B-Seven - Bloomington Brewing Company / Lennie's

rlee1390

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had a sample at the release at Big Red. Only 465 bottles produced.

A-Clear amber/brown, some carbonation, one finger off white head.

S-Balanced bourbon, lots of vanilla, some oak, chocolate and darker roasted mats, some nuts.

T-For a bourbon barrel aged beer the bourbon is not overpowering, balances nicely with the vanilla. Oak and chocolate notes are there as well. Some nuts, not much bitterness.

M-Light in body, not much carbonation, tad watery. Easily the biggest draw back of this beer.

O-A good beer, glad I was able to try this. Worth a pick up for anyone in the Bloomington area.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 16:54:06 | More by rlee1390

DavoleBomb

Ohio

2.63/5  rDev -26.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a snifter. Bottle #318 of 456. Big thanks to khumbard for this.

3.0 A: Black color. Half a finger of frothy light brown head that doesn't last too long.

3.0 S: I love Belgian browns and I love bourbon barrel beers, but I don't think they work together - at least not this one. The bourbon isn't too powerful in this, but it still have a huge effect on the base beer's nose. Earthy and minerally. There's a surprising amount of vanilla though. The base gives a nuttiness and a spiciness with earthy tones. You really have to deconstruct the nose to enjoy it. If you just take a whiff, it smells almost industrial. Even with the deconstruction, it's still just about average.

2.5 T: While the nose is passable, the taste just misses being enjoyable. The bourbon here acts to derail the base beers flavors. Instead of being complementary, the bourbon transmutes the Belgian flavors into something chemical and not quite pleasant. Some spice and nuts comes through, but not enough to offset the damage done by the barrel. I think the level of bourbon is the main issue. If it had more influence, it could be the focus of the beer and maybe work out. If it had less influence (aka none), then the base beer would probably be enjoyable. At the level it's at, it adds some astringency, but no real flavor focus.

2.5 M: Lighter medium body. A bit less carbonation than I'd prefer. This is neither creamy nor spritzy with an astringent aftertaste.

2.5 D: Give it a try if you must, but I wouldn't buy more than one before trying it.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 22:05:22 | More by DavoleBomb

outrage213

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +18.1%

02-09-2013 04:00:51 | More by outrage213