Arcadia Shipwreck Porter - Arcadia Brewing Company

Vancer

Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

These big beers aged in whiskey barrels just kick me in the sack, in a pleasant way. If ya luv bourbon, like Jim Beam, this is the brew for you. (Can’t wait to try the local O’Fallon BASP).

A big ol’ brew, poured jet black with cola brown edges. Nice tan head and laces.

Then, WHOO, the enticing aroma of Jim Beam sour mash bubbles up through the chocolate coffee vapors. Superb. The taste was just top notch of the sour mash mixing with the porter malt backbone. Raisins, cherries also make an appearance. Just a hint of alcohol, nicely presenting itself.

How this rated below a 3 for some is beyond my feeble mind. Man! Wish I had cellared a couple of these critters.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2007 22:20:57 | More by Vancer

lordofthewiens

Maine

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very dark brown, nearly black beer with a thick cafe au lait head. A bit of lace. Sweet chocolate aroma, and noticeable whiskey. Mostly tasted of sweet chocolate, some vanilla. A bit of espresso late. I could also taste the alcohol in the background. Pretty smooth beer. Would buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2010 13:22:25 | More by lordofthewiens

KarlHungus

Minnesota

3.28/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Once I popped the cap of this beer a torrent of foam gushed out. This wasn't too surpising, because it seems to be the case with most of Arcadia's beers. It was still annoying, none the less. The beer poured an opaque black color with a large, creamy, light tan head. The aroma is very boozy, chocolate, coffee, and malt are also present, but overpowered by the whiskey. The taste is slightly more balanced than the aroma, but still too boozy for my liking. This beer certainly tastes hotter than 7.8% ABV. The mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, but seems a little lighter due to excessive carbonation. Overall, this beer is a close miss. The whiskey aspect of it reminds me a lot of Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout, but Shipwreck seems to lack the massive amounts of malt to balance out all that whiskey.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2006 07:56:33 | More by KarlHungus

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

4/7/08
Appearance - pours black, two+ fingers of light mocha foam sitting on top. Nice hold at a half-finger and some good wavy lacing to boot.

Aroma - intensely oaky to the point of drowning out all other smells. A heady alcohol vapor mixed in also. An occasional whiff of chocolate but the wood here is very strong, too strong.

Taste - some decent chocolate malts to start. Slightly sweet, they are quickly replaced by an intensely woody flavor. Did they add 'Liquid Oak'? It's a big block of wood in handy liquid form. Some chocolate following and a good measure of abv warmth. The swallow has some balancing bitterness but the oak never lets up and allows anything else to blend in. I guess after a number of bourbon barrel beers, it's different to taste just the oak without the whiskey, but I don't care a whole lot for it. While waiting a bit before sips, I do notice at long last a slow emergence of bourbon as an aftertaste. Quite good but it takes a while to develop, so there's a bit of redemption for this one. And as with many higher abv brews, after a bit of palate adjustment, the flavors are more amenable.

Mouthfeel - good mouthfeel; smooth, slightly heavy.

Drinkability - I can appreciate the effort in making it, but it's not up my alley.

9/26/06
Appearance - all black pour, a dense mocha head of about a finger or so, insulating quite well. Thick rings of lace on this one. 5.0

Aroma - chocolate covered bourbon balls. The chocolate fades to something a bit smoky, the bourbon stays right where its at. Hmmm, beer or bourbon? 3.5

Taste - sweet and chocolatey at first, like Kahlua. Alcohol warming on the swallow, roasted malts and sweetened bourbon take over. Finishes with a dry sweetness, bittersweet chocolate, and one of the most pleasant alcohol infusions running through it all. 5.0

Mouthfeel - insanely smooth from the first sip. The heaviness goes well with the sweetness and "bigness" of the flavor. 5.0

Drinkability - for the bourbon-loving sweet tooths out there, this is a treat. Quite approachable for a beer of this style and crafting. 5.0

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2006 18:27:13 | More by brewdlyhooked13

