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

ColdPoncho

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From notes, 3-7-2011

A - Dark brown, red light on edges, no head, small off white ring of foam.

S - Chocolate, coffee, whiskey, booze, warming rawhide.

T - whiskey, chocolate, sweet nuts, dryness, vanilla. good balance of whiskey.

M - very smooth, medium body, heat after swallow.

D - very tasty, good drink, nothing offensive.

Serving type: growler

03-08-2011 23:50:15 | More by ColdPoncho

brew3crew

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-dark brown with tan head that quickly disapates
S-subtle whisky and vanilla. Very well balanced
T-this has been warmed up a while and is very heavy on the whisky. Overpowering. Can't get much else off it. Maybe a little vanilla, but hardly any at all.
M-medium body and crisp. Slow whisky aftertaste.
D-very drinkable, but I do not like all the whisky...

Serving type: growler

03-08-2011 02:30:06 | More by brew3crew

BeerAndBourbon

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A. Pours brown/ black with brown edges and a creamy tan head that leaves specs as it dissipates to a ring with a bit of foam.

S. Whiskey on the nose with caramel, some malty sweetness, vanilla, and oak.

T. The whiskey is a bit harsh. Vanilla, oak, with nice roasted character - not as dry as many porters.

M. Medium mouthfeel with fairly low carbonation.

D. Well rounded, interesting. I'd drink this if it was available.

Serving type: growler

03-07-2011 21:38:07 | More by BeerAndBourbon

Urbancaver

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Wow... Thanks jenray for the mad hookup on this one!

Pours out of the growler very dark almost black with a bit of light brown head .great retention around the edges of the glass. Smells roasty with a touch of whiskey. Smells very sweet with just the tiniest hint of oak from the whiskey. There is a great malty roast going on on the nose. Tastes malty and roasty. The roasted flavors are fairly mild especially good for the whiskey presence. The light oak and booziness from the whiskey barreling couples nicely with the roast. As it warms up you can definitely taste the pecan coming out more. Nicely sweet but not overly syrupy. Good mouthfeel and well carbonated especially for a growler fill. Very drinkable.

Serving type: growler

03-07-2011 20:44:02 | More by Urbancaver

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I had this on tap at Petrol Station in Houston. Kind of surprised to see it on tap, I was very happy to try it.

It looks about like the 512 Pecan Porter I had on tap a couple nights ago, dark brown and opaque with a mocha colored foam, less lacing than the standard Pecan Porter but maybe due to glass handling at a different location.

The whiskey is a little subdued in the aroma, getting just a little stronger as it warmed. A lot of the cocoa character I liked in the original, this smells pretty massive, more stout-y than porter-y.

A little hot tasting, maybe a hint of cough medicine too, where did that come from? These off-notes are slight and probably nitpicky on my part, the underlying beer is quite good. I think this might be one of those occasions where I prefer the beer without a barrel treatment. 512 Pecan Porter is so good on its own, the whiskey barrel doesn't seem to improve it much at all. Maybe makes it a tad worse, meaning it's still a good beer but not where it could be.

A little burn in my upper digestive system after a few sips, the whiskey really becomes more apparent. One and done.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2011 23:14:27 | More by TurdFurgison

champ103

Texas

2.95/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I had this again at the Flying Saucer in Houston, TX

This is not the beer I remember a year ago.
A: This pours the same with a small bubbly tan head that quickly fades.
S: The aroma is of whiskey barrels and alcohol. Some burnt toasted malt. Bitter and acrid.
T: The flavor is incredibly hot. Lots of nondescript bourbon/alcohol flavors going on. Sweet malt, char, and wood that finishes acrid and bitter. Not much of any stout here. Mostly barrel. There is a certain sourness here as well. It is not pronounced, but always in the background. Kind of odd.
M/D: This is really thin and watery. Not easy to drink at all. It was a chore to finish my glass.

This is overwhelmingly whiskey/alcoholic/barrel. There is also some notes of sourness, probably not from infection, but it is there on the newer release. Overall, this is a disappointment and almost a different beer than I remember last year. I would not recommend this.

Serving type: cask

01-14-2011 05:35:06 | More by champ103

rissues24

Texas

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

(512) Bourbon-Barrel Aged Double Pecan Porter
Served from a cask at The Dig Pub and poured into a pint glass

A: Beautiful beer that poured black into the (512) glass that I got to take home with me. Thanks Dig Pub! There was no head present when delivered to our table, just a little lacing at the top of the glass.

S: I noticed the smell of the Jack Daniels bourbon right away. I also noticed the aroma of the roasted malts, coffee and chocolate.

T: The taste of the bourbon barrel aging is the first thing that you notice, followed by the roasted malts. The variety of all of the various flavors work well with each other and nothing dominates.

M: Coming out of a cask, the mouthfeel is very nice and smooth with very little carbonization present. I will have to search out more cask events.

D: Aging in the Jack Daniel's barrel was a great idea that made a great beer even better. Putting the beer in a cask helped make a very complex beer even more drinkable.

