Jubel 2010 (Once A Decade Ale) - Deschutes Brewery

Beejay

Virginia

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

Much thanks to DmanGTR for sending me this bottle.

A: Pours a medium amber, in the glass it is deep amber color with a nice medium tan colored head.

S: Maple, molasses and oak. Theere is a nice fruitiness to this as well. Some nice caramel scents as well.

T: Burnt sugar notes, and a very interesting bitterness. There is a touch of pine perhaps juniper, or citrus. Sweet and tart at the same time. The aftertaste has a bit of a dark fruit flavor. There is almost a cherry cider note to the finish, slightly astringent.

M: Medium in body with decent carbonation, if anything the carbonation feels a tad low to me, but perhaps that is just personal preference.

O: Overall good, although perhaps not great. The aftertaste leaves a lingering bitterness that I am not really a fan of. This is certainly a very interesting beer. Something that almost has too many flavors to quantify at one time.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 19:46:09 | More by Beejay

sleazo

New York

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Best after 1/29/11, served at cellar temperature

A_Pours a very dark brown with a light beige two finger head. This settles down after a couple of minutes to nice wispy cap.

S_Potent, you can smell this from 8 feet away. The alcohol leads into a deep dark chocolate smokey aroma. The complex aroma reveals molasses and some dark fruits. Plums, dark cherries and blackberries. The only slight flaw is a bit too much alcohol. I am sure this would tame itself after a couple of years.

T_A bracing soft but aggressive carbonation pushes this sweet fruity liquid throughout the mouth. Lots of the same note as in the aroma come through here. The aftertaste is particularly interesting as there is a nice bitterness, reminiscent of dark chocolate. It lingers on the palate and invites another sip.

M_See above for the initial feel. The aftertaste lingers on the mouth with a medium thickness and slight trace of oil.

D_Very well done. This is a beer I am very lucky to have had and well done at a warmer temperature. Complex and thoughtful. Would love one of these next to a roaring fire on a snowy night.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 04:09:40 | More by sleazo

brentk56

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a hazy mahogany with a very modest head that dissolves to a ringlet though it leaves some legs and dots of lace

Smell: Bourbon-soaked prune, Pinot Noir (cherry-nuanced grape) and caramel, with undertones of fusel alcohol

Taste: The Bourbon-soaked prune and Pinot Noir flavors jump out at the forefront and are joined by the caramel before that hops appear, at mid-palate, to add some balance; after the swallow, the alcohol becomes more apparent, as does the caramel, which lingers, in conjunction with the fruit flavors into the finish and beyond

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation

Overall: A lot of complexity that befits an ale brewed once in a decade; still tastes a bit young so it will be interesting to see how it develops over the next few years, though I don't have a spare bottle to make that judgment myself

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 19:36:23 | More by brentk56

alpinebryant

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy dark brown with a strong light tan head with large and small bubbles mixed.

S: Aroma of candied plums, dark fruit and cherries mixing with brown sugar and figs along with toffee. Some barrel aromas are also clearly present.

T: Wow, a great English barleywine / strong ale with tons of caramel. This is much less bittered than I may have anticipated. Lots of sweet caramelized sugars, belgian candy sugar flavors and a basket full of dark fruits most strongly of which I pick up are black cherries. The finish is really sweet, but there is no puckering bitterness that I may have been expecting from the darker color and possibly an aggressive hopping.

M: Light carbonation with a medium body that is full.

