Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale - Alltech’s Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.

macrosmatic

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12 oz. bottle into pint glass.

A: Medium gold color, and very, very clear. One finger's worth of white head, and lots of visible carbonation.

S: Bourbon, vanilla, charcoal, caramel malt.

T: Follows the nose - very bourbon forward, but with nice woody flavors and a caramel sweetness.

M: Thin thin mouthfeel. Nice carbonation on the tongue. Not overly hot even with the bourbon flavors.

O: This one is different, interesting, but ultimately not great. I feel like it's a bourbon-aged non-hoppy pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 23:32:40 | More by macrosmatic

welldigger888

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

poured an amber hue with a nice snow white head that leaves ample lacing.

Seems to be an average ale in aroma with just a kiss off barrel aging.

The vanilla woodsy bourbon comes through well in the flavor.

Nice and creamy that plays well with all the bourbon.

A nice well done brew.

Serving type: growler

07-19-2012 00:29:20 | More by welldigger888

eclipse54

Idaho

3.1/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A 12 ounce bottle picked up at Casanova on my New Glarus run. Saw it sitting there and figured I'd give it a shot. Poured into a DFH signature glass.

The body is much lighter than expected, being more of a golden wheat color with some reddish, copper hues. It's very transluscent and only develops a thin, quarter-inch layer of eggshell white head. Minimal retention and lacing, but there is an ever present pillow of bubbles streaming up the center of the glass and billowing out on the surface. Still, I would not have guessed this was a barrel aged strong ale by looking at it (maybe an IPA?).

Aroma is of bourbon and not much else. Maybe some brown sugar or caramel, maybe. A bit offputting, and here's to hoping that it tastes better than it smells.

And it does, tasting of bourbon, some vanilla and toffee, a bit of oak and caramel, some brown sugar, and a hefty dose of ethanol. Surprisingly, it's not too bad once you get past the dominating bourbon.

Mouthfeel is a bit sticky and resinous, and it finishes pretty dry. Prominent alcohol burn on the finish.

Overall, this isn't one I'll be revisiting anytime soon. The bourbon is just way too pronounced for me. It really seems like you could have recreated this by just adding bourbon as opposed to barrel aging. Perhaps it will mellow out a bit with some time, but I'm not going to be the one to find out.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 19:50:53 | More by eclipse54

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Sniffer

Appearance - Dark orange with a hazy appearance; good lacing on the side

Smell - Vanilla, Oak, Whisky, Scotch, Malts, and toffee. It's like smelling an actual bottle of bourbon with a slightly more vanilla scent

Taste - Vanilla, Oak, Whisky, Scotch, Toffee, Malts and Yeast. While it still tastes great, the flavors all come off as a bit underwhelming despite the complexity.

Mouthfeel - Crisp and light with some moderate carbonation. It feels great and refreshing but it would feel much better if it had a creamy texture to it

Overall - As a bourbon ale, it's good but it feels a bit underwhelming for what it is. That doesn't mean that it's a bad beer, far from it! For a beer in general, it's pretty damn good.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2012 02:38:44 | More by NuclearDolphin

Chaz

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Pours a brilliant brass in color, exhibiting average amount of carbonation. The beer is topped with a two-fingered, lighter tan head (more off-white) which falls rather quickly and leaves a ring of foamy lace and thin film on top.

Nose offers vanilla and sort of an indeterminate malty fruitiness. On second guess, the bourbon aspect is full and there's even some boozy character. There's an almost tropical sensibility on the nose -- tropical fruit and rum with vanilla? It's a little odd, and much different than what I was expecting...

Sweet and full of the bourbon barrel character on the first sip. Equal parts warming alcohol and vanilla overtones, along with the tropical fruit aspect present in the malt character on the nose, and WOW! Am I tasting coconut, or am I just imagining it?

Mouthfeel is a little fuller than I'd expect (and the barrel treatment always seems to thin any beer style), but it's really sort of an average mouthfeel, and the carbonation actually seems lighter on the palate than it "looked" streaming from the bottom of the glass...

Overall this is a quirky drink. It's no carbon copy barrel-aged anything, and is instead unique enough to seek out insofar as the flavor is concerned. Frankly --and though I'm sure it isn't to everyone's liking-- as a fan of shmaltzy Tiki drinks I might seek to buy this one by the case!

