Old Barrel Dweller - Driftwood Brewery

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Year: 2012
A: Topped with a pale tan blanket of extremely fine foam head, the deep burnt umber ale shines a rich dark copper under direct light. Carbonation gently raises around the edge of the glass adding to the ring of mirco-foam.

S: Rich and smooth bourbon is front and centre. Sweet earthy scents of honey, malts and dark dried fruits and almonds support the bourbon and alcohol esters. The scent suggests a vanilla smoothness throughout like a solid base note. Notable that there is no scents of hops.

T: Dark cherries and huge bourbon bloom with raisins and dark malts. Noticeable end notes of wet wood and wine barrels - very rich and smooth and oaky, paired with honey. Some notes of a dry dark chocolate ...oh and did I mention the bourbon?

M: Blast of alcohol esters - but very pleasing and satisfying as a night cap. A thick syrup mouth feel with just the most subtle hint of a carbonation buzz. Fills the entire mouth with warming bourbon ester.

O: Smooth, rich and velvety offering that presents bourbon as a central scent and flavour note. Warming ester the sink deep to the core and unabashed in it's alcohol content - is a whopper and incredible night cap with a cheese platter.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 05:58:37 | More by FondueVoodoo

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

650ml bottle poured into tulip 3/4/13, big thanks to my boy Ryan for randomly showing up with a box full of Driftwood for me, I also need to thank Rutager for the bottle that's coming in the mail

A clear ruby liquid when held to the light, a noisy finger of foam fizzes out like cola and I assumed the glass was dirty but my second pour did exactly the same thing, no lace and it looks like still liquid sitting in the glass

S the barrels completely transformed this one, big vanilla notes, hard toffee, slight hazelnut, lots of bourbon and wood, a fair amount of booze, some candied cherry and burnt brown sugar

T more of the same but the booze is strong and its very woody, I think it just needs some time to mellow out, the flavors there but slightly overwhelmed by the liquor

M low carbonation but more bubbles then I could see in the glass, hot and boozy, thick and syrupy and has some tannins left behind, slight burn on the gums and a long woody finish

O I liked it but didn't love it, a little young perhaps as its a little harsh and needs to mellow out, I could see this turning out very well with a couple years on it.

I'm stoked I have another one coming in the mail because this ones built for long term aging and I can see a massive improvement coming a few years down the road. This is a rare example where I'd take the regular version over the barrel aged

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 05:37:59 | More by wordemupg

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.76/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to Chris for this bottle.
2012 Vintage. Poured in to tulip.

A - Murky dark copper colour; almost completely opaque with just a slight ruby glow along the bottom. A thin layer of light brown head formed and reduced to a ring around the glass.

S - A big hop profile is noticeable up front with some light citrus notes coming through. The barrel is evident next with big oak, bourbon and vanilla aromas present. Some caramel from the base beer comes through as well. The oak is really big in the nose.

T - Big dark caramel, toffee and brown sugar flavours are complimented by a big hop bitterness with a light citrus flavour as the base beer is much more evident than the nose suggested. The massive oak presence form the nose translates in to the palate with only light bourbon and vanilla coming through. The oak is somewhat astringent and becomes somewhat distracting.

M - Medium, almost full body. Thick and chewy. Light carbonation.

O - This is a rare instance where I preferred the regular version to the barrel aged one. The oak as just too dominant and didn't seem to play all that nicely with the big hop profile.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 01:37:14 | More by TheSevenDuffs

atomeyes

Ontario (Canada)

4.69/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

we has a night of drinking BWs. had the Cellar Dweller before the OBD.

both were similar, but the 2 noticeable things:

1. the barrel. duh. it dried it out slightly and added more depth - and dare i say, bitterness - to the beer.
2. the nose - smelled crazily like raspberries, which is strange, since Cellar Dweller had more of a tangerine nose to it.

dug the dry hopped smell of both of the beer. OBD was the crowd favourite, even though I personally enjoyed the Cellar Dweller more.

probably the most complex and intelligent barley wine i've had. lots going on, but it all still seems to work very very well.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 20:52:47 | More by atomeyes

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.73/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Seriously one of the best beers ever from BC. Does to BW what Singularity did to RIS in BC craft . The barrel aging really takes an already great beer to the next level with the oak notes actually tempering the huge hops and malt bill. The beer takes a few minutes to sort its self out but once you start to notice the interplay of the big flavours it is pure magic. Imagine what 2-4 years in the cellar will do to make this a serious monster.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 17:39:43 | More by canucklehead

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Deep brown liquid with a slight 1/8" tan coloured head.

S: Whoa! Wood and bourbon galore up front with faint typical barleywine aromas of caramel and barley.

T: Bourbon, oak, alcohol, caramel, barley and vanilla. I expect that the somewhat harsh alcohol taste would calm down once this is aged, as it almost has characteristics of a green scotch in this respect.

M: Medium viscosity and a low level of carbonation. Some drying from the alcohol.

O: I loved the concept and bought two bottles immediately without having any idea as to how this batch would turn out. However, this is a relatively boozy offering by Driftwood that would benefit from 8-12 months of further aging. In my opinion, barrel aged offerings by Driftwood should almost have a best after date like Firestone Walker and Deschutes beers do. If you are lucky enough to have one of these, trust me on this and save it and then drink it at the proper temperature.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 00:41:59 | More by DaftCaskBC