O: This just tastes like a very well aged barleywine and it is not even a year old at this point. Clearly the wine barrel aging had a lot to do with this and I am really enjoying this beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2011 22:55:18 | More by alpinebryant

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks goes out to my boy Lunch and whitebricke for sending me these as a part of a past trade! This one was shared by me at the Down South Beer Tasting while aasher was in town to visit! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured ruby red with a one finger light tan head that subsided to half a finger slowly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, wood, caramel, and caramel hop. The flavor was of sweet malt, caramel, wood, subtle sweet alcohol, and dark fruit. It had a medium feel on the palate with mild carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. Nothing really awe-inspiring going on in this one. The caramel I got in this one was definitely the dominant factor in this one. The dark fruit I got in the flavor tried to balance this out some, but seemed to fall short in my opinion. Glad I got to try it, but doubt I wouild seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 18:55:12 | More by thagr81us

meatyard

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a murky, ruby/brown with a shortish, light brown, head that fall fairly quickly to a cover with some splotchy lace. This is the weakest point of this beer.

The smell is cooked plums and some sweet maltiness. Oak shows up as it warms.

The taste is more cooked dark fruits (plums and cherries) with a nice and pleasant dose of oak. There is just a hint of alcohol in the end but nothing to indicate 10% ABV. Taste is complex, lots going on here.

Mouthfeel is medium tending full without any carbonation to notice.

Overall: Seems like it was a good idea to hold onto this for a while. This actually feels more like a Barleywine than anything else at this point. It's different from what I expected yet is interesting in most all aspects.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 17:33:31 | More by meatyard

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

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

Been saving this one and was glad to share it with my brother.

A - Pours a dark ruby colour, finger of head with some retention and sporadic lacing.

S - Rich toffee and licorice with a touch of dark fruit and yeast esters.

T - Very rich on the tongue with some very sweet toffee and caramel flavours. A touch of licorice, leather and burnt coffee comes through on the finish.

M - A tad thick with medium carbonation that comes across a tad syropy.

O - Certainly glad I aged this one, since the ABV was very well hidden, but it offered up some great bold flavours. Reminiscent of a dark Belgian style ale but surprisingly easily drinkable. If you've been cellaring a bottle, it's definitely primed up and ready to drink!

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 06:01:38 | More by andrenaline

Mess

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served at cellar temp in a stemmed wine glass

A - pours handsome deep ruby red, almost brown. Light brown cappuccino head.

S - rich scent of reduced, stewed cherries. Cracked black pepper and crisp, fresh green pepper. Oak.

T - sweet creme sherry and deep red cherries. Figs, prunes, sweet red wine.

M - even calm carbonation when cool, smooth silky carbonation as warms. Medium body and easy sipper.

O - wow. Sherry baby. Fantastic sipper beer. Enjoyed while at the in-laws on a Friday eve.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 03:48:30 | More by Mess

homebrew311

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: bad appearance, very cloudy and murky, no head whatsoever, bland orange and brown color

S: the nose starts with assertive maltiness followed by oak, acid, and dry wine grapes 3.5

T: mellow grapes and sweet malts start this thing off with characters of molasses, sweetness balance with dashed of spice and a slightly tart finish

Mf: thick body, bit of burn on the end

O: lots going on here, I'm having some ambivalence on this one. The detractors seem to overshadow the good qualities of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 07:05:08 | More by homebrew311

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.38/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Got this bottle from NewGeneric many moons ago. Thanks man. She sat in my parents' basement for over a year, but it was well worth the wait.

From a bomber into a snifter.
Best After 29 January 2011

APPEARANCE: Pours a one finger, medium looking, light brown head with very good retention. Seal brown in color with next to zero carbonation. Head slowly fades to a splotchy wisp and ring. A ring and splotchy wisp remain until the end leaving touches of lacing down the glass. Pretty good looking.

SMELL: Lots of caramel malt, toffee, brown sugar and dark fruit on the nose. Raisins and dates perhaps, with quite a bit of spicy yeast notes in there as well. Touches of oak and vanilla show up, with some chocolate nuances as well. Bold, complex, and very inviting.

