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

srandycarter

California

3.83/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pretty straight up caramel, light near white head, some cling lace.

S - Sugary, vanilla, malty, less on wood and booze.

T - Taste is close to smell, but bourbon is much more evidient.

M - Errs to the sweet side. A little overwhelming.

D - Good one to try.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 03:34:17 | More by srandycarter

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.45/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On the nose it smells pretty good. Its a complex mesh of caramel, burbon, and vanilla.

Hazy dark amber in appearance with a somewhat tan head which doesn't last as long as it should. The beer highlights a wonderful clear light orange when light strikes it.

This tastes like bananas foster without the banana! I get brown sugar, cinnamon, caramel, and burbon (with some alcohol taste and burn), and slight vanilla on the finish.

Decent amount of carbonation in this one with a full body. I get a bit of alcohol burn on the first sip, but it's replaced with a menagerie of flavors that just overwhelm the palate and make you forget that it's slightly syrupy. Overall, not a bad effort.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 00:02:13 | More by tlazaroff

yamar68

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep, dark copper with a milky finger of short-lived off-white head which fades off to a neat collar and pinpoint lacing. Some pretty imposing alcohol legs as well.

Interesting aromas coming from the glass - dark juicy fruits, burnt toffee, some booze, a bit of vanilla... not at all what I was anticipating but appealing nonetheless.

If nothing else, this beer is certainly unique. Lots of soft vanilla-y wood notes... Alcohol has taken a back seat to smooth fruits and tobacco. A touch of warming heat but not any kind of burn. It's the type of alcohol presence that actually adds to a beer.

This beer has become entirely balanced. Nothing sharp about it.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 04:16:30 | More by yamar68

bum732

Maryland

2.8/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

S: Bourbon, toasted oak, some caramel sweetness, vanilla, an earthy note, strange.

L: Hazy dark amber, carbonated head that dissipates.

T: Bourbon up front with an almost dark breadiness. Very toasted bread crumb like. Medium low bitterness with some coffee. Finishes with an unpleasant bitter note, semi-dry. Some oak as it warms.

M: Medium bodied, medium carbonation, some alcohol heat.

Kind of strange, i don't think it really works bourbon aging this beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 03:14:48 | More by bum732

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Widmer Barrel Aged Brrrbon '11. Widmer Brewing, Portland, Oregon, since 1984. Alchemy Project. Seasonal Ale aged in bourbon barrels. "This smooth, chilly winter warmer goes through a secondary fermentation as it ages in Kentucky Bourbon barrels. After months of maturation in the barrels the brew is allowed a tertiary fermentation for final conditioning before release." "Flavored Ale." "Combine inspiration and experience. Repeat often." "Prost! To improving with age!"

Okay, I'm going against all this and trying this out young. Maybe I'll buy more to save for later…if this one is good. We'll see. For now, let's open it up.

Clear, bright crimson coloring, slim, but lasting off-white froth.

Aroma: bourbon. Oak and vanilla. Whatever particular aromas Brrr gives us, it's drowned out by the bourbon barrel-aging. Very nice, but I wish it was deeper, and more complex. Rather simple, overwhelmed by the barrel aging.

Taste: boom, here comes richness, raisins, grapes, cherries, oak and vanilla, and, of course, bourbon. Really rich, really thick, much malt, covered in bourbon and oak. Yet not as full bodied, as I'd like for this treatment, perhaps because the base beer just is not thick and full enough to hold up for this type of treatment. Those flavors return sip after sip, but they're just not enough. Bourbon barrel-aging is best done with imperial stout or barleywine, but not necessarily winter ales or winter warmers that may have a certain heft, but not enough to carry this extra weight.

Will this one really improve with age? Maybe, a little?

I don't know for sure, but it's not good now. There's a flurry of flavor at first, mostly on the sweet side, but after that, the pleasures dwindle. A light bourbon-y flavor lays over this very average winter ale. Sweet, whiskey-ish, vanilla-y, and utterly boring. Completely forgettable. Far too sweet, too much bourbon barrel work, without enough dry, roasty malt below. Maybe bourbon barrel-aging a winter ale is not an awesome idea. Maybe you need a bigger beer, to make it worthwhile? Maybe after 28 years, they'd know that?

Eh, I keep giving them chances, and I keep trying them out, and, dammit, I keep spending my money on them, but I'm starting to wise up.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 05:50:05 | More by feloniousmonk

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Looks nice on the pour. Feels extremely silly and smooth. Flavor profile is nice and smooth. Mild hop spice tones. Lots of malts. I'm getting a bit of a vanilla tone here too. Overall, this is a very smooth beer. I get no boozy tones, and I'm pretty sure it's close to 10% on the abv, from what I recall when I saw the bottle. A nice easy drinker. Pleasant.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2012 06:04:13 | More by RblWthACoz

Sunhunters

California

2.95/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Serving type: Widmer Brothers Brrrbon '11 -- 22oz bottle into pint glass.

