Commander - Lift Bridge Brewery

Hopstout

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Brownish copper with a hint of orange. Clear. Very little head and low carbonation. The color is uncommon and intriguing.

Aroma - Decent scent of bourbon whiskey and a splash of sweet vanilla. Also, a hint of Oak. Maybe a little raisin as well.

Taste - Very full flavored with multiple layers yet balanced beautifully. Strong taste of warm bourbon whiskey with Vanilla, Sweet malt and Oak.

Mouthfeel - Potent yet calm and smooth with a nice aftertaste that doesn't linger.

Overall - This barleywine takes your whole mouth hostage with a floodgate of flavors that really are uniquely balanced. With the high alcohol content and powerful whiskey zest, this one is made to swig in small tasty sips.
I really enjoy both bourbon and beer so this was right up my alley.
I decided to cellar two bottles of this to try at a later date and I have a feeling that bottle number two will not last a year.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 23:43:25 | More by Hopstout

adrock7309

Minnesota

4.68/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured one of my bottles into a cigar city snifter.

There was about a half inch of light tan head with pretty large bubbles present too after an aggressive pour. It lasted only a few seconds before dissapating.

The color was a brownish garnet with a slight orange tint as well.

The smell was glorious and filled with oak, caramel, bourbon, and some holiday spice hints. Almost reminded me of a hot buttered rum or egg nog scent. Totally into it.

The flavor was much of the same and I was surprised how smooth this was for such a big beer. I am really looking forward to trying it again with a couple years on it. I really have to commend Lift Bridge on a stellar brew, This is phenomenal.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 21:47:20 | More by adrock7309

ChopperSmith

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a clear tulip glass.

Appearance: Slightly hazy ruby color with a one finger tan foam head that fades fast and leaves some sticky suds on the side.

Smell: Sweet with the bourbon whiskey right up front, mixed with some good bready malts. Nice.

Taste: Sweet and smooth with that bourbon barrel flavor right there. Mixed with some good roasted malts. The alcohol warming is there right away with the first sip, as to be expected with a barleywine. The bourbon flavor really makes this one shine.

Mouth feel: Sweet and slick with low carbonation, which fits the style well.

Overall: I love good beer, and I love good bourbon whiskey...so this is really the best of both worlds. Full and robust flavors, smooth as silk and strong as hell. An excellent English Barleywine from our own little Minnesota brewery Lift Bridge. Well done, Lift Bridge!

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 00:49:31 | More by ChopperSmith

maximum12

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled a titch out of the bottle the day before the release party, had a glass at the release party, had another glass at the release party, pondered having a third glass, considered the car keys in my pocket, thought better of it, bought six bottles. Guess I like it.

Pour is a cloudy orange with a heavy dose of yellow, almost hefesque. The smell reaches out to grab one by the noses short & curlies: spicy, sweet, vanilla, malty. Lovely.

Commander is a barrel-aged English Barleywine of unique parentage. The spices, assumedly cardamom, are tearing a whole lot of hole in this beer. There's also a rye component - rye barrels? The barrel presents itself with a nice dose of vanilla & faint bourbon underneath the spicing. Finish is a malt rampant, a swift blow of sweet malts that's slashed by the drying of the wood. The balance is exquisite.

This is an excellent barleywine, & a great first barrel-aged effort by a young brewery. Delighted to have a few bottles to see how this one turns in the next year or two. Lift Bridge, do this again, or something like it - this is a unqualified success.

Serving type: on-tap

11-20-2011 04:53:25 | More by maximum12

plfahey

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance-Amber copper and quite clear-looks warm and inviting. Trace of cream colored foam and some legs show upon swirling.

Aroma-Pleasant blend of fresh cardamom pods and bourbon, along with substantial vanilla from the barrel aging. The cardamom notes serve to accentuate the vanilla notes as well. Malt profile runs from brown sugar to black tar molasses and maple syrup. In addition to the cardamom, spice notes include clove and ginger, and there's a fair amount of coconut and herbal/minty notes as well. Quite interesting.

Flavor-Follows nose with cardamom spicing-ginger, clove, and cinnamon. Some caramel and light dried fruit-like pecan caramel rolls or cinnamon swirl bread. Bourbon notes are well integrated, and coconut and vanilla are once again quite prominent. Finishes with smooth alcohol and some toasty caramel.

Mouthfeel-Viscous, full body with moderately low carbonation. Moderately warming, though the alcohol is quite well disguised.

I wouldn't call this anywhere near a traditional English barleywine-what with the spicing and the barrel aging, it overshadows the toffee/caramel flavors that I would have expected. That said, it's pretty damn tasty and is right for the season. The overall impression is one of a beefed-up Christmas ale, and I think one of the most impressive features is that, even without any age on it, the 12.5% alcohol is smooth and well integrated. Good, and exceptionally interesting-definitely a step forward for Lift Bridge.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 02:33:54 | More by plfahey