TASTE: Lives up to the nose. Spicy and sweet up front. Caramel malt, toffee for sure, and some brown sugar. Lots of spicy yeast through the middle and into a sweet, fruity and earthy finish. Some raisins and oaky vanilla flavors in there, with a touch of bitter chocolate and sweet molasses all lingering forever on the palate. Bold and persistent aftertaste just won’t quit. Very nice flavors, complex and interesting.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Semi-creamy on the palate, goes down fine with a it of a burn at the swallow and finishes rather sticky on the palate. A touch too much heat at this point perhaps, but still a solid body to support the flavors.

OVERALL: This is a wonderful brew. Deschutes never ceases to impress with their special release stuff. Great nose and wonderful flavors, this one is well worth tracking down if Deschutes doesn’t find its way to your area. If Deschutes is in your area, why aren’t you drinking this right now? Worth getting one to put away for a while, as this one will age very gracefully. Will it age well for 10 years? Worth finding out if you ask me. Thanks again for this bottle NewGeneric. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 19:18:45 | More by Jeffo

MadeInOregon

California

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Opened my "BEST AFTER 1/29/11" bottle of Jubel 2010 after letting is sit for the past 9 months and was not disappointed.

THE APPEARANCE was nearly perfect. The body is a ruby-maroon, brown topped with thick, goopy khaki-colored foam. There is great lacing and you can tell this was barrel aged just from looking at.

THE SMELL truly was without flaw in my opinion. The strongest aromas I picked up were the bourbon (i.e. banana, vanilla, toffee), buttered popcorn and sweet cherry. There is a faint bit of hops, but the smell is mostly sweet and rich.

THE TASTE was interestingly identical to the smell. Yes, it is very sweet and malty, but it is surprisingly complex given that this was based upon Deschutes' winter warmer—a fairly sweet beer to begin with. The flavors progressed like this for me: butterscotch → caramel → cherry and vanilla → bourbon and hops. The taste of alcohol, bourbon, and cola were present from start to finish with each sip. I can understand why some might hate on this beer because it is indeed sweet, but knocking it for that reason seems pretty uninformed and more of just a preference. This is without a doubt Deschutes' sweetest bottled, aged beer but it's entirely appropriate for the style and is well executed.

THE FEEL of the Jubel 2010 was extremely hot from the alcohol. The resulting burn in the throat wasn't unpleasant, just surprising since it's 'only' 10%. This is definitely the hottest "big ale" I've had. Overall, this beer is creamy and full, plus smooth and drinkable.

CONCLUSION: Another winner from Deschutes. Sweetness is only conceivable flaw, but I think that will just come down to your preference. I would rank this as a tie with "Mirror Mirror" in terms of Deschutes' best big, aged brew. Good luck finding either one though!

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 00:16:06 | More by MadeInOregon

laituegonflable

Australia

4.13/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark Hellish red, but no real black despite its darkness, all just curranty red. Head is ochre, nice and dense with bubbly foam atop. Lace is nice and thick; could be thicker. Damn nice.

Smell is sweet and delicious. Plenty of chocolate with carob, walnuts, cinnamon and fresh coconut flesh on there. Hint of tang to it with kiwi and brown sugar backing up. Sweet, fresh, yet dark and brooding. Quite a delicious nose.

Taste is a lot more organic than I'd thought it would be. Starts fairly dark and gets a big nutty, woody flavour pervading from early on that continues until the back. Lots of carob, vanilla and brandied currants on there giving boozey sweetness. Touch of pecan midway with slight meatiness and a decent belt of soy sauce without the saltiness - just a quite sweet fermented flavour, with a booziness complementing a fairly dry, woody residual palate. Nice oaked body, nice beer, feels like it dries itself up early.

Not as full as it might have been, but still a prominent body. Goes down quite well.

I'm doing a lot of post-mortem dissecting of this beer, but as far as beer goes it's clearly in that upper echelon. It's lovely, sweet/roasty with a nice boozey edge providing companionship. Could also be used as a very fine converter beer to wine snobs.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 05:01:32 | More by laituegonflable

jamescain

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a sniffer.

Appearance: It pours somewhere between black and a deep mahogany with an off white head about a finger thick that fades into a thin lacing.