Wish that I could have had another pint but this was another great event at Dig Pub and there was only enough in the cask for everybody to have one. I hear that they are working on aging a batch in Maker's Mark barrels. A great reason that 2011 should be another great year for beer lovers in Austin.

Serving type: cask

01-02-2011 07:12:30 | More by rissues24

UTCengOwl

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on cask at the Draught House in a nonic half pint glass.

Had to make it out to the Draught House for this unique offering. Brought along a bunch of other Chem E's with me to try it out.

The beer poured a dark brown with a creamy one finger tan head. Nicely composed beer. Wish the lighting would have been better for me to appreciate it a bit more.

The aroma was pure barrel. I wanted to get some of the malty and nutty notes out of it, but it was just an overpowering vanilla. Not a bad nose, but definitely one dimensional.

The taste was also overwhelmed by e barrel. To me, it seemed sweet and vanilla. Even though it was a double pecan porter, I couldn't get the wonderful nutty and roasted tastes from the standard (512) offering (which I had on hand for a comparison). Other people described it as a pure whiskey taste, a mixture of 75% beer and 25% whiskey or like drinking a barrel. There was no subtlety to this beer.

For how barrel-dominated the flavor was, this beer had a great mouthfeel. One person at the table described it as round, which I thi is an excellent way to put it. Smetimes the regular pecan porter can come across as watery, but this had an excellent weight. I would love to have some non barrel aged double pecan porter. I bet that beer would put me on cloud 9.

Overall, this was an interesting experience that I was glad to share with some friends, but I feel like the barrel aging could have been better executed. If they would have blended this beer with some unaged double pecan, I think I would have loved this beer to no end. *sigh*

Serving type: cask

12-16-2010 15:04:09 | More by UTCengOwl

womencantsail

California

2.35/5  rDev -43.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Thanks to Robert for this bottle. Shared at a tasting today.

A: We've got a gusher! Huge tan head that finally subsides to the point where you can drink the dark brown liquid that lies beneath.

S: A bit of nuttiness to the nose along with a very noticeable acidity. Light chocolate and really no barrel/whiskey character at all--not surprising due to the infection.

T: Luckily the flavor is not completely overwhelmed by the infection, and there is a bit of vanilla and pecan, but it is subtle and muddled. Definitely some lactic notes, though.

M: The body is medium and obviously very overcarbonated. Again, a product of the infection.

D: Very unfortunate that this one has gone this way. If you're sitting on any bottles of this, drink 'em now. Hopefully they re-release this beer and I'll get to try it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2010 04:20:13 | More by womencantsail

MasterSki

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle supplied by thickerfreakness for the Rate Beer Winter Gathering - thanks for sending this one to Orlando for us. Served in a tulip-style taster glass.

A - Pretty nice pillow-like tan foam for the smallish glass. It eventually dissipates to a ring and some haze, and lives a bit of spotty lacing. The body is a very, very, dark opaque brown.

S - Coffee, vanilla, nuts, light oak and whiskey, and some chocolate. It smells exactly like the name suggests - and that's a good thing! Excellent balance and integration, and not obvious alcohol.

T - Roasty bitterness, coffee, chocolate, nuts, oaky vanilla, and a touch of smoke and whiskey. Again, this is really understated from the Jack Daniels angle - kind of like Blackbeerd. Thankfully it's saved by a really excellent base beer that benefits from a touch of whiskey bite. It's closer to a 4.25 so I was a little hard on the appearance.

M - Thin, a touch gritty, moderate carbonation. It's clearly a porter from the texture, but it could benefit from a bit more heft to support the intense flavor and higher ABV.

D - Very drinkable - I'd be happy having a bottle of this one to myself. Too bad it's so limited and tough to get. Reminds me of some of the better Tyranena porters - which are more readily available to me. Well worth trying, but not worth killing yourself to acquire.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2010 15:15:11 | More by MasterSki

Mora2000

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the Whip-In. 8 oz pour.

Pours dark brown to black with a beige head. The aroma is oak and whiskey, with some roasted malt and chocolate. The flavor is bourbon with some milk chocolate and dark chocolate. There is a little nuttyness which I guess is the pecan and some light bitterness at the end, either from the hops or the chocolate. Medium-thick, creamy mouthfeel and low carbonation. A truly great beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2010 20:43:15 | More by Mora2000

specksnreds

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

I have had excellent experiences with 512 in the past, and my expectations were very high. Unfortunately I received a short pull from the tap, but my disappointment in my portion size soon dissipated after my first look/sip.

Beautiful opaque black color and a small, tan, cool-whip-like head. Laced extensively.

Initially it smelled like whiskey and molasses. As it warmed up more toffee notes appeared. I noted an almost anise-like aroma at times.

Taste is a huge whiskey/molasses 1-2 punch. Layers appear after repeated sips. Definitely toffee, as in the nose, but more nuttiness than I expected. The barrel is pronounced through out the beer, but never overpowering. The flavors are intertwined delicately. I could pick each one out initially, and then put them back togthter as I swallowed.

