(512) Whiskey Barrel Aged Double Pecan Porter - (512) Brewing Company

StArnoldFan

Texas

3.99/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

2013 bottle

1st pour I did easy and almost had no head or lacing in my glass. My 2nd pour, I was much more aggressive and received a nice thick mocha head that faded within a few minutes. Better lacing on my glass as well. On the nose all I get is the whiskey and pecans. Taste is pretty much the same, along with the rostaed malts. Mouthfeel is pretty weak, very thin. Overall I feel this is a fun BA beer to drink. I love 512 pecan porter, and I think I was expecting more from the BA version.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 04:31:37 | More by StArnoldFan

Clonies720

Texas

4.09/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 4.25

2013 edition of the (512) Whiskey-Barrel Aged Double Pecan Porter. 9.5% ABV. Special yearly release in the Spring. No wax around the gold cap this year like the 2012 edition had. 750ml bottle poured into a snifter glass.

Appearance: Pours a viscous, oily black with a nice, dark tan head that quickly dissipates.

Aroma: The nose starts off with freshly roasted coffee with a touch of vanilla. Notes of chocolate and roasted pecans abound within. It ends with a pleasant dash of spicy phenolics and whiskey.

Taste: The whiskey is very upfront and direct, but not unpleasant. The flavors really come together and blend nicely in this beer. Whiskey flavors give way to the pecans. The pecans acquiesce to the vanilla and chocolate. On the finish, I get some herbal/floral hops

Mouth feel: Low-medium carbonation, which gives the beer a surprisingly thin and watery mouth feel for 9.5% ABV. I'd say I'd say it's a touch or two under medium-bodied.

Overall: This is a really nice beer that's well-rounded. The only thing I'd change if I could, would be the low carbonation. It didn't do so much for the beer. I'd also like to have been able to taste the barrel aspect a little more.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 23:10:37 | More by Clonies720

pmarlowe

California

4.26/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Tulip glass.

A: Pours coffee black, with three fingers of medium brown head which deflates ever-so-slowly. Some lacing. Oddly enough, the foam comes out of the bottle in a slow stream well after it's open for about an hour.

S: Roasted malt and pecan, a little dark chocolate shavings and vanilla, and a touch of oak and whiskey. Nice stuff. A little heat is evident also.

T: Similar, roastiness is in the forefront, and it finishes with a little sweetness.

M: Medium body and carbonation on a creamy texture. Alcohol is pretty well hidden.

O: Lovely, like a roasty pecan pie, and easy to drink. An excellent porter.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 05:43:39 | More by pmarlowe

mhksuccess

California

4.3/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

ok so poured out of a bottle into a snifter glass
it pour with very little head almost flat like
very dark and smell boozy and sweet with a nutty chocolote back end
taste is very similar coffee hints chocolate and slightly nutty on the back end
with hint of vanilla pretty sweet
smooth easy to drink
not that high an abv the smell of booze is more than the taste when you drink
overall it is a pretty nice brew definitely worth trying

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 21:03:49 | More by mhksuccess

billab914

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

2012 vintage poured from a 7450ml bottle. It poured pitch black with a huge foamy head to it. Great head retention and lacing to it as I drank it. Very nice looking beer overall.

The aroma has some very good dark chocolate flavors mixing with some sweeter, light bourbon. It's nutty, with some caramel sweetness. There is a Little coffee to it as well. It comes together well and seems very smooth for the style.

There is a little more whiskey in the taste, especially in the finish. Milky chocolate with some caramel flavors add the sweet component. Again, it's got a smooth nutty flavor to it but I don't think I'd pick out pecan if didn't know they were there. Some roasted malts come out in the finish.

The mouthfeel is thin and carbonation is way too high for the style. Mouthfeel is unfortunately the downfall of this beer for me, it just doesn't fit what I expect in an imperial stout.