kmpitz2

Tennessee

2.88/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22 oz bomber. Pours a fairly dark brown color with a 3 finger tan head over top that falls to about a finger before settling. The brew is murky, with a moderate cascade of bubbles maintaining the head. Nose brings prominent sour notes, reminding me more of a sour brown than a porter of any type. Behind that I find some deeper roasted and lighter chocolate notes with a light alcohol blanked in the background. As it warms, this become more clear on the aroma. There are definate aggressive alcoholic whiskey notes in this one. Moderate vanilla tones sit over top of coffee and chocolate. Not quite what I was expecting on the nose with this one from the initial pour, but after letting it sit and come to stasis, it is okay. Flavor is interesting. The sourness is there, but more subdued. My initial impression is that the alcohol really stands out in this one. I get an initial hint of it as I first sip the beer, but after swallowing the brew, it really hits almost like a spirit, in my sinuses and then as a moderate burn in my stomach. Outside of this, I find some chocolate and roasted notes, with a very mild fig that rounds things out. The aftertaste is a little solvent-like due to the alcohol as well, making this less than desirable. I would have to say that the alcohol detracts pretty heavy on this one. Mouthfeel is thick, with a light to moderate carbonation that serves to break it up a little. As I said, this one lights up my stomach a bit, even leaving traces of heat in my esophagus. Overall, this one just isn't captivating my senses. At 7.8%, it should not be as aggressive on the alcohol as it is. I am not sure if the sourness is supposed to be there or not. I may grab another bottle now that its on shelves near me and see if this is a product of the bottle I have or if it is chronic.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2006 00:33:04 | More by kmpitz2

ADR

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours out an opaque black Stout color with a decent head of cream with lots of big bubbles on top. Laces in patches and smaller marks. Aroma has Irish coffee elements, some reminders of red wine and oak from the barrel conditioning. Mouthfeel is nice to begin with, creamy with subdued carbonation. Flavor features lots of bitter dark chocolate with a snap of vinous raisins and current and highlighting the bourbon casks. It also has good persistance, but perhaps the carbonation (initially smooth) seems a little too active at the end. Plenty of aftertaste, perhaps with a small touch of hops re-inforcing the roasty bittering of the brew, along with some smokey whiskey flavors. Arcadia has a wide range of beers to my tastes, this one works for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2006 01:17:39 | More by ADR

morimech

Minnesota

3.03/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2

Pours a dark creamy brown with a solid two-fingered head. Retention is very good eventually receding to a thick cap with solid lacing left in its wake that quickly rejoins the cap.

The smell is very boozy. Bourbon and alcohol are right out front assaulting the nose. If I didn't know better I would say this is some sort of liqueur. Just a touch of dark malt and cherries can be detected hiding behind the booze.

This beer took on too much of the flavor of the bourbon barrel. Hardly tastes like a beer at all. If you don't like whiskey, stay far away from this beer. It is strongly flavored of whiskey. Some of the more background flavors are chocolate malt and a roasted, smokey flavor. It finishes sweet until the alcohol warming takes affect. Feels medium body and has a creamy, coating quality.

I would consider this a beer based liqueur by the intense whiskey aroma and taste. Just too much for me to consider drinking this again. The ABV is lower than the taste would lead you to believe. Knock the whiskey qualities in half and this would be more my thing.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2008 23:29:10 | More by morimech

claspada

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

2007 vintage.
Aromas are fairly different than I expected. It starts out fruity and winey presumably from the barrel aging. Some lighter roasted/chocolate maltiness with a little vanilla.
Taste follows the nose with dark prunes, plum, cherry and red grapes. Roasted and chocolate malts support the flavor profile. I wonder what this tasted like fresh, because the ABV is completely undetectable after 3+ years. Really unique; the more I think about it this may have developed the fruitiness from some infection or bugs because this is really off in flavor profile. No bourbon or woodiness or hops are detectable.
The mouthfeel is good but too thin for how big this beer is. Good carbonation but way too drinkable. Overall a good beer; not a Baltic porter really though. Not roasted or chocolatey enough for my liking and while I like the unique dark fruit notes, it's just not what I was expecting. Recommended although probably hard to find since it was made 4 years ago.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 22:01:21 | More by claspada

TastyTaste

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Poured into a Sam Smith Tulip, huge 2" head, slow fading, billowy, atop a coal black body that allows no light.

Smell: The rich wood scentss are immediately evident, smoke, coffee, chocolate, many stout qualities here, but maybe that is because I have never had a barrel aged porter.

Taste: At first it is a little bewildering. The flavors all mix together and take a little while to work through. I do like the beer, though, the barrel realyl adds charachter and bite to the beer. The porter flavors are a little more subdued that a stout in it's place, but it stands up well to pairing with charred oak. The alcohol is strong, but is is a good beer voerall.

Drinkability-Mouthfeel: A little bit thinner than you would expect, creamy and lightly carbonated. I hope Arcadia continues this line, I appreciate them branching out.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2006 03:46:27 | More by TastyTaste

mcallister

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This porter is nearly black if not black. With a generous tan head that leaves behind trace amounts of spotty lacing.

Aromas are big in bourbon almost overly so. Hints of vanilla, bitter choclate, roasted malt, and some dark fruits.

