Zeppelin Bend Barrel Aged Night Tripper - New Holland Brewing Company

warnerry

Michigan

3.85/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Pours black with no head to speak of. No lacing at all.

S - Nice whiskey aroma with vanilla, chocolate and a bit of roasted malt. Whiskey os the most prominent aroma.

T - Vanilla and whiskey. A little harshness, but pretty good overall. Slightly sweet with some chocolate and roasted malt.

M - completely still. Even a vigorous swirl yields no head. Mouthfeel is medium with a bit of drying from the alcohol.

O - Interesting barrel aged treatment. It is a shame there was no carbonation, as the flavors were quite good, if a bit heavy on the whiskey.

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2012 03:11:19 | More by warnerry

MasterSki

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Night Tripper aged in Hew Holland's own spirit barrels. On-tap at Bar on Buena for $6. I got about 40cl in a New Belgium goblet. Guessing this is ~12%, as the base beer is 10.8%.

A - Pours with a big-bubbed foam that leaves a persistent collar. Black body with some transparent brown glints at the fringes when held to the light. Hard to be totally objective in low lighting conditions.

S - Oak, whiskey, booze, vanilla, chocolate, roasted grains, and a light acetone note that I occasionally get from barrel-aged beers. Very intense and a little bit harsh - it's been a while since I've had something so booze-forward. Beyond that it's quite pleasant.

T - The taste is quite a bit different - reminds me of a chocolate and vanilla milkshake. Big ice cream sweetness too, and far less oak although there is some mild whiskey flavor. Finishes roasty, with a Hershey's syrup aftertaste.

M - Low cask-like carbonation. Body is thinner than I expected and verges on watery. Surprisingly little heat though, which is appreciated. Finishes lightly sticky.

D - I drank my glass while waiting for Nate to show - took me about a half-hour. I considered getting a second glass, but decided that was likely excessive from an alcohol perspective. Very unusual barrel-aged stout, but more success than failure. The low carbonation and thinner texture made it easy to drink, and the low alcohol presence in flavor and feel was a factor as well. I'd be interested to see Hopquila Barrel Aged Mad Hatter to compare to Zapata-Bot.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2011 15:49:40 | More by MasterSki