Bourbon-Barrel Aged Descendant Suffolk Dark Ale - Mystic Brewery

Jason

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml brown bottle with a batch # on it.

LOOK: Dark brown with burnt amber highlights, thick sudsy mess on top that puts on a great display.

SMELL: Barrel juice, char, wood, yeast, toastet bread, fallen apples, mild carob, currants, chicory

TASTE: Creamy, smooth, slightly slick, boozy, brown bread, pulling wood, barrel char, vanilla, burnt sugar, toasted bread, coffee grounds, unsweetened chocolate, dry woody boozy finish

Bourbon steals the show, yeah the Descendant is the foundation and all but the barrel aging seems to be more of a replacement rather than an addition. So some flavors are a bit muted bit new ones are introduced. Not a bad thing.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 03:40:55 | More by Jason

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

05-15-2013 04:45:19 | More by Kelp

shehateme

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +4.2%

01-31-2013 00:45:16 | More by shehateme

AOShabaz

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%

01-31-2013 00:41:45 | More by AOShabaz

DelicateDelirium

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

01-13-2013 06:43:58 | More by DelicateDelirium

Devi0us

California

3.25/5  rDev -15.4%

01-12-2013 13:28:12 | More by Devi0us

jujigatame

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +4.2%

01-02-2013 21:56:16 | More by jujigatame

Patrickbrusil

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -15.4%

12-25-2012 15:36:51 | More by Patrickbrusil

noremac423

4/5  rDev +4.2%

10-20-2012 15:54:13 | More by noremac423

bluesplit63

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +4.2%

10-15-2012 03:32:08 | More by bluesplit63

rab53

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

10-02-2012 02:55:10 | More by rab53

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml Bottle - thanks to lubiere for this

Appearance - Reddish/brown colour with with an average size fizzy beige head. I can't make out the amount of carbonation showing and there is some fair lacing. The head lasted for 3-4 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, chocolate, grains, vanilla, bourbon

Taste & Mouth - There is a below average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, chocolate, and some roasted/toasted nuts. There is also a bit of a smokiness and some bourbon and vanilla. It ends with a malty slightly dry finish.

Overall - I didn't enjoy this one as much as the Cabernet version. It was missing the dark fruit notes. I also couldn't pick up on the wood/bourbon as much I thought I would have.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 17:42:19 | More by spinrsx

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a dark color ale with a medium size foamy head with medium retention and some light lacing. Aroma consists of light bourbon notes with some light traces of molasses. Taste is also a mix between some molasses and other residuals sugar with some medium notes of bourbon though not as much vanilla as I would have expected. Body is a bit light for style with medium carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Not bad but I was expecting the bourbon to bring more vanilla notes and more of a creamy body which wasn’t the case.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 20:05:30 | More by Phyl21ca

will1256

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

09-01-2012 22:44:13 | More by will1256

oldp0rt

Quebec (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -15.4%

08-25-2012 14:10:44 | More by oldp0rt

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%

08-21-2012 00:30:11 | More by Gambrinus1184

andrewinski1

Maine

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Bendurgin for letting us drink this even though he's not here. Poured into a chalice. The color is very dark amber/black. There is a nice thick tan colored head.

The aroma has some nice vanilla and roasted coffee-like notes.

The taste has a nice syrupy quality with notes of maple. The flavor is mostly roasted malt. I do pick up some oak qualities.

This is medium bodied. This is a nice drink, but for the price and presentation, I'm not sure I'll revisit it. It seems odd to barrel age a 7% beer that isn't a sour. Still nice to try.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 05:03:42 | More by andrewinski1

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

08-04-2012 01:05:46 | More by CliffBrake

blakimal

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +4.2%

06-29-2012 23:14:36 | More by blakimal

Steimie

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%

06-17-2012 17:06:29 | More by Steimie

Stockfan42

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%

05-30-2012 04:59:25 | More by Stockfan42

mdfb79

New York

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 05/06/12 notes. Big thanks to jslot38 for sending this one my way. Batch 3, 750ml bottle poured into my Bruery tulip.

a - Pours a dark brown, almost black color, with two fingers of light tan head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of roasted malts, banana, spices, toasted malts, and some light cloves and fruits. Very malty and some definite bananas, though no bourbon.

t - Tastes of fruity malts, roasted malts, toasted malts, bourbon, spices, cloves, light bananas. More fruits but less banana then then the nose, and a tiny bit of bourbon in the taste. Pretty interesting.

m - Medium body and low to moderate carbonation. Not hot at all.

o - Overall a pretty nice beer. No real bourbon in the nose, but some in the taste. I thought the barrel probably helped it lose some of the bananas from the nose, but an interesting, nice beer. Worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 01:45:57 | More by mdfb79

FUNKPhD

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

05-07-2012 17:55:30 | More by FUNKPhD

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Shared by mdfb79. Thanks Dan.

The beer is dark mahogany with a half inch of beige head. The aroma offers toffee, malt, oak, tannins. The bourbon comes through more in the flavor than in the aroma. Wood and barrel characteristics emerge more as the beer warms. Fairly light in body. Overall, this was ok.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 22:31:27 | More by Huhzubendah

kaelingirl

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +4.2%

04-25-2012 20:11:32 | More by kaelingirl