Malty malty porter. Much of the flavor and complexities of this beer seem to be hidden behind a vail of bourbon and oak. Still good flavors of bitter choclate, vanilla extract, black currant, smoke, tobacco, and some meaty earthy flavors.

Mouthfeel is good but not great. Again the bourbon leaves this once out of whack making a somewhat undesirable mouthfeel but not making it bad. This isn't one I'm going to drink an abundace of but worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2006 20:18:28 | More by mcallister

lackenhauser

Maryland

3.88/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice deep brown color-slight cocoa colored head on top. Very oakey and whiskey like aroma. Good flavor-some roasted malt against a huge whiskey flavor. Tends to be over done for my own personal liking. Oak flavor is way up front as well. Decent level of lactic sweetness-comes across as a sweet stout in spots. Nice body-very smooth and the sweet stout quality balances the overdone oakiness and whiskey. Quite drinkable though not my thing all around. Enjoyable-I would recommend in small doses for sure.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2007 00:39:17 | More by lackenhauser

clvand0

Kentucky

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I didn't realize that this was a whiskey barrel aged beer before I tried it - so that first sip was a shocker. It pours a very dark color with a moderate head that falls quickly and leaves a bit of lacing on the glass. The aroma has a lot of dark malt character with chocolate, but the whiskey comes through as well to create a complex combination. Quite sweet and flavorful flavor with plenty of dark roasted malts combining with a very strong whiskey/bourbon flavor. The body is medium and the drinkability is ok considering the extremely strong flavor of the whiskey.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2006 20:06:45 | More by clvand0

Phatz

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A great night of porters thanks to mughugger for bringing this beer. After the Gonzo it seemed a tad lack-luster certainly a terrific beer. Thanks Karen.

Appearance: Pours a dark almost black color with a chocolaty brown head that has great retention and leaves loads of lacings in the glass.

Smell: Chocolate malt, boozy vinous alcohol, port, roasty coffee.

Taste: Dark port chocolate grape flavor with a roasted malt a espresso feel on the cheeks, and a splash of vanilla and toffee. The best attribute is the warm alcohol finish.

Mouthfeel: Light (for a BP) and roasty, with a pleasant dry feel.

Drinkability: This is a very easy drinker that won't fill you up too quickly.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2007 07:48:17 | More by Phatz

granger10

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mohagany black color with a cappucino brown head. Settles to a layer of foam atop the liquid. Aroma is strong on the bourbon barrel notes. Lots of vanilla sweetness and woody esters along with a twinge of alcohol. It's all a bit sharp with some roastiness. It really comes out at you. Taste is also on the strong side. Honestly there's not a whole lot of porter in this beer. The bourbon barrel aging really dominates. And I'm not a big time whiskey fan esp. for beers but this one is quite good. It's more of a vanilla/oak flavor rather than whiskey, which just seems to compliment. Not a whole lot of depth or subtlety but I really enjoyed this beer and that's what it's all about in the end. Different, give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2006 18:55:17 | More by granger10

SaCkErZ9

Florida

4.2/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks go out to SPLITGRIN for this one.

Pours from the 22oz bottle into a pint glass. Burnt caramel color beer with dark, glazed carrot colored highlights. Tan colored head, about half finger in size. No lacing, head disappears somewhat slowly.

This one certainly smells like a bourbon barrel aged porter. Bourbon aromas, vanilla, oakiness, plenty of sweetness. Smells fantastic.

More bourbon tastes. Almost too much bourbon but in my opinion, the perfect amount. Slightly alcoholic tasting though the alcohol warmth is missing, or atleast subdued.

Medium to full bodied, perfect carbonation. I really liked this one. I feel too many people may be turned off by the strong bourbon flavors and aromas but it was right up my alley. A smooth sipper.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2008 21:54:55 | More by SaCkErZ9

Cresant

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured this 22 oz. brown bottle into a Sierra Nevada hops glass. 2007 vintage. The body was dark brown/black. Clear of sediment with a creamy, uniform head. A cap remained throughout.

Smell was woody and chocolatey. Hints of brown sugar. Aroma of a drawer full of screws.

Taste was woody. There was a nice initial tartness followed by a lingering light sweetness. Hints of molasses, but not much. Well balanced and flavorful. Very well hidden alcohol. Drying in the end.

