Bourbon Braveheart
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
 
United States
Style:
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.74 | pDev: 13.9%
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
7
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 27, 2014
Added:
Nov 24, 2008
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Recent ratings and reviews.
 
Rated: 4 by DrBier from Pennsylvania

Jul 27, 2014
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

3.72/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Transcribed from undated notes.

This was presented with a finger of creamy, mocha-tan head with great retention. Nose was redolent with bourbon! Color was a hazy chocolate-brown. Mouthfeel was medium with an intense caramel-like sweetness accomanied by a slight, fitting alcohol burn. Finish was an intense riot of flavors, including vanilla, caramel, bourbon, coconut, maple syrup and molasses. Yow! Much, much too sweet for this guy.
Jul 23, 2010
Photo of Deuane
Reviewed by Deuane from Pennsylvania

4.46/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
A-Deep ruby copper with a thin, light tan ring that left zero lace.

S-Sweet caramel malt with wonderful balance with typical bourbon aged notes--oak, vanilla, bit of raisin.

T-WHOA! The near perfect marriage of sweet malt and bourbon barrel notes! Nice undertones of butterscotch. Really hits the spot for me. Bit of alcohol heat in the background.

M-Medium bodied and somewhat syrupy. Very smooth.

D-What a surprise. Super stuff, that I didn't expect to like as much as I did....I am not a fan of sweet brews very often but the barrel aging transforms this one! The near perfect union of malt and bourbon. Tasty stuff!
Sep 14, 2009
Photo of ffejherb
Reviewed by ffejherb from Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Via growler on 2/18/09. Thanks to FooFaa for sharing.

A - Poured a muddy cocoa brown color with slim off-white head that diminished into patchy retention and some spotty lace.

S - Vanilla and bourbon notes up front with plenty of caramel and toffee malt and an underlying brown sugar sweetness.

T - Much like the aroma, the flavor boasts a bourbon character (although more timid in the flavor compared to the aroma) complemented by a sweet vanilla bean aspect. The pot is further sweetened by caramel and brown sugar sweetness. However, an earthy bitterness creeps into the finish.

M - Medium body with a pretty smooth texture and lively carbonation. Finish is sticky and sweet with a touch of alcohol heat.

D - I found this brew to have excellent drinkability for a bourbon barrel-aged offering. There is a strong bourbon presence but it is not over-the-top. Nicely done.
Feb 19, 2009
Photo of HopDerek
Reviewed by HopDerek from Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Served on tap during Iron Hill Lancaster's 1st Anniversary celebration on 11-22-08.

Poured a hazy mahogany brown color with thin light tan head. Good retention and some nice lacing. Smells of bourbon, sweet malt, vanilla, and a touch of smoke. Tastes of sweet malt, spices, caramel, and smoke with some vanilla and medicinal alcohol in the finish. Medium in body with moderate carbonation, sweet and smokey, but a little overshadowed by the bourbon dominance. A nice rarity, but not something I could drink a lot of.
Nov 24, 2008
Photo of Kegatron
Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

3.62/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Served in an over sized Mug Club mug at the brewpub on 11/23/08.

Pours a hazy deep brown with a thin layer of off-white head. Retains around the edges with some thin wisps that leave some decent looking swathes of lacing behind. The aroma is straight up bourbon whiskey in the nose but it doesn't smell completely overpowering to me, allowing some notes of vanilla, spice, and a fairly prominent smokey presence to emerge from underneath it.

The taste is much the same, with the bourbon character being fairly well balanced with the smoked and spicy notes of the Scotch Ale. This is definitely warm but it's not becoming distracting to me until I start to reach towards the bottom of the mug. Finishes warm with a smack of vanilla sweetness, light smoke, and spices. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with only a moderate carbonation that seems to complient the heavier feeling taste of this well.

Well it was fairly evident to me that fresh bourbon barrels were used for these beers, as evidenced by the copious amount of bourbon flavoring that sank down into the bottom of my mug. It's hard for me to rate based on that though, as the other 3/4 of my mug showed very nice balance with the barrel flavors and was a pleasant sipper. Definitely raw, I'm looking forward to checking this out again after it's had some time to mellow.
Nov 24, 2008
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

2.71/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Served on-tap at the Lancaster brewpub.

A: The wee heavy is a ruddy brown color, turbid creek water in a glass. Head is nearly a finger but not exceptional.

S: The nose is medicinal, a Southern Comfort-like bourbon with little hint of the underlying Scotch ale.

T: I think of the Chris Rock bit about the 'tussin and how it cures everything. This beer tastes just like medicine, robitussin to be exact. The bourbon flavor is overwhelming and very raw, as though the barrel still held a few drams of whiskey when the beer was added. Dark caramel sweetness is the only appreciable flavor to emerge. If you are psychosomatically inclined and have a cold, the taste of this ale could cure you.

M: Cloyingly sweet, this is medicine in a glass.

D: Too sweet, I was disappointed with this. The bourbon is too young and hot, overwhelming the Belgo-Scotch hybrid that is Braveheart.
Nov 24, 2008
Bourbon Braveheart from Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
Beer rating: 3.74 out of 5 with 7 ratings