Coton (100% Bourbon Barrel Aged) - The Bruery

beagle75

Iowa

4.28/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft pour into a tall goblet at The Bruery tasting room.

A: Murky, dark brown with some light penetrating the edges but less toward the center of the glass. Minimal beige foam head present. No lacing remains. This beer looks less like a beverage but more like something one would find in an old, unmarked bottle stored in the garage.

S: Strong brown sugar and raisins. No hint of alcohol present.

T: Very sweet with elements of molasses and concentrated dark raisins and prunes. Some slight anise and peat breaks through, along with a very restrained and enjoyable amount of bourbon. Alcohol is detected as it warms the palate, without being excessive or inappropriate for the style.

M: Heavy, syrupy viscosity that matches the flavors well. Carbonation seems a little more pronounced than expected, which is never really a surprise in beers from The Bruery.

D: For a beer with very high alcohol content, this is a pleasure to sip. Although it is not much to look at, it presents a flavor profile that is both decadent and capable of winning over those that normally avoid strong ales. In a style where hops are typically undetectable, this beer opts for tradition over any sort of "West Coast" re-invention. It reminds of Firestone 13 or other strong dark ales from The Bruery, such as Two Turtledoves.

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2010 03:30:07 | More by beagle75

mulder1010

Australia

4.59/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ML into a snifter

A-- Dark chocolate brown color, bordering on black. Light brown head. Good body to head. One finger head to start and dropped off to a collar. Obvious ABV legs and good strips of lacing with this.

S-- Bourbon, massive bourbon. I would say this got some time in the barrel. Oak, bourbon, leather, brown sugar, chocolate, figs, vanilla, and a slight bit of oxidation. Nothing bad at all.

T-- See above :), minus the oxidation. Bourbon is a little more restrained and the brown sugar, chocolate, caramel, and fruits are bigger. ABV is very well hidden.

M-- Thick, rich, sweet, and powerful. Quite coating. Sweet but not overly sweet.

O-- My thought was this is at it's prime now. Dangerously drinkable. Big and bold beer that has balls but gives you enough not to kick your ass. Splendid beer

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 05:53:58 | More by mulder1010

strangebrew321

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +2%

05-03-2013 03:16:36 | More by strangebrew321

t0rin0

California

4.5/5  rDev +2%

03-01-2013 15:36:04 | More by t0rin0

Azrael

4.25/5  rDev -3.6%

02-09-2013 06:07:54 | More by Azrael

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.25/5  rDev -3.6%

02-05-2013 00:51:19 | More by Jwale73

scottfrie

California

4.35/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Snifter, reviewed from notes. Thanks a ton for sharing, Nick!

Pours a murky dark raisin brown with a thin bubbly collar of a head that hung around a little while. Tobacco and sugary sweetness are most prominent to me on the nose with notes of leather, caramel, chocolate, raisins, bourbon and vanilla mixed in as well. The taste follows suit with extremely rich and well integrated flavors as mentioned. Sweet overall but very balanced and not cloying. The alcohol is hidden extremely well despite being such a big beer, and the bourbon is not overpowering. This one is definitely a sipper though. Carbonation is low, body is full and the mouthfeel is slick. A surprisingly drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 17:03:52 | More by scottfrie

BlackTuesday

California

4/5  rDev -9.3%

12-19-2012 23:37:42 | More by BlackTuesday

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.33/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a very dark brown with a very thin head on top of it. Like .002". I guess one shouldn't expect much from a beer of this nature, but nonetheless. Aroma, tons of stuff going on, booze, maple syrup, chocolate, burnt malt, vanilla, bourbon, oak. Very nice, just a little stingy.

Taste, wow, decadent. Bruery knows how to make a massive, complex beer really enjoyable when you throw it in a bourbon barrel. Waves of caramel, chocolate hit up front. Brown sugar seems to take the pain off the alcohol that I was fearing from the nose. Some molasses/maple for good measure. Relatively sweet overall, makes 17% taste like 11%. Real sticky, I'm sure if you spilled this, it would cling to your skin. Its a good thing this came in a very small 4 oz pour, I could never imagine drinking 25.4 oz of this at a time. Definitely a sharing beer, like many of the Bruery's best beers. Carbonation is just right, which is lower than the average beer, but fitting for something of this monstrosity. My favorite thing about this was how it covered up the sting and dark fruit (even if minor) in the base Coton.

If you don't like dark lord or black tuesday because they are sweet, I don't see you liking this. If you do like massive sweet complex beers, check this one out.

