opens up and expands in the mouth as you spend more time with it. roasted meat aromas and flavors, a sugary component to the taste prevails, waxy feel at the top of the palate. prickly feel at the front of the tongue. tart citrus fruit and cigar smoke. interesting beer. for $35.99, i'd save my money for something else but glad i had a chance to try it.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 02:29:30 | More by NorCalYeti

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

3.45/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip glass from a 750ml bottle.
Bottle: 6369

Pours a murky and muddy mahogany color with soem orange amber edges. There is a thin quarter inch head that forms that is light tan and recedes fairly quickly.

Aroma starts off with some slight sour or maybe briny notes, some leather and tobacco notes as well. There is some sweetness in the back and some Bourbon as well. Slight honey notes. There is some toffee and molasses notes but that briny note kind of turns me off a bit.

Flavor starts off with some dark fruits. Prunes and some nice molasses and toffee sweetness. There is some leathery notes as well in the flavor but these are less noticeable in the taste. Sweet notes of bourbon as well with some slight oaky notes as well. Mouthfeel is smooth and oily with lower carbonation.

OK Old Ale. not my favorite out there and The Bruery has some better ones out there. Still its a tasty.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 23:23:42 | More by JoEBoBpr

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a nice ruby color with a 2 finger tan head. Leopard spots of lacing remain on the glass.

S- Has some Worcestershire just like Cuir does, leather

T- Worcestershire, some spices, and sweet amber malts.

M- Full body and medium carbonation. Slightly syrupy.

O- Liked this better than Cuir, but still had that weird Worcestershire character to it.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 14:12:02 | More by kawilliams81

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

thanks to TATURBO for sharing this beer. Thanks Chris.

poured into tulip glass.

bottle number- 6827

reviewed from notes 7/29/12.

Appearance: medium red bodied beer with small tan head. The beer drops to a cap that has some good staying power.

Smell: Dark fruit, caramel, & toffee.

Taste: Big dark fruits and a touch of leather. Has a slightly soured fruity frinish. Similar to cherries I would say.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation.

Overall: So we did an Olde Ale Tasting featuring Cuir, BA Cuir, Coton, and Fruet. Coton took third place. Not bad; fairly solid Olde Ale that was to style. Does even match up to either of the Bruery's BA Olde Ales. That bourbon barrel does wonderrs to Olde Ales!

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 08:03:03 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 8/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a very dark red amber. Moderate tan head and light lacing. Interesting flavor, sweet malts, lots of dark and light fruits and booze. A bit of citrus. A sweet-sour dark fruit finish. A very different, but enjoyable flavor. The ABV packs a punch, though. I'm not convinced this is an old ale, but it is interesting.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 18:17:30 | More by LiquidAmber

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle, bottle #00363. Served in a snifter, the beer pours a murky reddish/copper color with about a half inch tan head that didn't stay around for long. There isn't too much lacing, either. Aroma is sweet and malty, the brew smells like brown sugar, dark fruit (raisins, figs), vanilla, oak, and some sherry. The taste pretty much is just like the aroma, it tastes like dark fruit (raisins, figs, prunes), oak, sherry, brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, and some dark bread. There's also a nice sweet boozy finish. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's slick, creamy and a bit syrupy with moderate carbonation. I think this is a pretty good brew overall. I never had the chance to try this fresh, but I don't think the age has hurt it at all. Definitely worth a try if you come across a bottle!

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 21:54:51 | More by bluejacket74

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

100th review. been wanting to try this one for a while now, figured this was the perfect opportunity.

750ml bottle served in an oversized wineglass. bottle #01789.

pours a deep, opaque mahogany tone with a solid finger of a beige/tan head. demonstrates middling retention though a lasting cap; decent walls of lacing.

the headliner in the nose is bourbon; despite just the 25% being bourbon-bbl aged i get it right away. also strong notes of dark fruits, caramel, vanilla, and oak. very nice bouquet.

first thing i get from the flavor is a lot of sweet maltiness. not cloying sweetness, though it straddles the line... more dark fruit, vanilla, oak/woody notes, and a warming boozy finish. taste does not live up to the promise of the nose, though it is quite enjoyable.

smooth, medium-plus bodied mouthfeel, a bit syrupy... carbonation is on the low side but IMO that doesn't negatively impact the beer. this is the ultimate sipper, not extremely drinkable in the sense it goes down easy.

in the final analysis i'd say this is a very good beer and i'm glad to have tried it; that said, it doesn't live up to it's hefty pricetag. not sure much would.

original review on: 10-18-2010

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 01:28:54 | More by BostonHops

Adrianized

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a murky red wood color with lighter brown highlights. Small tab head dissipates. 4

Oak, wet wood, moss, prunes, whiskey, a touch of maple, and some alcohol. 4.5

Oak and wet bark. Raisins, prunes, and figs. Some vanilla. Finishes alcohol hot. 4

Full bodies with light carbonation. 4

Overall pretty good, but not worth the hefty price tag. 4

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 04:52:18 | More by Adrianized

UCLABrewN84

California

4.3/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle pour at the Bruery Reserve Society initiation party at The Phoenix Club in Anaheim, CA.