Mouthfeel was medium to light in body. Adequate carbonation with a smooth silkiness. Overall a nice porter.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2009 13:29:10 | More by Cresant

peabody

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours out with plenty of brown suds leaving little lacing.
the aroma is sweet and bitter at the same time. There is a fruit smell in there as well. The Whiskey aroma really shines through when the drink warms up a bit. Best tasted above 50 degrees.
It has a clean taste with slight caramel and hopps mixing in with the bourbon flavor.
Mouthfeel is really clean for such a Porter which makes me think it might be a little watered down.
Drinkability is the better quality here. Arcadia has better beers, but this one is worth another goaround.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2006 02:19:34 | More by peabody

Foxman

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

It pours a rich, deep mahogany, pretty ruby along the edges. A finger of loose, light tan head ebbs soon to frothy globules. Points of lacing minimalize the inside of the glass.

The aroma swirls bittersweet roasted malt, toying with dark chocolate, coffee, port, bourbon oak, cola, and licorice. A mere floral hint of hops caresses a veritably present spine of alcohol.

Upon tasting, there's a flow of slightly charred but mildly sweet roasted malt, with plum, raisin, and smokey oak in play. A vinous note hints at port, and is joined by a strident tendon of seemingly mentholated alcohol. The grain replays briefly before sneaky hops bitter things rather abruptly, leading to a lingering dry finish. It seems like a compressed, almost rushed version of the aroma, but it's still a decently crafted profile.

Medium bodied, the combination of malt, cooling alcohol, and bitter hops keeps the palate awake.

The aroma starts with plenty going on, but pretty much leisurely. Then the flavor compacts the elements into a more concentrated and harder to read burst. The one real distraction, though, is the gleaming streak of alcohol that tries to part the flavor like Moses and the Red Sea. And that ABV goes a long way toward keeping consumption well in line. It's a beefy bugger that has some in the plus column, and is worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2006 17:46:24 | More by Foxman

bamadog

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I haven't seen this one on the shelves for some time now, so I'm guessing this is the 2008 vintage. Review is from notes taken on 12/12/2010 and poured from the bottle to a snifter.

Appearance: Pour is the standard deep dark brown/near black, like coffee, but it has some dark ruby and chestnut highlights near the edges and at the very bottom of the glass; starts with a 1/2 finger creamy tan head that fades immediately to a thin wisp of a skim and an uneven milky ring around the surface; body is nearly opaque, with the exception of the highlights mentioned above; only a couple strands and spots of lacing are left behind as an oily residue makes it slide back into the drink.

Smell: A lot of vanilla right up front, which is awesome, I love picking up on vanilla and just a touch of caramel; some earthy roast in there; a bit of barrel as well; not quite as robust as I would like, but I really like the sweet vanilla that comes out

Taste: Pretty impressive -- a good array of flavors that are well blended -- the sweet and oaky vanilla blends with the earthy roast; a definite presence of dark fruit that is just a little tart (cherry, perhaps?) and just a bit of caramel; an aged presence of alcohol as well that is pretty mellow, but still effective in the set of flavors.

Mouthfeel: Body is just a bit lighter than medium and the carbonation is there, but nearly a non-presence as it is "just" prickly and then fades to a smooth, near flat body (not awful for a 12% porter though, as I wouldn't expect it to be overly carbonated; a moderately thick and dry sticky coating is left all over the palate; for being 12%, the alcohol really creates no burn at all, but the belly is left just a little warm.

Drinkability: Definitely a sipper, but a tasty one. I like the well-rounded set of flavors, but do wish the body was a bit thicker (I guess not every porter can be as viscous as Black Butte XX, which may have unfortunately set the bar a little too high for me); ABV is definitely a factor in this being limited to a 22 oz. bottle by myself, and demands that I enjoy it over the course of at least 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 02:40:53 | More by bamadog

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

2.93/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A - Dark, almost black, brown with a large head that lingers for minutes, then leaves clumps of lacing clinging to the sides of the glass.

S - Slight molasses, alcohol, prune and coffee (faint).

T - Sour, too sour, alcohol, molasses, raisins, coffee, oak, faint bourbon - a sharp ascerbic sour is present before the shift to the citric acid sour and coffee bitterness in the aftertaste.

M - Smooth, thin, a bit acidic, harsh after the swallow, a bit astringent, thirst quenching at least.

D - Somehow not too bad. I don't think I will have this again, but the entire bomber went down easily. Many better beers of this style are out there, but, in spite of the sourness, this pulled off enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2007 06:03:41 | More by mrasskicktastic

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

3.33/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

GLASS: Sam Adams Pint Glass
TEMP: Cellared @ approx 50 degrees
VINTAGE: 2007

Pours up a nice, deep, dark brown...almost black. Two-fingers of thick, creamy, light brown foam sit on top, where it just stays and stays. Lacing is pretty good.

Mild notes of coffees and chocolates. Nice hint of whiskey and oak. Mild touch of oxidation. Hints of brown sugar.