Not too thick on the mouthfeel. Near perfect balance of weight and brightness. It never became too heavy or tiresome. Tough to call it an easy drinker though. Too big for more than one at a time.

I must say that I can't see calling this a porter, or even a double porter. It's more IRS-like, but without the oiliness and weight. I'd argue its uniqueness requires another look at its categorization.

Serving type: on-tap

01-11-2010 17:53:20 | More by specksnreds

jwillcourt

Texas

4.6/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap into a half-pint glass at the Draught House.

A - Opaque, near-black, iced espresso color. No head, but a small latte colored ring of foam. Little lacing. Leaves a syrupy coating on the glass when swirled.

S - Whiskey dominates the nose, adding vanilla sweetness to the underlying roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate aromas.

T - There are many flavors and they all taste good. They don't overpower each other; they flow in balanced succession. Roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate. Nutty undertones throughout. Sweetness from the whiskey. Lingering oak and whiskey finish. The whiskey taste is still there minutes after sipping, but it is not overpowering at all. I really enjoy the pecan porter, and I think the whiskey aging is a brilliant touch. I don't think the flavor can be improved.

M - Light to medium body. Creamy as it foams. Slight syrup left on the lips.

D - Very delicious. You wouldn't want to drink too much of this in one sitting due to the alcohol. That's why it was served in a half pint. However, the flavors are well-balanced and not fatiguing. I would like another serving, and I look forward to my next one. Other reviewers are correct that this seems more like an imperial stout than a porter.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2010 17:37:48 | More by jwillcourt

Dajtai007

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Petrol Station has yet to let me down:

After a couple of pints of this I was in Heaven.
A: Very dark brown, as a Impy Porter should look like. Nice short head, clean retention.
S: Some bourbon, but mostly oak and barrel. Some chocolate, cinnamon, biscuit.
T: I was pleasantly surprise to experience a BA beer that didn't blow my taste buds out of the water. It was noticeable and subtle that it allowed the porter to remain a porter and not a stout. Good smooth oak notes at the end cleaned up the flavor nicely so that it made me took another sip, then another, then another. Very nice.
M: Nice medium carbonation that mellowed to a smooth coat onto the pallet.
D: It was so drinkable that I had three. Kinda wished I had that fourth.
Overall a very standout beer. I am always happy to see TX breweries barrel aging beers and taking that risk for truly exceptional beer. Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2010 08:36:06 | More by Dajtai007

wagenvolks

Texas

4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter at the Austin Flying Saucer New Year's Eve Party. Happy 2010!!!

The bigger, badder whiskey-barrel-aged Double Pecan Porter looks a lot like the original, with a dark, opaque body the color of the Austin night I'm celebrating. The head is equally as attractive, with a reddish, dark custard hue and creamy consistency. Not the best retention or lacing, but the foam is easily revived by a quick swirl of the snifter. The aroma is as big as the name suggests--whiskey-laden with a warmth of booze and charred wood. Coffee and macadamia nut in the background, with toasted dark chocolate malts laying down a solid backbone.

No doubt this is a good beer, but the barrel-aging did little to improve upon the original Pecan Porter flavor in my opinion. A slight whiskey warmth adds some spice and breathy alcohol, while the rest of the palate picks up chocolate and coffee maltiness and some earthy hops. The mouthfeel is on the thin side, with a low carbonation level and semi-boozy finish. Easy to drink, and easy to get carried away with if you neglect the 8.8%(?) ABV. I had to keep reminding myself that this was an imperial porter, not a stout, and in that respect it certainly succeeds. Perhaps a bit over-hyped, but a very good beer nevertheless. Nice job, (512).

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2010 20:21:22 | More by wagenvolks

omnigrits

Texas

4.9/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The guys at 512 have come up with a near-perfect beer, in my humble opinion. Their Pecan Porter is already a firm favourite of mine, but this has raised it several notches above its already high standard.

It pours every bit as dark as the regular porter, with that familiar coffee-coloured head that lasts and lasts, but when you raise the glass to your nose there's a familiar whiff of vanilla that you get from an oak barrel, along with more than a hint of the whiskey that was once in it. The pecans are slightly overpowered in this brew but that's not something to mark it down for - it's still one of the best porters I've tasted. There's a wonderfully dry, bitter finish to the brew. As full-bodied as it should be.

I have to knock half a point off the drinkability just because of the 8.8% ABV. It's not a beer I could drink more than one of a night, nor should you, I reckon.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2009 22:44:11 | More by omnigrits

Nada05

Texas

4.8/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

When i went to the (512) brewery and saw the JD barrels i almost cried. When i asked Kevin and Nate what they planned on doing with them, and they told me double pecan porter... I did cry.

This beer pours like a pecan porter, head looks like a pecan porter. When you give it a good whiff, it smells like a shot of whiskey. You hesitate putting it to you lips because your nose is telling you you're drinking whiskey, but once you taste it... you're mouth calls your nose a liar. It is a very smooth/drinkable beer. Props to Nate and Kevin for this brew. Believe this one is about 10% ABV?

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2009 17:00:38 | More by Nada05