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 00:12:12 | More by Chaz

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.28/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Dave Guay for sharing. Pours a golden-copper hue with a crystal clarity and no head. Nose is fairly subdued - some bourbon notes as well as a trace of butter and burnt sugar. Flavors come off a bit watered down and the bourbon is a bit masked. There's also a slight graininess in the mix. It all comes off a bit light and not what I would consider within the American Strong Ale category. Mouthfeel is light in body with a smooth, even carbonation. Overall, I found this beer interesting, but somewhat lacking in a clear style or identity. Maybe a little more time in the bourbon barrels would impart more character.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 14:20:38 | More by Jwale73

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Oxford, OH. Pours orange with a long lasting white head. Nose is of caramel, tropical fruit, vanilla and cacao. Body is medium, crisp. Taste is funky yeast, vanilla, alcohol, topical fruit, citrus, bourbon, and cacao. Finish is medium and semi-dry. Interesting brew.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2012 20:48:15 | More by mikeg67

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A-nice dark amber. Thin cream colored head. 

S-sweet syrupy alcohol. not too great. 

T-tastes like watered down bourbon with tonic added. Slightly syrupy. Not too boozy. Not too bad actually! 

M-higher medium carbonation with a dry finish

O-This is a actually a pretty decent beer. It's not much like any other beer I've had. It's pretty good though that I wouldn't mind ordering regularly. It does have a pretty refined taste to it. 

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2012 04:07:16 | More by AdamBear

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle served in a mug.

pours a clear, medium-light amber tone while yielding a finger or so of short lived head. not much lacing to speak of. nose is a bit more subdued than i was anticipating with subtle notes of caramel malt, a touch of vanilla and mild bourbon.

flavor mostly follows the aroma with caramel, vanilla, a little oak, and some - though not a lot of - bourbon. unique flavor profile, not what i expected. medium bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation.

overall, while it does have the uniqueness element going for it, in the final analysis it's an average beer - doesn't really work for me. it's not terrible, just not something i would seek out again. worth a try though.

(originally reviewed: 02-08-2012)

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 04:33:44 | More by BostonHops

jaasen64

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Way Downtown in Provincetown during my Cape weekend trip. Served in the snifter (11oz) made for this beer.

A- Appears a translucent golden slightly brown color with a pretty much nonexistent head. Minimal carbonation, definitely below average. Not too much in terms of lacing.

S- Very strong sweet bourbon smell. Very aromatic, but definitely smells like a sugar bomb (almost as if it was a bourbon flavored soda). A little oak/vanilla smell mixed in the sweetness. Pleasant smelling, but the heavy/sweet bourbon smell almost gives you the notion that it might be a booze bomb covered up with gross amounts of sugar. However at 8.19% you know that this is not the case.

T- Not as strong or as heavy of a bourbon-presence as I was expecting from the smell. Still fairly sweet though with a definite bourbon presence. A little bit of underlying oak + vanilla, however not as much as some bourbon BA beers but not bad considering the 6-week aging time period.

M- Low carbonation, smooth, easy to drink, slightly syrupy but not overly so.

O- This was an interesting beer. I've never smelled a beer quite like this one. Definitely very sweet and a distinct bourbon smell. Nicely balanced bourbon, with slight vanilla and oak presence, with not too much of an overpowering syrupy feel. The faults on this was that it was a little bit too soda-like for a beer. If you are a bourbon fan I would recommend giving this a try.

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2012 16:41:05 | More by jaasen64

TheoV

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Golden colored, with not much of a head.
Smell - It smells somewhere between bourbon and cream soda.
Taste - It tastes like what it is, a cross between a light beer and a bourbon. The taste is slightly sweet with strong vanilla and bourbon notes, although the vanilla tastes almost like it came from them pouring a bottle of extract into it.
Mouthfeel - On the light end of medium. Definitely the lightest bourbon barrel aged beer I've ever had.
Overall - I like this beer because overall, because I'm a fan of bourbon, and it has strong bourbon notes, but it's not nearly as heavy or dark as most bourbon barrel aged beers. This makes it a nice change of pace for when I don't want something heavy and dark.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 23:25:24 | More by TheoV

MCDuhamel

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass at around 45F. The beer looks like a pale ale; dark gold/light orange, perfectly clear, with moderate carbonation. The head is a loose white foam that falls to a thin cap. No lacing. The nose is very big, with vanilla highly dominant and bourbon pretty hidden; nothing else shows through. Flavor is vanilla again, with a bit of honey-like sweetness and some graininess toward the finish. There's a dulce de leche like quality to the beer; a mild, buttery caramel. Interestingly, while the beer is generally sweet, the finish dries out a bit, and prickly carbonation balances the beer. Hops don't play much of a role with this one; none in the nose, none in the flavor, and the bittering appears to be just enough to prevent the beer from being cloying. It's not heavy on the tongue, and the alcoholic heft doesn't make itself noticed. Perhaps a bit out of balance, but an interesting drink just the same.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 23:46:14 | More by MCDuhamel

biglite351

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Light honey color, like a murkey dark lager. Very short white head that vanished FAST

S - Smokey mild bourbon, but that is it

T - Unique. Mild bourbon, honey, maybe green grapes. Odd but good

M - solid coating with a tingle on front and sides of tongue

O - Different and odd enough to opt for over many other choices

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 11:20:26 | More by biglite351

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.13/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this brew on tap at the fish market in Newport Kentucky.