Overall, a very solid beer but the mouthfeel did hurt it for me. The flavors come together very well though. The pecans seemed to give it a smooth nuttiness, which was pretty appealing with the chocolate and roasted malts. Pretty nice beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 13:37:32 | More by billab914

Gobzilla

California

3.73/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: poured a dark brown in color with brown highlights when held to the light with a huge 4 finger khaki colored head that left way too much bubbly lacing sticking to the glass.

S: I did get plenty of whiskey heat upfront in the aroma with chocolate goodness, maybe a little pecan character but I did manage to sniff out some good wood notes, slightly dark fruits and coffee coming through as well.

T: the pecan was more apparent on the palate but was still a little muted alongside great dark chocolate flavor, nice woody barrel character, sweetness from the vanilla, very well hidden whiskey boooze heat, good coffee notes and roastiness.

M; the brew was medium in body with tons of carbonation which had a semi sweet, nutty, mildly dark fruity, boozy, woody frothy and creamy finish.

O: it was a good beer all around but I feel the over carbonation took away from the overall flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 21:13:41 | More by Gobzilla

Jules11788

California

3.85/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a pitch-black color with a thin, bubbly head; medium lacing; lets no light through

S: Smells of chocolate covered raisins, dark fruits, and leather, with a light woodiness that creeps in behind the other smells

T: Smoky wood, roasted coffee, bitter dark chocolate; finishes with a vinous whiskey bite.

M: Thin, oily, no booze, but very smooth. Overall it's too thin for my taste though

O: This beer was definitely very good, but not great. My friend brought it to one of our tastings so I don't know how much it costs, but I don't think I'd buy it again if I got the chance. Still, glad I got to try it at least

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 19:22:24 | More by Jules11788

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.43/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle opened on 9.26.12.
#963

A - Pours a motor oil brown with a very lively large dark brown head that is fizzy, but fades fast.

S - Lots of coffee, pecans, and some booze.

T - Chocolate, pecans, cofee, but the booze is hard to find here.

D - Good carbonation with a medium to heavy body.

O - Tastes wonderful, lower ABV makes it very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 05:02:06 | More by HuskyinPDX

macrosmatic

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to millerbuffoon for this one! Reviewed from notes. Poured from wax-dipped bomber into CCB pint glass.

A: Crazy dark brown in color, and opaque. Forms a huge light brown head, and this kind of looks like a Coke with a big craggy head that lasts longer. No visible carbonation, but I wonder if it exists but invisible due to the opacity of the beer.

S: Whiskey, coffee, amaretto...reminds me a bit of an Irish coffee. Maybe hints of dark fruit and spices.

T: Whiskey, nutty coffee, dark fruit sweetness, cacao, then more whiskey. Overall boozy impression but very tasty.

M: Medium weight to mouthfeel. This has a significantly higher level of carbonation sensation than I've ever had in a porter, but it's welcome in this beer.

O: This is good, quite pleasant. But for a relatively restrained ABV, I wouldn't find it to be sessionable at all - one & done for me. But for a special occasion, it really hits the mark. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 22:50:20 | More by macrosmatic

Bobheed

Texas

3.93/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark cola brown in color with roughly 4 fingers of a massive mocha colored head. Tons and tons of carbonation. Head settles down quick, but remains at about a half a finger throughout

S: Lots of whiskey. In fact that's most of it, lots of wood characters from the barrel and a bit of roastiness as well.

T: Tons of whiskey. It tastes like it would be a significantly higher ABV than it is. After the initial blast of whiskey I picked up lots of roasted, kind of burnt chocolate flavors as well as the nutiness from the pecans.

M: Very highly carbonated, but at the same time a fairly thick body and ultimately smooth. No harshness from the alcohol despite the taste.

Overall I was glad I got to try this. It was a really good porter. Definitely should try if you love whiskey

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 02:52:37 | More by Bobheed

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.2/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml, Spring '12
Plastic clear cup at tailgate

A: Pours deep dark brown. Over carbonated like crazy. Light tan head. Sticky lacing. Lots of smutz yeast. Head sticks around.