Pours a slightly hazy dark brown with a tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, caramel, dark fruit, vanilla, wood, and bourbon. Taste is the same as the smell and is very nice. There is a slightly acidic quality in the aftertaste. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer but I think it tastes better than it smells.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 23:52:09 | More by UCLABrewN84

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle # 3097.

A: deep copper color with some reddish hues, clear, poured with a good, dense, creamy tan-colored head that dissipated within minutes to nothing
S: incredibly deep and full nose, sweeter roasted malts with leather undertones, malt dominates, near port-like or aged barley wine
T: incredibly intense beer, deep roasted/burnt malt, some barrel aging noticeable, finish is a combo of sharp burn malt and/or bitterness
M: tons of different tastes between burnt malt, EtOH, barrel, intense very drinkable for ABV, creamy
O: very unique, reminded me of a British barley wine and/or port

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 03:50:08 | More by wisrarebeer

ChrisPro

Illinois

2.75/5  rDev -30.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

Reviewing blind on 12/23/11 as part of a "BA barleywine" tasting. Finished a distant #6 of 6 for me.

A - Pours a murky medium brown with just a smattering of bubbles.

S - Dominated by soy and worcestershire, with a bit of saurkraut and vanilla.

T - Slightly sweet vanilla, but a very salty, soy finish. Just strange. As it warmed a bit, I got some pepper on the finish, as well as some increased tartness.

M - Full bodied with perfect carbonation.

O - I'm not sure if this bottle was infected or just not aging well, but this was not enjoyable at all. I don't think we got through half of the bottle, even after finishing everything else. It is just not something I want to come near ever again.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 03:43:37 | More by ChrisPro

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle poured into taster - thanks pat

Pours a deep, opaque caramel brown color with some slightly brighter hues. Thinner beige head rests on top, leaving some spotty lacing on the glass.

Very rich in the nose - roasted malts with boozy warmth. Toffee and burnt sugar with caramel. Some oaky and vanilla tones too.

Rich and a bit sweet up front with some toffee and caramel. Light touches of dark fruit with candied notes. Thick, beefy malt backbone with layers of flavor. Some oak and vanilla flavors with a nice boozy warmth towards the finish.

Full bodied, decent enough carbonation, sticky and heavy on the tongue. A nice burly, smooth sipping old ale here, I liked the booziness of this combined with the malty, toffee sweetness. I'd love to try the 100% BA version.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 01:51:39 | More by xnicknj

KAP1356

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes. 750 ml bottle split with my brother last summer. Have had this a few times now. Poured into a Victory tulip glass...

A - Pours a deep, rich mahogany-brown color that is a bit murky. Not completely opaque. A creamy tan head forms about 1/5 fingers thick and quickly recedes to a collar.

S - Dark fruits, brown sugar, caramel, toffee, vanilla and a bit of oak come out. Theres a candy sugar aroma there too which is nice. Sherry like qualities on the nose here.

T - Sweet flavors of dark fruits, toffee, caramel, and alcohol soaked raisins come first. There is a slight bourbon and oak presence. Some chocolate and leather come out as well. Nice complex and reminds me of a sherry/port hybrid.

M - Medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Nice richness to it that isn't overpowering or too sweet.

O - Really nice beer. I enjoyed this one immensely and really cannot wait to see how it ages.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 21:56:45 | More by KAP1356

jale

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a murky light brown with a finger of light brown head.

S: Light bourbon, toffee and caramel.

T: Slightly sweet malt to start moving quickly into alcohol heat. Very light bourbon. Mildly bready with caramel, toffee and raisins. Just a hint of some burnt sugars. This is quite acidic and overly fruity for my tastes.

M: Medium body with good carbonation.

O: Just Ok for my palate.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 15:15:26 | More by jale

Marty30

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to cosmicevan for this bottle! Poured into a Duvel tulip at 58 degrees.

A. Looks black but when held upto the light brown and ruby hues come through. 2 finger mocha colored head that dissapates to a nice cap.

S. I get sweet figs,raisons,plums upfront. Following that is toffe and leather. Very strong and sweet smelling beer.

T. Dark fruits come first,then I get leather and tobacco,toffee,caramal,chocolate!Some thing in here has a slightly bitter taste to it? Not as sweet as I expected which is good. This is very complex so many layers of flavor. Alchohol is there but not as hot as I would of thought.

M. Good feel not as thick as I expected,certainly not a bad thing.Medium feel with a good amount of carbonation. Sweet in the beginning and ends up slightly bitter.