Appearance (3.0): Two-finger, eager head when poured into pint. Very active - lots of cratering. Receded quickly, leaving heavy lacing around glass. Very thin head still coats beer a minute later, but is insubstantial in the center, and barely-there along the edge. Bright copper, it's surprisingly translucent when held up to the light. I was expecting a heavier looking beer.

Smell (2.5): Sour-mash bourbon. Not sweet like Basil Hayden's, but rather funky and pungent like Jack Daniel's. A little hint of oatmeal-raisin cookies and bran flakes. Right at the very end of the aroma there's something vaguely metallic and salty - almost like a very faint hint of raw oyster and wet sand.

Taste (3.0): Bourbon and oak dominate the flavor, with a dose of dark Myer's rum. Despite the fully boozy flavor, the beer goes down smooth with little residual heat. The alcohol itself is very well masked, hiding under a thick blanket of brown sugar oatmeal and black strap molasses. Delicate hints of spice - especially nutmeg - are present, but fleeting and underdone. Long after the swallow, there is a bit of soy/ponzu flavor that lingers, reminding me of the salty, metallic note I got at the tail end of the bouquet. Altogether, generally pleasant and satisfying, but nothing to write home about.

Mouthfeel (3.5): Full and round. Creamy with a well balanced carbonation. Dries the mouth out a bit well after the swallow. Thicker on the palate than it appears in the glass. Fairly pleasant, with a lingering buttery-ness on the center of the tongue.

Overall (3.0): A drinkable beer, that I would enjoy at someone else's expense again, but probably won't spend $11 on again myself. I had been considering putting a few of these in the cellar to see how they age, but after trying it, decided against it. I think my money will be better spent on other offerings in this category. Still, a palatable brew that gets the job done.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 07:11:25 | More by Sunhunters

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.03/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a brandy snifter. Vintage 2011. Bottled 14 November 2011.

A: Clear light-molasses, heavy lace, light head.

S: Loads of bourbon. Sweet malt. Heavy fruits. After a sip, a touch of metal.

T: Not very interesting. Flat malts, vanilla, raw sugar, and a touch of whiskey. Jack Daniels. The aftertaste is uncompelling and easy forgettable.

M: Smooth, but cool. Nice enough. Pleasant for a winter warmer.

O: A touch of spice, but loads more fruit and oversweet molasses malt. I didn't think it was great; the bourbon was heavy-handed, but whatever. I wouldn't recommend it. I won't have again.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 05:47:03 | More by AgentMunky

Thickfreakness

New York

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

Bottle is from the 2010 release. It's been aging in my cellar boxed and in the darkness since.

A- Pours a rusty, ruddy golden mustard brown into my Bruery tulip. Has a nice 1 1/2 finger head that faded rather quickly and left just little drips and drabs of lacing sticking to the glass. Not much carbonation at all.

S- Caramel, licorice and some notes of dried cherry, raisin, leather, vanilla, and charred wood. Nice, but not as complex as I was hoping for. I was hoping for a little more depth after a year and a half in the cellar. Still has some faint alcohol in the nose. Has some whiskey scents that linger and open the nasal passages.

T- The bourbon really comes out here! WOW! I don't remember it having as much bourbon when it was fresh. Time has really brought out the vanilla, caramel, charred wood, raisin, fig and licorice flavors. Nice spice... some nutmeg, clove, cinnamon and dates still shine thru on the finish.

M- A touch thin, but that may be because of the alcohol presence that wakes your tastebuds up and makes them sing. Has a slightly oily feel, but that's probably just from the caramel sweetness.

O- Oh well, I guess everything that comes out of the cellar can't be an over the top winner. Not bad, but I almost remember liking this one better fresh. I shoulda drank this one by the fire place this winter instead of waiting until spring... oh well! A touch too much bourbon, but decently drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 01:16:16 | More by Thickfreakness

kojevergas

California

3.3/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a narrow-mouthed De Molen beer stemflute in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. I forget where I purchased it. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average; I love winter warmers but I've had pretty mundane experiences with this brewery afore.

Marked Nov 14 2011. This is the 2011 vintage, and I can confirm the ABV as 9.40%.

Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Paired with salad.

A: Pours a one finger head of decent cream, decent thickness, and average retention for the high ABV. Colour is a semitransparent copper-brass. It's not much to look at. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. It's somewhat vibrant.

Sm: Gives off a toasted malt character - which is right on the money for the style. I don't get any bourbon, but a hint of toffee is there. Spices are present but limited. Some cream. It bodes well. I hope the flavour profile satisfies the promise of the aroma. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Bourbon stands out as a very present overt tone, lending the climax some added sweetness. It also gives it a butterscotch-esque flavour that suits the beer nicely. Toasted malt forms the foundation but is rather restrained and largely obscured by the bourbon - an effect I don't particularly care for. Hints of red wine esque estery notes. No real spice - a letdown given the style. Caramelized malt is present. Maybe a cherry juice note. No yeast comes through, but some alcohol does - though I wouldn't refer to it as boozy.

