Barrel Aged Brrrbon (Brothers' Reserve Series) - Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.33/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle split in a Sprecher snifter. 9.4% ABV, check box for brewed by Rob, Aug3010 on the neck.

Thanks to TheDTrain for sharing this boxed bottle with me!

A - Pours a bronzed amber color with a light haze through the beer, it's topped by a small cream-colored head. No real retention or lace left over.

S - Not over-the-top in any way, I get smooth notes of oak, vanilla, and mellow bourbon. The toasted malts are there but lack a strong backing presence to really get noticed. The bourbon addition takes over. No hops are in the aroma.

T - Again, good subtle notes of vanilla and oak with a bourbon kick that's not too strong but it's just lacking anything to back it up. Subtle amber malt flavor with a minuscule hint of spice on the back end.

M - A bit thin actually, this lands around medium-light in body. The alcohol has a very light warmth to it. Crisp and thin, it's got a mild spritzy carbonation finish.

D - For $13, this is not worth it in the least. Maybe at a $5 or $6 price-point it would be worth getting again for a cold winter day, but this is far too overpriced. Even with the bourbon as mellow as it is, it still overpowers everything. Too thin. Also, why was this winter warmer released in September?

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 12:19:26 | More by BeerFMAndy

msubulldog25

Oregon

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

From recently taken notes:
A $5 10 oz. snifter at Widmer's Gasthaus. The third in the limited 'Brothers Reserve' series.

A: Absolutely lovely pour: as chestnut/auburn as the base beer (the abominably named 'Brrr'), with a larger and denser pile of light tan cream. Drippy sheets of coating froth, great stickiness.

S: Sigh, just sigh...despite a lightly sweet 'bourbon' nose, this disappoints in both strength and complexity. A little resin/cut lumber, then fusel alcohol...

T: I really enjoy(ed) the B-word beer last year, so it'd be a surprise to NOT like this. Good base, full of spice and piney hops, then a layered dose of 'the wood', barrel-aging that's sweet, sappy and rather raw. A toffee and vanilla sweetness comes and goes.

M: Medium body that coats steadily but never gets anywhere close to 'thick'. Not so heavily carbonated/fizzy but a certain buoyant frothiness that writhes about on the tongue.

D: A twist on a likable addition to last year's winter line-up. Still awfully warm right now, a fact that affects drinkability (somewhat). Worth a try (another good/interesting effort from the Bros. Reserve line) and something I'll pick up a bottle or two of for aging.

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2010 07:38:12 | More by msubulldog25

TheDTrain

Wisconsin

3.1/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The cherry amber color gave this beer promise. The hints of wood, fruit, sweet tones along with the subtle bourbon tones provides a decent aroma. While the bourbon definitely adds something positive, this beer was thin and pretty weak.

Not a bad beer. But for $13 the d-train was pretty disappointed. I certainly won't be buying this again. Skip it.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2010 00:43:50 | More by TheDTrain

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.93/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured with a small light tan head that mostly subsides in short order with a bit of lace. Color is a clear, rich, medium amber, with slow bubble trails. Aroma is malt, brandy, dark ripe fruit. Flavor is like nose with the malt and brandy more pronounced plus the tang of carbonation. Body is a little thinner than I'd expect in this style but good and carbonation is assertive. Finish is like flavor with lots of warming alcohol. Decent beer for a sipper. Not bad, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2010 21:14:55 | More by drpimento

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.38/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I am a sucker for these reddish tinged beers; they're really pleasing to the eye.
This was a clear cherry amber color with a medium-sized tan head that reduced quickly.
Nice aroma. Vanilla Coke, sweet caramel. Alcohol noticeable, not unpleasant.
Alas, the taste did not live up to the aroma. While what I noted in the aroma was present in the taste, it was on a much smaller scale. Muted.
Fairly sweet mouthfeel.
Nice enough, but close but no cigar.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 01:52:40 | More by lordofthewiens

Phelps

Arizona

3.23/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottled August 30, 2010.

Appearance: pours a perfectly clear golden-amber with a minuscule head of off-white foam. The cap dissipates rather quickly, becoming the thinnest of rings and leaving some jagged, spotted lacing as it goes.

Smell: like winter potpourri. Theres a lot going on in there: cinnamon, pine, vanilla, orange juice, pineapple, butterscotch, lemon zest. The bourbon is a subtle backbone and isn't overpowering, which I thoroughly appreciate. A nice, complex nose.