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2012 23:03:20 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Sixofsigmas

California

4.25/5  rDev -3.6%

10-04-2012 22:00:03 | More by Sixofsigmas

enelson

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +7.7%

09-24-2012 16:50:04 | More by enelson

ffOpusx

California

4.5/5  rDev +2%

09-24-2012 16:49:45 | More by ffOpusx

Auracom

Illinois

4.39/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Personal whale slain tonight. Thanks to Dan for helping me tackle this one. 12 oz. poured into a snifter on September 22nd, 2012.

A - Semi thin, rich mahogany coloring. One finger of a frothy medium tan head. Retention amounts to clinging bubbles. Very little lacing. Tons of legs, as anticipated.

S - Huge oak and bourbon barrel. It's even more than what I've had from other Bruery beers. Big secondary caramel. Touches of winter fruit, molasses.

T - Big barrel. Molasses, honey, possible light cherry oxidation to complement the enormous bourbon. Much more tannic barrel and woody character than sweetness, which is honestly perfect. Mellowed residual alcohol. As it warms up, the balance that this blend achieves is just absurd. Heavy oak and peppercorn-spice aftertaste.

M - I don't understand it, but the Bruery's bigger beers always feel heftier than they appear. Medium body, low and appropriate carbonation, semi-dry, mouth-watering finish.

D - What's not to love about this? Easily the best balance of the anniversary series bottles that I've tried. This is the reason I look forward to this series every year, and I pray that future releases will truly feel akin to year #2.

Edit - revisited on April 30th, 2013 side-by-side with my reference, Adam from the Wood. This bottle was predominantly sweet with brown sugar enveloping all barrel characters and overall did not match what I experienced the first time with the exception of aroma, which was still well-done./ Docking some points for consistency.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 15:58:28 | More by Auracom

Bendurgin

Maine

4.05/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks a bazillion to Andy for sharing this one. Poured into a chalice. This one pours dark brown with a small cap of dark tan head.

The aroma is rich with hints of plumbs and raisins with toffee and cocoa in the background. A nice bourbon background. The pallet has a good flavor of dark fruits and bourbon. This is reminiscent of a port with a dark cherry presence.

The body is thick and chewy with soft carbonation. Overall this one is real nice. A wonderful treat.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 00:07:51 | More by Bendurgin

andrewinski1

Maine

4.2/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a chalice. The color is nearly black. There is a small tan head that covers the black body.

The aroma is full of chocolate and port. There is a huge vanilla aroma.

The taste has lots of chocolate malt flavor. There is some nice vanilla. There is just enough sweetness here, and absence is a lot of heat. There is a mild fruitiness here also, which lends itself to the portlike flavors.

This is thick, rich, and full bodied. The carbonation is high for a strong abv, but pleasant.

This is delicious. A great beer to share with many.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 00:06:33 | More by andrewinski1

jlenik

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -9.3%

09-14-2012 00:56:48 | More by jlenik

CheapBeerBuzz

California

4.5/5  rDev +2%

08-15-2012 16:28:02 | More by CheapBeerBuzz

roblund

California

4/5  rDev -9.3%

07-10-2012 02:15:14 | More by roblund

UCLABrewN84

California

4.4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at The Bruery in Placentia, CA.

Pours a clear super dark brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, caramel, toffee, bourbon, and wood. Taste is much the same with an alcohol kick on the finish and a woody aftertaste. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer that is extremely tasty and dangerously drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2012 03:13:59 | More by UCLABrewN84

jvillefan

California

4.25/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at the bruery's new tap room opening.

A: A not very dark brown beer with a very minimal head that was dark ivory in color.

S: Despite being high ABV, there was nearly no aroma from this beer. There was some malt but that was about it.

T: Very good it tasted similar to a lighter version of Eutopia. Heavy malt and dark fruit.

M: Very heavy and lightly carbonated.

O: Exceptional, The Bruery does it again.

Serving type: on-tap

07-07-2012 01:16:12 | More by jvillefan

DarthKostrizer

California

4.25/5  rDev -3.6%

07-05-2012 05:20:13 | More by DarthKostrizer

mrtripod

3.95/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a caramel color and rich. A rough pour yields a light small tan head that did dissipate quickly.

S:Plenty of sweet dark caramel and rich bourbon with notes of light vanilla.

T:Sweet, caramel and bourbon explosion that is somewhat smooth yet has a lingering taste of alcohol. Harsher than than the non-BA. Hotness will hopefully mellow with age.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 02:48:56 | More by mrtripod

AlexM

California

4.5/5  rDev +2%

05-27-2012 22:53:47 | More by AlexM

litheum94

California

4.5/5  rDev +2%

04-17-2012 03:58:55 | More by litheum94

tjfinkle

California

4.5/5  rDev +2%

04-10-2012 05:43:00 | More by tjfinkle