Stranahan Barrel Aged Czar - Avery Brewing Company

fvernon

Indiana

4.7/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Was lucky enough to be at Avery in June 2010 when this came out on tap. Served in a stemmed 10oz wide champagne flute/white wine glass (surprising choice, but it worked out well).

A: mahogany tones from the barreling around a cocoa interior

S: the whiskey was surprisingly muted, mainly roasted malts, chocolate, alcohol, vanilla, and the oak/whiskey hidden nicely in the background.

T: phenomenal. maybe it was the 4 drinks I had already downed before 4pm rolled around and they tapped the barrel, but the Czar had aged incredibly well in a Stranahan barrel - dark chocolate, vanilla, dark roasted malts, oak tannins, whiskey, just the right amount of muted hops (Willamette?), and bitter orange.

M: not too slick, not too heavy, but by no means light - I could feel the oaky alcohol, if that makes sense, around the sides of my mouth. I couldn't do anything more than sip, but I didn't want to anyways.

D: I've had the wonderful pleasure of drinking The Abyss on tap, an '07 oak-aged Kate the Great...but I loved this beer. Maybe it was the time and place, but the Stranahan Czar hit the spot for a sip-able, oaked RIS. If only it was sometime in the middle of the winter instead of mid-june!

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2010 18:17:59 | More by fvernon

TexPederson

Texas

3/5  rDev -25.6%

02-13-2012 11:23:46 | More by TexPederson

Domingo

Colorado

4.75/5  rDev +17.9%

11-17-2011 20:05:06 | More by Domingo

emmasdad

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Rackhouse. Poured a rich, opaque black with a decent brown head. The nose was full of bourbon, roasted malt, dark chocolate and vanilla. Taking a drink, I get a nice smooth, decently carbonated beer, loaded with whiskey, oak, milk chocolate and more roasted malt. Finishes somewhat warming and a little oversweet, with a nice alcohol kick. Not as good as the original.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2010 21:52:37 | More by emmasdad