Aroma: Spicy, herbal, vanilla, oak, cinnamon, slight tartness with caramel, complex and very nice.

Taste: Subtle notes of oak and vanilla, caramel, dark fruits, chocolate and a touch of booze.

Mouthfeel: Sticky and creamy with medium low carbonation, silky smooth.

Overall: Very good beer, complex nose and taste, enjoyable to drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 18:42:40 | More by jamescain

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Once A Decade Ale. That's enough to get you excited, and if there's a brewery I trust to give me a good beer once every ten years, it's Deschutes. You heard me. Purchased from Ledger's Liquors in Berkeley CA, and brough tback to Sydney to crack open with @LaitueGonflable and @tobeerornottobe.

Pours a very deep red-brown mahogany colour, almost opaque in the centre, with a frothy and lovely head of yellowish brown. It's the same shade you get from a really heavy American Red, or an extremely hoppy oil-filled IPA. Lacing doesn't stick around, but the body leaves legs when it's swirled. Looks pretty damn good.

Nose is big and smooth and slightly woody, with smooth oak coming through coupled with a slightly tart astringency. A touch of dark grain to it, and an incredible welling of smooth rich sweetness. The lightly herbal, slightly tart character is the only thing I can fault, and to be honest, I don't really want to fault it at all.

Taste is smooth and clinging, with a hint of dark wood, but mostly sticking to the tried and true story of molasses, heavy malt, and toffee, with just a clear vibrant oak echo hanging around the edges. This lends some vanilla, some fragrance and a touch of class. To be fair, it's not astoundingly complex—as in, it doesn't have nuanced and competing flavours vying for your attention—but it's very smooth and very rich.

Lovely feel; very heavy. It's a big and smooth sipper of a beer that makes you feel warm as you drink it. It's a special occasion beer, no doubt, but it has a lovely gloss to it and a sense of classiness that really sets it apart as special release beers should.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 04:41:45 | More by lacqueredmouse

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a snifter. Pours out a brownish amber with an off-white head (inch), no real lace.

The smell is subdued, but pleasant. Caramel and wood are right up-front. A touch of butter (uh-oh), earth and orange peel.

Caramel is pretty strong at the start of the taste, minerals, wood, spicy alcohol, malted barley. None of the butter that I smelled, which is good. In the finish I get a hint of citrus, anise and chocolate. Great sipper, not too thick and the carbonation is just right.

I've had this since the release and will say that a year and a half plus did it some good. I just saw that stores are popping out some aged cases and hope to grab one to keep for another year or two.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 01:54:01 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

marikoangel

California

3.95/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured as a 8oz pour at Toronado.

A: This one pours a dark, almost black brown. So dark that while I can see a small trail of tiny bubbles running up the glass, I can't see through it. It pours with not even a quarter of tan head.

S: I'm not getting as much as I though I would from the nose. I get a dark sweetness, brown sugar, prunes, a nice malty wet wood, molasses, and maybe something else; like raisins.

T: Wow! A very big flavor that bursts through right away. Sweet and malty, with a small kick of hops. There are some great woody notes that make themselves more apparent in the finish. Vanilla and a light amount of dark fruits like figs and raisins mixed with brown sugar. I'm also getting some grapes that I thought that I caught a whiff of in the nose, but are there in the flavors. The malts are caramel, and there's a hint of banana in there as well.

M&O: It has a medium heavy body that's juicy, but also almost a little astringent in the middle. It has a lower carbonation with almost a fizzy quality to it. overall, it's a nice beer. a good one to sip on and enjoy the overall complexity of. I'm sure it will age well.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2011 23:38:12 | More by marikoangel

Scotchboy

Idaho

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This bottle is a gift from my brother for the birth of my daughter. He didn't care for it but I enjoyed it when it was first released in Jan 2010. Poured into a New Belgium globe.