Instant coffee and cocoa powder, along with a mild roasty maltiness. Definite hints of whiskey, which is nice. Mild oakiness. I believe that the oxidation is bringing about a slight 'twang' that shouldn't be here. Not overpowering, but makes for an odd finish.

On the lighter side of full-bodied. Very smooth and nicely creamy.

This is very tasty, but I'd love to be able to try a fresh bottle, for comparison factors.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2009 04:06:34 | More by coldmeat23

meathookjones

Virginia

1.58/5  rDev -59.1%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1

Almost pitch black with a small tan head that drops pretty quick leaving some light scattered lace. Sweet caramel comes out first only to be drowned out with booze and an out of place fruitiness. Aroma is just a mess with too much alcohol and not much else able to show through. Flavor starts off with a bit of sweetness and some strange ripe fruitiness. Some burnt and woody notes peak through before the bourbon takes over. Really bad alcohol burn fruity finish that is just as much a mess as the aroma. Mouthfeel was decent except the burn. No drinkability here for me it was a drain pour after forcing my way through the first glass. I waited to review till I had my second bottle figuring I had on off bottle but it was identical. A very appropriately named beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2006 19:43:35 | More by meathookjones

joe1510

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz Bomber
$7.99
Binny's Plainfield

2007 Vintage

Arcadia seems to be either hit or miss so we'll see how this goes. Shipwreck Porter pours the darkest of browns bordering on black. A two finger incredibly creamy off white head forms on the pour and leaves the glass covered in sheet lacing on its way down although it falls to a cap. This is a really good looking beer.

Everything in the aroma is very appetizing but...there seems to be a sour milk character floating around in there and although not very strong or prominent does drop the score by a half point. Excluding the sour milk everything else seems to be good. Slight vanilla and oak from there barrel aging combines with roasty malts, mild cold coffee, and mild chocolate.

Luckily the sour milk isn't there in the flavor it's more of an enjoyable combination of coffee, chocolate, vanilla (from the oak), and oak all in that order from least to most intense. All these flavors are supporting a well rounded roastiness. Unfortunately as this beer warms the alcohol becomes a little too evident.

The barrel aging made for a really nice mouthfeel. Carbonation is on the lower end of the spectrum and the oak lends a velvety smoothness to the body.

This is a solid beer but the alcohol shows a little too much as it warms, which of course knocks the drinkability down a notch.

I really wanted to like this beer from the outset but it just seems to fall in the mediocre category. It's a little hard for me to get past the sourness in the smell and I believe that translates into me dropping the flavor score as well. All that said it's not a bad beer just one, if some tweaking was done, could be a lot better.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2008 04:18:36 | More by joe1510

geexploitation

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Wow, is this an interesting beer. Not perfect by any means, but very interesting.

Pours almost black, more like a deep brown, with very little head. The nose is quite sharp -- lots of alcohol and bourbon aromas in there, lots of vanilla, along with chocolate and espresso. Very baltic porter-like. It's not terribly pleasant, but it sure is compelling. On the tongue, there's malt sweetness, then bitterness, and then a big alcoholic burn that's reminscent of the hard alcohol that, apparently, formerly occupied this beer's aging barrels. Surprisingly thin mouthfeel, coupled with a sticky film on the back of the tongue, reduce this one's drinkability. But man, is this one interesting. I'd love to actually see the process of making this one.

Overall, this one is flawed (alcoholic burn, not enough body, overly overt bourbon aromas) but fascinating. I always like to see beers like this -- they don't entirely succeed, but they try real hard and end up being far more interesting than even most of the micro dreck out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2006 01:50:06 | More by geexploitation

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 22oz brown pop top bomber with nice label; 2008 vintage

Appearance: Somewhat hazy, dark brown (nearly black) beer with a medium tan head with decent retention.

Smell: Lots of sweet dark chocolate and a pleasant (mild) dark fruity booziness as well. Sweet dark malt as well. Not a large burnt or roasted malt presence. A really nice toasted nut presence emerges as this warms. This is vibrant and pretty mellow at the same time.

Taste: Lots of boozy dark fruit up front, with some mild burnt grain and a hint of toasty wood in the background as well. Ends medium-bitter and slightly burnt. It's not a complicated flavor profile, but it's pleasant nonetheles.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied, nice level of carbonation

Drinkability: Pretty high

Conclusion: This is really a pretty ncie Baltic Porter. The wood notes are restrained but clearly preasent (which I like) and though the beer doesn't have a ton of depth, it's tasty and well-crafted. At $4.99 it's an absolute steal. At the regular $9.99 it's still a pretty good deal.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2010 03:36:21 | More by BedetheVenerable