A- pours a clear dark copper in appearance with a sticky white lacing that sticks to the side.

S- subtle scent of bourbon and oak with a touch of sweet malt, barely a trace of spicy hops. Was looking for a bit more oaky bourbon smell.

T- sweet vanilla and oak presence up front, followed with a splash of bourbon. Finishes slightly sweet and malty with light oak lingering on the palate. Great balance and the linger on the palate is very refreshing.

M- medium carbonation, light and refreshing

O- this ale does a great job of showcasing the oak and bourbon flavors while still staying light enough for an ale. The linger on the palate was most impressive, almost similar to the linger of a good cabernet, but with a touch of bourbon. This complemented rare yellowfin tuna quite well and even saved some for a dessert afterward.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2012 15:44:17 | More by Treyliff

cincyfan90

Rhode Island

3.93/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aroma: A strong, sweet nose of bourbon and vanilla

Taste: The bourbon presence is more so in the nose rather than the taste; this beer has sweet caramel notes along with the spice of bourbon and vanilla.

Overall: A pleasant beer that can be paired well with Flan, jalapeno cornbread, and smoked pork.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 15:30:33 | More by cincyfan90

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a clear medium amber in color with some light hints of visible carbonation. The beer had a thin (maybe 1/8 finger tall) off-white head that quickly dissipated to just the faintest of rings at the edge of the glass. Very light lacing is observed.

S: There is a very subtle amount of malt sweetness in the background but upfront this beer is all bourbon - the bourbon smell is a little harsh but has elements of caramel, toffee, and vanilla.

T: Like the smell, the taste of this beer is dominated by the bourbon. The beer starts out with the caramel/toffee malt sweetness but then the bourbon elements come in with the oak and vanilla. There is quite a lot of sweetness to this beer.

M: On the heavier side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth.

O: As a bourbon lover, I had very high hopes for this beer and was a little disappointed by the harshness of the bourbon flavor and smell (it almost seemed like they used real cheap bourbon - rot gut stuff). This beer was not sessionable, the flavors were too intense to be able to have more than one at a session and this was a sipping beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 13:55:00 | More by dbrauneis

Dope

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle approximately a year old.

A: Pours a mostly clear medium amber with some floaties. Good sized fizzy white head. Fades at a reasonable pace and leaves almost no lacing.

S: Smells like bourbon, unsurprisingly. Harsh bourbon. Toffee, caramel, raisins and oak.

T: Initially toffee and caramel and oak. Then lots of vanilla. And I mean a lot. Sweet.

M: Medium bodied and smooth. Pretty standard.

O: An interesting but otherwise uneventful beer. I had this fresh and I remember it being much harsher and pretty much just pure cheap bourbon. Now it's just a flash of bourbon and tons of vanilla. It's honestly not bad but pretty simple and straightforward.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 05:05:19 | More by Dope

bbd496

4.88/5  rDev +32.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

THis beer blew me away . I got it at Grapes and Grains in Barrington Rhode Island and it was absolutly astounding. I have never had a bourbon Barrel age beer taste so perfect. The vanilla and finish of bourbon flavor is so smooth and elegant but robust at the same time. I have found a new favorite.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 17:06:14 | More by bbd496

vobr0002

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- nice white head, golden amber color. Almost like mixing some bourbon with light beer.

S- lots of vanilla, some bourbon and caramel but fairly muted.

T- very light flavors but a nice smooth bourbon flavor. Not too much else.

M- very smooth light body. Higher carbonation.

O- its a good beer. Its a nice change of pace when you want something light but still want the bourbon flavor.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 02:14:25 | More by vobr0002

TVolt1

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Golden, clear appearancewith small amount of white head.

S: bland smell with a hint of vanilla/creme.

T: i am not a fan. It tastes like a bland beer with a small amount of vanilla extract and bourbon.

M: Okay mouthfeel. Not very carbonated and a small to moderate thickness.

O: Overall, it's an alright beer. Not my fav and there isn't anything great about it.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 01:53:09 | More by TVolt1

matjack85

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A friend of mine brought back a single 12oz bottle of this beer for me when he returned from the Kentucky Derby last Saturday. He said they come in 4 packs for $8.99. No freshness date.

The beer poured a perfectly clear amber/copper color with a 1½-finger white head that had decent retention. Thin rings of lace slid down the glass as I drank it.

The beer has a wonderful bourbon smell with a hefty dose of vanilla, as well as some oak barrel and alcohol.

While the bourbon isn't overpowering, it is the dominant flavor in this beer. Not much in the way of either malt or hops as vanilla, oak, and alcohol make up the balance of the flavors. Sort of reminds me of a watered down highball (whiskey and ginger ale over ice).