A: Appears opaque black on the pour but is actually Coca-Cola brown, with ruby red highlights at the edges and carbonation visible on the sides of the glass. The head is light tan and sticks/laces fairly well.

S: Good oak presence, followed by some dark fruit (grapes and maybe dark cherries), dark and caramel malt, and hints of vanilla and bitter bakers chocolate.

T: More oak-forward then I remembered, but mixing nicely with the vinous dark fruit and chocolate and malt sweetness to form an excellent union. Lots of caramel and toffee and chocolate as well, with hints of smoke and tobacco. Not very boozy at all, which is nice; these bottles might be peaking. Reminds me a lot of the Insanity I had last night, with more balance.

MF: Medium bodied, creamy and viscous, good carb levels and not too much dryness. Good stuff.

O: Aaron, what a great beer...I'm glad you don't care for it as much as I do. The booziness is gone, the flavors are meshing, and this is a good time to drink this one. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 21:37:47 | More by Scotchboy

scottfrie

California

4.15/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz into Portsmouth snifter. Best after date 1/29/11.
A: Pours a very dark brown with ruby highlights when held up to the light. The head after the pour was about a finger in width and dark brown in color, and it bubbled away rather quickly into a thick collar. Sticky sheets of lacing were left down the glass as I sipped.
S: Fruity notes of grape, apple and cranberry juices with a splash of chocolate and some kind of baking spice.
T: The fruitiness translates to the flavor but only in the beginning. The fruit is quickly overpowered by rich and sweet notes of chocolate, caramel, slight toffee, vinous alcohol, and earthy, spicy hops. I get strong, drying notes of dark chocolate in the finish, and the aftertaste is lightly bitter and full of tobacco.
M: Thinner body than I was expected the thick carbonation gives the mouthfeel a bit of a chew. It’s dry, but goes down well though. The alcohol has all but integrated itself into the flavor, and I am not getting any heat as I drink.
O: Pretty sweet flavors all around and highly drinkable. I actually really enjoyed the flavors. It’s like a fruitier, earthier chocolate stout that isn’t as rich or heavy. Can’t wait to see how it continues to age.

EDIT: Bottle consumed 12/2012.
Even better than I remember. This is drinking fantastic right now!

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 00:34:42 | More by scottfrie

DarthKostrizer

California

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

Look: Coca cola brown with a 1/4 inch head and ok retention

Smell: Dark Fruits plums dates and raisin there is also a hint of booze but for 10% it is hiding very well

Taste: Very much the same as the nose dark fruits are there in beautiful harmony, this very much reminds me of a belgian dubble. This beer is drinking incredibly well right now it has such a great malty caramel character to it on the back end.

Mouthfeel: Full Body low to medium carbonation with a great silkyness and buttery feel to it

Overall: This beer is drinking really well right now my best after date is 1/29/11 so i put about an extra 6 months of age on it and it was so worth it. Amazing flavor profile and great drinkability

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2011 23:13:29 | More by DarthKostrizer

pmarlowe

California

4.2/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tulip glass.

Pours a medium-dark coffee brown, almost no lacing, and some khaki foam which coats the surface for quite awhile. Smell is creamy caramel and toffee up front, sweet dark dried fruit (raisins, plums), Pinot Noir, and the classic cinnamon and spice oakiness that you get in Pinot from the barrel treatment. Taste is sort of sugary malt, dark fruit again, caramel, and tannic red wine, with some alcohol presence. Any trace of hops has long left the building. Smooth mouthfeel, medium carbonation, medium-full bodied. Overall, this was a very enjoyable sipper, fairly well integrated with some nice flavors, and bonus points for the Pinot Noir notes.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 04:22:31 | More by pmarlowe

AgentZero

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Dark brown beer that turned a deep ruby red on the edges. Some pretty nice lace left on the sides.

S - Caramel, brown sugar, toffee, a little booze, and some dark fruit.

