Brooklyn Local 11 - Brooklyn Brewery

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.68/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Local 11, a 100% barrel-aged, bottle-refermented ale. Their Local 2 aged in 20-year Pappy Van Winkle barrels... $44 at Eleven Madison Park. 9% alcohol, 750-ml bottle.

Appearance: Served in a snifter, and poured by myself to avoid the excessive foam the server was creating, Local 11 comes with one finger of very carbonated head that dies right away, leaving some lacing and a white mantle on top of the deep walnut-colored brew.

Smell: Like Christmas! Spice, chestnut, mulled wine. Cloves, richness, fireplace. Gentle bourbon, brown sugar. Outrageous! Intoxicating, delicious booze at the end.

Taste: Caramel, coffee-and-cream, nuts, chestnut puree. Frangelico. European chocolate, not sugary but slightly bitter and malty- for adults, this ain't Hershey's! Lots of sediment.

Mouthfeel: Very well balanced, with full body, carbonation and flavor. Smooth all around, a pleasure.

Overall: This is barrel-aging at its best. Smooth, balanced, well done. Super drinkable to boot and just all around gorgeous. Can't wait to revisit soon..

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 19:47:10 | More by DoubleSimcoe

schlimenhaumer

New York

4.58/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Made my way to the bar at Eleven Madison Park. I feel very lucky to have had the chance to taste one of the last bottles of this. This is my first bourbon-barrel aged beer, and I couldn't have asked for a better barrel than a Pappy Van Winkle 20-year.

A: Pours what looks like a dark brown with a creamy off-white head of incredible retention. Needless to say, this one has some impressive lacing as well.

S: This one smells basically like a smooth, refined bourbon without the alcohol notes. There's some vanilla in the background, and the floral oak notes from the barrel come through a bit as well. I was shocked as to how strongly the barrel came through here -- this is something completely different from Local 2.

T: Along almost exactly the same lines as the smell. Smooth bourbon flavors, the floral notes from the oak and a bit of vanilla. This one has a very long and enjoyable bourbon finish.

M: Full-bodied, extremely smooth and creamy, with just a bit of dryness on the finish to keep you coming back for more. A perfect match for the flavors.

D: This is one of the most enjoyable beers I've had to date. Although it was hard to get, it was well worth the effort. Those who had a chance to try this while it lasted should consider themselves extremely lucky.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 05:10:53 | More by schlimenhaumer

axeman9182

New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle served with a tulip glass at the bar at Eleven Madison Park.

Local 11 pours what appears to be a brown shade in the low lighting, though I suppose it could also be a particularly dark red/purple. There are plenty of burgundy highlights to go with approximately two fingers of khaki colored foam. Head retention is possibly the best I've seen on any beer, ever. It just sits there, and ever so slowly makes it's way down the side of the glass, to the point where I was starting to get impatient. Lacing is solid, but just doesn't quite measure up to the rest of the package in the looks department. The nose is absolutely heavenly. It features an intoxicating blend of very smooth whiskey and vanilla soaked dark fruits. That's all set off by a light note of clove and pepper that I'm quickly recognizing as the yeast profile from Brooklyn's house Belgian strain. The above description also fits the flavor profile almost perfectly, although here I'd say the bourbon flavor is just a hair too intense for the beer's own good. The mouthfeel is picture perfect, better than some of the Belgians do it. The body is rich and creamy, while still having a levity about it, and the carbonation is bubbly and active, almost champagne-like. Local 11 is a phenomenal beer as is, it's just a shame that there's so little of it, because I bet with a little bit of time for the bourbon to mellow out, it would turn into something truly special.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 23:01:29 | More by axeman9182

afksports

New York

4.35/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cheers to Al Alvarez who hooked me up on these bottles. Brewed only for 11 Madison, this classy Midtown South/Gramercy Park restaurant, I thought oh boy, am I really here? I need a suit. Stat.

When I got past that, and got over gawking at their exceptional beer list, we got down to brass tacks. Meaning beer. Brooklyn Local 11 (named for the only place you can buy it) features Brooklyn Brewery's Local 2 Belgian Strong Ale, which is aged four months in Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrels.

And oh my is it beautiful. Deep red to brown and hazy with gorgeous lace and sustaining head, the beer's appearance is still bested by its aroma.
Belgian yeast, light fruits, lemon peel and orange pair with hints of bourbon and waft into your nose. And the taste is the same. From the first to the last sip, it continues with sweetness in the front, Belgian style yeast in the back, and crispness all the way through.

This beer works. It truly works. The parts that were too spiky about Local 2 are rounded out, the 9% alcohol is revealed pleasantly, and while it remains a style I don't love, the glass was finished before I noticed.

Thanks Al, thanks Garrett, thanks 11 Madison. You swanky classy bastards.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 00:45:02 | More by afksports

alalvarez75

New York

4.95/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Clear dark brown. 2 finger head. Incredible lacing.

S: Sweet whiskey, but none of the boozieness of whiskey. Not the average BA that is sometimes overpowering. Just right on the whiskey.

T: Definite alcohol, with a caramel/honey sweetness. Vanilla, plum and roasted malt finish. Amazing taste, I no longer wanted to share the bottle after this. (I ended up ordering 2)

M: Heavier than a local 2 or most Belgian Darks. Less carbonation.

O: I ordered two bottles... it was delicious. If you are in the area, get one. There were only 14 cases of it made, so its safe to assume that once its gone... its gone.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 01:03:58 | More by alalvarez75