Overall I thought this beer was badass! Right up my ally. So complex. Must try.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 02:09:47 | More by Marty30

ckeegan04

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - LIghtly hazed ruddy color, bordering on mahognay. A think khaki cap of foam sits on top of the beer and has pretty good retention. Scattered lacing left behind on the glass.

S - Sweet toasted bread, caramel, a bit of burnt sugar and plenty of alochol. A bit of toffee comes through along with some vanilla as the beer warms. Very sweet aroma throughout.

T - Sweet and boozy with hints of caramel and toffee. There is a bit of dark fruit as well with some alcohol soaked raisin being most prevalent. As the beer warms I get more burnt sugar and dark bread. The sweetness provides a backing through the etnire beer and the booze is certainly present as well.

M - A touch on the lighter side of medium bodied; a bit thinner than something of this stature should be in my opinion. Carbonation is light.

O - Rather boozy but the flavor profiles are fantastic. Layered nicely and a full run of big malty sweetness, alochol, dark fruits and even a little oak.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 00:14:44 | More by ckeegan04

AleWatcher

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Shared by whitemomba.
I've had this one before, but never typed up a review... Here we go;

So I normally truly dislike old ales, but I'll be honest here; this one is delicious.
Lots of caramel malt, toasted and burnt toffee, and lots of vanilla. Nice boozy character on the finish.
Very nice. Medium-full body with ample carbonation.

Overall, this is the best old ale I've had (or at least that I've reviewed). I could sip this all night.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 04:08:15 | More by AleWatcher

litheum94

California

4.18/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed 9/4/11. Bottle 04188. Thanks to daysinthewake for sharing.

Deep brown body, prune juice color. Some light comes through. Brown head that leaves very quickly.

Surprisingly sour on the nose; sour cherry and brett like tones. Caramel, brown sugar and toffee. Sweet bourbon flavors. Agave and sherry.

Savory flavors of sherry and bourbon, with toffee sweetness. Brown sugar and caramel malts. Some earthy yeast. No hop presence. Some booziness on the finish, but not in a bad way.

This is a damn delicious, great old ale. Tons of depth, and way too easy drinking for the ABV.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 04:40:22 | More by litheum94

rebel1771

Florida

4.55/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer was cellared for about 1 year.

A: Pours a dark burgundy color with a decent slightly off white head.

S: Tons of caramel malt with strong note of ripe fruit. Big alcohol aroma as well.

T: Strong punch of alcohol right away. Sweet caramel malts up front with flavors of ripe fruits and a bit of nuttiness.

O: Overall this is a pretty amazing beer. I had saved this one for a special occasion and I am glad I did. Sharing this one with people I love was pretty awesome.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 19:26:20 | More by rebel1771

remhaze

California

4.45/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I had this last night, and shared with couple of friends. It's fantastic. I was surprised when I first took a sip. It's... perfect. It drinks more like a regular 5-6% beer than 15%.
Very smooth, a bit creamy, and overall delicious.

Right before the coton, I had a glass of the firestone porabola. I love the porabola, but the coton definitely hit the spot. It's a nice perfect beer to end the night. It's well balanced and it taste better as the temperature warms to a room temperature.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 19:03:44 | More by remhaze

brotherloco

California

3.58/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750ml capped bottle. Bottle #7640. Served in a tulip. Chilled slightly below cellar temperature since I knew it would take a long time to drink.

Pours a deep plum red with a finger of beige foam, which mostly recedes. Mix of tiny and large bubbles. Lots of thick lacing.

Complex aroma. Dark fruits, port wine, vanilla, earthy oak. Some spicy peppery Belgian yeast and candi sugar, of course we're dealing with The Bruery here. Booze is present, but how couldn't it be at 14.5%

Big flavor here, wow. A sweet start much like a Belgian quad. Dark fruits and candi sugar are there. Sweetness explodes and then the middle goes surprisingly sour, not sure what's causing that, it tastes like fermenting fruit. Not getting a ton of barrel presence, but I guess that makes sense with only 25% of this beer being aged. Nonetheless, vanilla notes are present among the sweetness. The sourness lingers long into the finish and aftertaste, kind of odd. The alcohol never dominates the flavor, but you do feel it in the finish as well.

Body is medium-full and carbonation is on the low end of medium-low. Gets syrupy and thick in the finish.

A complex brew for sure, but can't give it high marks as the flavor is a bit of a mess.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 00:37:48 | More by brotherloco

andrewinski1

Maine

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip. Large head that thins out forming a solid light tan layer of foam atop a dark amber body.

The aroma has some leather and some dark fruit. There is some mustyness as well as some pepper.

Dark fruit and caramel dominate with burnt sugar. This is sweet of course with a little bit of heat in the finish.

This is very thick with a lot of carbonation for the ABV.

I like this as a sipper. I will try the cuir most likely because this is goof.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 01:45:11 | More by andrewinski1