T - Really sweet, has some caramel and toffee on a brown sugar backbone. Booze runds a little hot. It's not bad, but maybe should sit a bit.

M - Relatively full with lower carbonation.

O - Needs some time to cool down, it's not a bad beer, but maybe giving it some time would help. Believe it says give it a year or so on the bottle, not bad advice.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 05:34:41 | More by AgentZero

whatthehull

California

4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted May 9th 2011 (from notes)

A - deep dark brown, one finger dark tan head and some lacing

S - very sweet, alcohol, caramelized brown sugar, desert wine, oak, sour, pungent, toasted malt and grains, sweet grass. Bitter sweet chocolate, vanilla, tobacco, honey and tree bark

T - this beer tastes exactly like the smell! Except for a apple juice like taste

M - sticky, low acidity, long finish, very sweet

D - at 10% this beer is amazingly smooth. Tastes great, goes down nicely and hits you like a pound of bricks

Final thought - if you can get this beer, get it and save one and drink one! Stoked!

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 17:31:03 | More by whatthehull

cosmicevan

New York

3.5/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Note's from Captain Lawrence Rosso Batch 3 release / tasting:

Jubele 2010 – really dark mahogany brown, even more brown than mahogany, not much lace, not much head, swirls gets some action on the head. smell is maple syrup, nutmeg…not much going on but not bad. Taste is interesting, much like the nose, nutmeg and maple syrup with some caramel and vanilla maltiness, but there is an interesting bittery finish. mouth…thick, little bitter, not such a great after vibe, easy drinker overall.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 03:40:50 | More by cosmicevan

claspada

New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big shoutout to hoppymcgee for generously offering this in trade. Was one of my most sought after beers since I first started to track down/trade for harder to find beers.

Pours a hazy dark reddish-light brown with no clarity and a nice 1-2 inch tan head that leaves some nice spotty lacing as it falls. Crazy bright red hues along the edges when held up to the light. Definitely one of the nicest looking beers I have ever seen.

Aromas begin with toffee and butterscotch maltiness coupled with a solid toasted bready maltiness. Vinous and dark fruitiness are apparent immediately and emerges more and more as you investigate further. Oaky vanilla and other light oak nuances continue to emerge as it warms

The tastes begin initially with dark fruit and a nice oak bite from the wine barrel. There is a noted tannic bitterness which I am also contributing to the Pinot barrel over any hop additions. As it warms a slight alcohol heat comes out in the beer with some more mild vanilla and wood notes but continues with the dry finish. I also continuing to get nice caramel and butterscotch malt waves with more noticeable vanilla and more dark fruits. Really complex here.

The mouthfeel is full and kind of sticky with a nice amount of carbonation considering the high ABV and barrel-aging. The finish is awesome thanks to the wine barrel aging; pleasantly dry and almost tannic like a red wine.

Overall this is a really great complex beer that I will imagine will continue to change and age gracefully. Glad I have more to sample down the road. Highly recommended. Over the last year I have sampled some really great barrel aged beers and to have found the one that involve wine or port barrels are just so complex and add such a crazy new dynamic to barrel-aging beers. It gets me excited to think of what new frontier American craft brewers will adventure into next.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 21:04:08 | More by claspada

Azurescens

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz wax dipped bottle with best after date 1/29/11 printed on label, poured into Maudite stemmed glass, reviewed on 7/1/11.

A: Pours a deep dark purple red with light brown head, leaves a bit of lacing around glass.

S: Dark malts and dark fruit, raisins, figs, molasses and caramel, only a hint of alcohol.

T: Dark malt, caramel, molasses, cherries and other dark fruit notes with some oak and vanilla. Only hints of alcohol, delicious and sweet blend of different fruits and malts.

M: Smooth medium-full body with low-moderate carbonation, finishes on the sweeter side.

O: Really tasty and drinkable, especially given the high ABV. Hope they decide to make this again before 2020.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 05:05:45 | More by Azurescens