S: Lots of whiskey on the nose. Really dominates. Don't initially pick up the pecan. Get some roast and chocolate. As the head dies, I do pull some of that nuttiness.

T: Right up front, you get nice roast character and chocolate. Dark chocolate. Then that whiskey note comes through with soft vanilla. This drinks really nice actually. You taste the whiskey but there is no burn and the lower ABV is hidden nicely.

M: It's full but the over carbonation makes it easier to tackle.

O: A-

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 14:17:12 | More by inlimbo77

homebrew311

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into snifter. Pours opaque black with cocoa colored head, nice retention. Nose starts with whiskey, a bit of smoke, a bit of nuttiness. Taste is well balanced, starts off with some vanilla and a hint of smoke. A little bit of nuttiness, nothing that I can pick out as pecan though. Mouthfeel is medium wih moderate carbonation . Overall, pretty tasty brew with nice balance.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 22:30:27 | More by homebrew311

metalgdog

New York

3.35/5  rDev -20%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

This review is for the 2012 bottle

The inital pour on this results in 90% head. Yeah, this is insanely carbonated. Nice dark, near black color but I can't get over how over-carb'd this is as it almost has an appearance of a soda. Not a fan.

Decent aroma of chocolate and slight booze. The light smell reminds me of a porter but I am not getting much in tne way of whiskey and very liitle nut presence.

Same here with the taste as I got with the aroma. Definite rich chocolate notes. I wish there was some more whiskey and pecans to offset the dominant chocolate. The soda-esque carbonation detracts also from the taste. The flavor is pretty good but this could be outstanding with a little more finesse.

If you like your beer to be similar to drinking a cola then this is your beer. Me, not so much. Why carb a beer to this degree?

From what I have read, this beer has been plagued with carb issues and potential infections from the very first release. While I don't think this bottle was infected, I believe the lack of craftmanship leads to incohesion and a less than stellar brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 01:48:52 | More by metalgdog

BigTomZ

Virginia

3/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thank you to RandomName7 for sending me this bottle.

2012 vintage, poured into a generic cognac snifter.

A: This beer poured a nice black with a HUGE tan head, even while cold. It was difficult to judge how thick the beer pours with all the head.After pouring a little and waiting for the head to dissipate a few times I was ready to drink.

S: The smell was a bit different than I normally expect for a porter. I did get a hint of roast and a bit of pecan, but there was something off in the nose. I just couldn't quite put my finger on it.

T: The taste had a little roast and a touch of oak. Not getting much bourbon or pecans in the taste. There was something different with the taste. It was a bit off but I couldn't put my finger on it. It wasn't dominating, but noticeable. It stayed in the background throughout, even as the beer warmed.

M: Carbonation was very high for the style and it seemed a bit thin. I got lots of prickly carbonation with each sip, from fridge temp all the way to room temp.

O: Overall this beer turned out different than I expected. I won't cry infected but something unusual was definitely going on with this one. I wouldn't risk aging it.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 09:13:27 | More by BigTomZ

tewaris

Minnesota

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

Thanks Mista!

Extremely foamy pour, off the charts :-/ Appears a little thin but mouthfeel turned out to be okay. Too tart in the nose and apparently a little funky... something is off here with weird nose and carbonation issues. Tastes fine though: chocolate, roast, and only slightly nutty if at all. In spite of the somewhat off aroma this was an enjoyable brew.

4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 05:29:45 | More by tewaris

FosterJM

California

3.53/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

1298th Review on BA
Bottle to Snifter
750ml Waxed

2012 vintage

30th Birthday party
Thanks to Lnashsig for sending this in our last trade.

App- Black like a stout which was a welcome suprise. The beer itself pours with a nice head for a BA porter was again a good suprise. Light khaki with some spotted cling.

Smell- Really came down on this one. It wasnt the most offensive smelling BA beer but had a off aroma cant place. Sticky pecans were there with some oak but overshadowed.