Much thinner and lighter than I thought it would be with carbonation on the low to moderate side. It goes down nice and smooth though.

A nice sipper and a nice change of pace beer. For a really great bourbon barreled beer, try Goose Island's.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 06:55:14 | More by matjack85

yuenglingfan101

Indiana

4.8/5  rDev +30.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

poured into pint glass. Great copperish color with a minimial head. Smells like whiskey rather than beer. Taste like a combination of bourbon and beer which I find unique. Went down smooth as beer and with a hint of whiskey. Overall a good beer for those who dare to mix whiskey and beer blends

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 13:48:29 | More by yuenglingfan101

julian89

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

4/27/2012
Got a growler of this from work at Hop City.
Poured from growler into pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a clear honey color with a half inch head no lacing, decent retention. Bubbling is seen through the glorious translucent amber.

Smell: Vanilla and coconut dominate. Bourbon smell of sweet butterscotch. Last I smell earthly notes of smoked oak.

Taste: The progression... smooth bourbon and malty taste, then I received a strong medium bodied vanilla and coconut taste, then the earthly feel on the back end.

Mouthfeel: A medium to soft bodied feel with watery flow. Decent carbonation from a growler.

Drinkability: Very good taste and smell. It is a very pretty beer. I will say it's downfall if mouthfeel and it could be a bit stronger due to it's ~8% ABV but alas. It still gets a fairly high rating from me.

Serving type: growler

04-28-2012 17:55:06 | More by julian89

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

I got a bottle of Alltech's Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company's Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale that my brother brought back from his trip down south. I have had this beer a couple times a while ago, this was actually my first Bourbon Barrel beer that I ever I had, I liked it, but I thought that it was pretty intense, so lets see what I think of it now. No visible bottling date. Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a snifter.

A- I like the label on this beer it's pretty clean and classic looking, it looks pretty good to me. It poured a lighter caramel color that took on a nice bright copper hue when held to the light and it had two fingers worth of white head that died down to a thin ring that stayed till the end. This was a decent looking strong ale, but I wish it had better head retention and lacing.

S- The aroma starts off with a pretty heavy bourbon aroma that imparts some oak, vanilla, and slightly smokey aromas. Next comes some sweet malts that impart a molasses, toffee, caramel, and some booze soaked raisins. The caramel and toffee come through again towards the end along with a lighter boozy aroma. This was a great and complex smelling beer, the malt base isn't covered up and there tons of great complex aromas imparted from the Bourbon Barrels.

T- The taste follows the aroma nicely with the sweet malts showing up first and they impart some sweet caramel and molasses flavors with a slight bit of toffee. Next comes some flavors from the barrel, I get some vanilla, oak, charred oak, and Bourbon flavors. Towards the end I get some Bourbon soaked raisins and a lighter alcohol presence that isn't warming and it had a low amount of medium bitterness. This was a good tasting beer, the heavy caramel flavor helped balance all those flavors from the barrel, but the flavors did taste slightly watery.

M- Pretty smooth, crisp, slightly creamy, medium bodied, with a higher amount of prickly carbonation. The mouthfeel was going the right direction till I got to the carbonation, it was just too prickly for this style of the beer and the body could have been a little thicker.

Overall I thought that this was a good beer and a good example of barrel aged beer that isn't a Stout, Stouts usually work the best because of how their robust malty taste balances out the heavy barrel notes, but with this beer the malt base was very caramel like which provided good balance to the barrel aspects of this beer. This beer had pretty good drinkability, it went down pretty smooth for a barrel aged beer, it wasn't overly boozy, I could see drinking another one if I had it. What I liked most about this beer was the aroma, it was really nice and complex, just what I want from a barrel aged American Strong Ale. What I liked least about this beer was the slightly thin body and the prickly carbonation, the body was the main flaw with this beer. I would buy this beer again when in the mood for a cheaper barrel aged beer, but it isn't available here, so who knows when I will be able to drink it again. I recommend giving this beer a try, it might make for a good introduction to barrel aged beers, it worked for me, maybe it can work for you. This beer made for a good first impression for this brewery, I would like to try some of their other beers. This is a good example of a barrel aged American Strong Ale, it had good flavors and was nicely balanced which isn't that easy to do when barrel aging a beer, this is good but it can't hang with some of the better bourbon barrel beers, but it's a good easily accessible example of the style and that isn't easy to come by, good brew guys.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 04:02:20 | More by StoutHunter

Kbogac

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours light caramel color with a nice one finger of creamy light foam.

Smell is oaky bourbon, vanilla and caramel. The bourbon and wood are very prominent.

Taste is a nice vanilla caramel with an oaky bourbon finish.

Medium heavy, creamy mouthfeel.

Overall very good. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. A little on the heavy side. I don't think I'd have two in a row but it was very good.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 00:38:28 | More by Kbogac