Taste: before the swallow, the flavor shows some promise. There's cola in there, along with cinnamon, pine, vanilla, oak. But these flavors never seem to fully materialize. Upon the swallow, what hints there were of these tastes are blasted away, as if they never existed. A dryness lingers, along with an oaky butterscotch note. A bit of a letdown, after the nose.

Feel: light yet prickly and fizzy carbonation amidst a medium-light body that's just a bit runny.

Drink: a bit of a letdown. Brrrbon isn't a bad beer at all, but it suffers from the same symptoms as the other sub-par Widmer Reserve Series beer, Braggot. For the price tag, I just expect more flavor.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 07:45:17 | More by Phelps

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a ruddy dark red color with good carbonation and dirty white head

S: Light bourbon, wood, vanilla

T: Follows nose very well, wood, vanilla, caramel

M: Thin. Carbonated well, sticky, bourbon dominates booze not feeling like 9+ ABV

D: Not a bad beer at all, pretty tame on bourbon and all. Still drinkable for price

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 00:47:32 | More by barleywinefiend

mstyne

New York

3.7/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber from Beverage Mart NY 66. Came in a nice cardboard box which was what initially caught my attention. We all know that good things come in boxes.

AUG3010 on the bottle.

A really pleasant clear, dark amber/red. Thin white head with light lacing. Aroma is light, crisp, with just a hint of the bourbon/wood flavor to come. No alcohol to be found anywhere; quite a feat when it clocks in a 9.4%!

Taste is very different; very complex. There is no doubt that this brew once shared a home with a bourbon barrel. Absolutely delicious. I only wish there was more of it.

I'll definitely be keeping an eye on Widmer Brothers.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 23:47:42 | More by mstyne

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.35/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 picked up tonight for me by the wife at the Boise COOP.. $11 made for a good stream of expletives.. oh well... I would have done it too... shared this one with my good buddy inflatablechair... Poured into my Sierra Nevada XXX goblet... very thin white head... no retention or lacing... the brew is a lite amber.... Weird... with good swirls at room temp, lacing and head was much better.

Nose begins pretty thin ... lite caramel and bunches of a mash-up of odd wood/whiskey/ and bits of dried fruit..

9.4% isn't readily available, but the overall brew is thin like a bigger amber that has some obvious barrel work... caramel and minor pick-up toasty malts.. I wish the hops had any play at all... really.. I wish anything with depth played ball tonight.... just nothing except the EtOH to really write home about....

I really wanted to like this one... actually, I really wanted to APPRECIATE this one.. but it is a big let down. Honestly it reminds me of a standard well made Amber that was dosed with wood and okay bourbon.

Welll... Too expensive... thin brew on the nose and palate.... not alot to look forward to = ehhhh... not my bag... I think many BA's will like it... just not for me.

3.5/3/3.5/3/3.5

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 06:48:59 | More by JohnGalt1

Docer

Washington

3.73/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Just snagged a few bottles to try for about $9.99 each... not bad for Whole Foods.

- Ruby clear brown... quick fizzy head... leaves a nice off-white ring and some slew in the middle...

- Some vanilla, bourbon, oak, earthy.. sweet... slight hot alcohol.. crisp floral hop.. slight candy.. smells festive.

- Nice sweet vanilla, woody, candy... sweet caramel malts... big on floral hops, and some citrus.. blended well... slight heat to the alcohol... would be nice to sit on a few.

- Rather light to medium bodied.. slightly sticky syrupy.. but overall decent.

- Certainly a nice offering... but it seems to be missing some depth and grain... more light and sweet.. but I am thinking with a couple years on this bottle... it will turn out much better.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2010 00:30:43 | More by Docer

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

3.35/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle out of a box. Step one, you cut a hole in a box.

Crimson pour with a nearly no head and Vega showgirl legs. Two, you put your junk in that box.

Sweet caramel, some vanilla, more rum than bourbon, and some plum fruitiness. Three, make her open that box.

Bottom shelf bourbon here. Hot, hot, heat. The underlying winter warmer base is overwhelmed by the barrel presence and the best parts of the beer are left crushed under a blanket of hot booze. Near room temperature it was akin to taking shots. After a trip back to the fridge, she became more tolerable. However, the margin for error is razor thin. A prime candidate for some quality nap time. And that's the way you do it.

Mouthfeel itself is nice, weighing in as medium bodied with low carbonation. Drinkability suffers from the aforementioned symptoms. See I'm wise enough to know when a gift needs givin'.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2010 01:07:37 | More by BarrytheBear