Taste- A semi-layered BA porter. Had a ton of upfront prickly pecans with some booze notes that came off a bit more than the 8%. Was just okay.

Mouth- A bit of a light body with a light-medium carbonation. A bit prickly with a lot of residual pecan flavor.

Drink- I really wanted to love this. Just didnt.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 02:45:41 | More by FosterJM

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Once again, many thanks to Millerbuffoon!!!!

A - Pours a total dark brown opaque and no light is getting through, totally dark and cloudy with a thck and creamy lacing ring.

S - Cocoa powder, chocolate, slightly medicinal, and a little bit of Boozy goodness.

T - Chocolate, pecans, a slight hint of vanilla, a small trace of medicinal character and very slightly boozy.

M - Medium full body and a lingering sugary chocolate dark fruit finish with a very slightnwoody character.

O - Try it.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 02:13:42 | More by jzeilinger

UCLABrewN84

California

3.45/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared at FosterJM's birthday celebration courtesy of FosterJM.

Pours an opaque black with a dark khaki 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 dark malt, whisky, slight nuttiness, and some weird medicinal aromas. Taste is much the same with some woody flavors on the finish. This beer has a high level of carbonation that is just too much for this beer in my opinion. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but not all that well done for a barrel aged beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 23:10:03 | More by UCLABrewN84

GregSVT

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle into a tulip - 2011 Vintage (kept in my fridge the whole time to avoid infection)

A: Pours very dark brown with a huge dark brown head that slowly fades to a ring and leaves a lot of lacing on the glass. Honestly it's a bit overcarbonated.

S: The nose had nice notes of vanilla, cocoa, chocolate, and a touch of molasses.

T: The taste is very smooth. I get vanilla, chocolate, slight molasses, and a touch of fudge. Everything has melded well over time.

M: The feel is slightly on the thinner of medium with carbonation the whole way through. As it settles the carbonation settles but it started very bubbly.

O: Age has toned this down and brought out more vanilla than a fresh bottle. Even though it's a bit overcarbonated that didn't detract from the overall enjoyment. We drank this next to a fresh bottle and the fresh one was overcarbonated as well and had more coffee and roasty flavors. I prefered the aged version.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 02:25:13 | More by GregSVT

silentjay

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

a slight gusher, though I didn't spill too much.

pours pretty black with an oversized dark chocolate head that recedes quickly, lacing pretty well.

kind of an odd aroma. sweet, not too roasty, with a little bit of a nutty kick, and very little barrel character.

starts boozy and hot, then sweet, but with plenty of whiskey. a bit nutty, a bit sweet. some vanilla, molasses and brown sugar.

way over carbonated. I think that may be affecting the flavors, too. medium bodied with tons of prickly carbonation.

I like it. but, it's just not well-executed. The bottle says they've only bottle it three times, so hopefully in future bottlings they work out these kinks. The foundation is there to make this a tremendous beer, but the final product, at this point, does not reach the levels it could.
___
after a few months the gushing has increased and the off-flavors have as well.

Do not age this one. despite the wax... this beer will NOT improve with time and its mediocrity is best enjoyed as fresh as possible.

I really wanted to LOVE this beer, but I wouldn't even buy it off the shelf if it were available up here. Maybe subsequent batches will be better. Hopefully. But, I don't see myself trading for it in the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 04:28:30 | More by silentjay

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Vintage 2012
750 ml black waxed bottle
Served into a snifter

A: High carbonation on the pour yielding a huge frothy tan head. Dark brown body, black in the glass. Lacing was good and the retention cap was thick, too.

S: Roasted malts, nutty, pecans, chocolate, oak and not too much in the way of whiskey. A sweetness with a little booze could be the affects of the barrel but it doesn't stand out like other spirit barrel aged beers.

T: Plenty of roasted malt, a little coffee, bitter chocolate and a lot of nuts. Not necessarily pecans per se, but a very overall nutty flavor. Back of the palate has a bit of whiskey and wood, just enough to compliment the base beer without overpowering it.

M: Too carbonated for my liking. This could easily be toned back quite a bit to give it a full-body, instead this is kind of fizzy and thin.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It has plenty of different flavors that all work well with the porter base. The whiskey barrel could have come through slightly more but nonetheless a tasty beer to be sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 14:43:55 | More by ShanePB

BgThang

Texas

4.65/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2012 vintage black wax version. Poured in to a snifter from jester king.

THe pour produces quite a bit of carbonation. a tad too much. this was chilled for 72 hours pre pour.

This looks every bit like a big stout. the thickness, the blackness, the unholyness. please stop all the madness

The smell is of dark fruit, licorce, roast, and some whiskey barrel notes.

THe mouthfeel is divine. the bottle fermentation adds those very fine bubbles that add to the creaminess. Has that silky smooth coating feel as you sip it with a tinge of heat from the alcohol

Taste is chocolate, roasted, dark fruit, boozy goodness. Its not over the top boozy but enough you know this is the bigger badder version of the pecan porter.

Overall impression. I believe fresh this is the best release so far. I am saving several of these for guily pleasures.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 20:48:29 | More by BgThang

GreatBloomer

Texas

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a fresh 750-ml bottle of this straight out of the Twins Liquor store into a Jester King tasting tulip. I shared this with my wife who was not crazy about drinking bourbon- or whiskey-flavored beer of any type, yet she was satisfied with the outcome.

A - Dark brown beer with a pretty thick tan head, up to the size of two or three fingers. It left some laces on the sides of the glass for a few minutes, however, dissolving much slower than the top brand Belgian ale ones.

S - The smell of bourbon notes came up to the nostrils first pleasantly. Some sour chocolate and roasted malts blended and flowed in with the bourbon counterparts as to be nominated the best rating value of all assessments for this beer.

T - Bourbon, vanilla, chocolate and some pecans intertwining to make the taste fantastic. Yet, the mouth feel, described below, stripped away the potentials of this beer going prominent.

M - Medium to heavy carbonation took the toll on the authenticity of this beer. It would have been handpicked amongst the cream of the crops if the body was made smooth and full. I had the inability to differentiate this much without carbonation partaking and playing a factor.

O - I will drink this over and over. Perhaps, I'd leave several bottles to age over time to hopefully dilute the carbonation. I am interested to see if this is also being served on tap.

Note: If you leave the bottle in the fridge a couple days after opening it, the taste and mouthfeel have improved tremendously to lessen the carbonation. The rating would have been better than 4.18 for this case.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 19:14:13 | More by GreatBloomer

dcloeren

Texas

4.55/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this at our Bros Brunch 2012

Poured a deep black with 2.5 fingers of cinnamon colored head

Nose is full of Pecans, dark chocolate, bourbon and pecan pie! Amazing aroma!

Taste follows the nose! Pecan pie soaked in bourbon! Absolutely amazing.

Medium to full in body with ample amounts of carbonation. I really like the level of carbonation as it gives it life on the mouth. Fantastic!

Overall, this beer does Texas proud. It's about time Texas had a big time, top notch brew. Can't wait to get more

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 20:37:02 | More by dcloeren

AgentZero

Illinois

2.53/5  rDev -39.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Dropped a bottle fo this a few months back, finally got another one and was excited to pop it open.

A - Dark brown beer with a pretty big tan head that had some decent retention and left a bit of stick on the sides.

S - Apparently the first batch of this was great and then got infected. Seems that this is what happened to the second batch. Almost smells like some brett or something got in there, a little fuzzy. You get the pecans and some whiskey that turned somehow?

T - It doesn't taste right. This has become infected. It's not raging yet, but it's gotten a good hold on the beer. There is some pecan and roasted malts underneath. I guess it could have been good, but unfortunately it's infected.

M - Close to full bodied, infection-type carbonation.

O - Seems to be some infection issues with this beer in both batches. Keep hearing good things, want to get a fresh bottle of the next batch and give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 05:08:49 | More by AgentZero