All around the balance is off, with the toasted malt character competing with the bourbon. Built interestingly - I like the experimentation with bourbon barrel aging, but it just needs to be executed to balance. More toasted malt might add alcohol, but would really help the balance - and the ABV presence would decline over time. As a beer meant for aging, that would be appropriate.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with nice thickness. A tingly coarseness emerges from the toasted malt but is only present in the late second act. Too smooth for the remainder of the structure - a feature lent by the bourbon. Adequately carbonated.

Dr: Age would do this well. I think bourbon barrel aging complements the style surprisingly well, but unfortunately the execution here is far from optimal. It's very drinkable for the high ABV - which is very nicely concealed. It met my expectations considering the brewery, but they weren't very high to begin with. This is pretty pricey -at least as an import - for its limited quality. I'm a pretty big fan of winter warmers but this fell short in the toasted malt area. I wouldn't recommend it to friends.

Low B-

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 06:46:09 | More by kojevergas

mactrail

California

3.2/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Seriously barrel flavored. Lighter bodied than barley wines. Rather sharp and thin. Attractive dark orange amber color with a swirly head. Fairly sprightly in the mouth, but not over-carbonated.

Big aroma of whisky and oak. A touch of vanilla. Malty sweetness shades into tartness. Tastes hot with alcohol. Seems overbalanced on the hot and boozy side. Hops don't stand out, but clearly there is bitterness in the aftertaste. Vegetable taste, mineral, butter. Less interesting than most of the other Widmer beers.

The '11 edition, bottled Aug 12 (20)11. I'd have to say it's overpriced at $15.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 06:00:31 | More by mactrail

StogiesandBrews

4.18/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle in an oversized wine glass.

Appearance: Reddish-orange. Clear. Little carbonation, minimal head. Not a lot of lacing.

Aroma: Bourbon and malt. Smells like some one dumped an ale into a bourbon bottle. I like it though. I figure that was the intention.

Taste: Like the smell, Bourbon and Malt. Not a lot of malt though, but those are the main flavors. It's the best bourbon aged beer I've had to date. Pairing with a Nub Conneticut cigar (which is creamy) is perfect. This is the beer to pair with a cigar. Very nice. It's pretty boozy, but that compliments the bourbon flavor nicely. Tastes like a shot of bourbon with a shot of beer.

Mouthfeel: Nothing to write home about. It's kind of dry, but not like bourbon is.

Overall: It's what I expected. Pretty good. It's great to pair with a cigar. I would love to get it solely for that purpose. Not for the $15 price tag I see everywhere though. I would struggle to spend $9 on it but that seems more reasonable. Good, but overpriced. I would suggest trying it once if you have some extra money in the winter when it comes out.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 23:09:58 | More by StogiesandBrews

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Look - amber in color, mostly clear but with a slight haze, and about a finger and a half's worth of khaki-colored foam that dissipates quickly.

Smell - malty in general with a hint of whiskey-like quality.

Taste - tastes more like whiskey than it does a beer. Maybe a little bit of malt is noticeable, but beyond that, it's all whiskey business.

Mouthfeel - definitely leans more on the watery side.

Overall - not a bad brew in general, but very odd-tasting. My guess is people will probably love it or hate it.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 03:26:59 | More by Nerudamann

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy amber color with a small white head. In the aroma, dark fruit and a small alcohol. In the taste, oaky bourbon and a dark fruitiness. A small fruit bite and a medium to lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry oak and bourbon like aftertaste. A nice bourbon presence in a barleywine, but just about average.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 19:51:44 | More by OWSLEY069

2378GCGTG

Texas

3.3/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

10 Feb 2012
I will start by saying I think this beer was a bit past it's peak, which is confusing because it was a bit hot too.

Appearance: Orange/red body under a 1/4 inch eggshell head with lacing that sticks to the glass well.

Smell: Bourbon and Oak predominate giving way to butter, oil, and toffee, all this is followed up by something a bit weird, like smokey peanuts.

Taste: Oily/buttery bourbon supported by roasted malts and oak. The peanut comes back here with a bit of burnt malt and a smokey flavor. If it ended here the beer would be much better, but all of this gives way too a hint of cardboard then a hot alcohol finish.

Mouth: Slips and flows on the tongue but the great body is hindered by the slight bite from the hot alcohol finish.

Overall: Complex though a bit too smokey and burnt. In all honesty this has probably just aged a bit too long, which makes sense given that it's a shade under 10%... I so wanted this beer to be excellent, but sadly it disappoints

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 14:47:18 | More by 2378GCGTG

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

3.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a nonic pint

A - Clear light copper hue with a wispy, white, one-finger head. Dissolves into some pretty decent lacing of tiny bubbles, but after a while was left with a completely flat looking beer with zero bubbles anywhere.

S – Powerful woody aroma. Some esters of vanilla and sweet malt as well.

T – Taste follows the nose. Whiskey, vanilla, oak, ash, and sugary malt. Some hint on winter spices like juniper, cinnamon, clove, and ginger. Slight amount of piney hops rolling around in the finish. Finishes hot. This brew just revels in its 9.4% abv. Overall the bourbon character pretty much slaps you in the face, and the overall flavor is brash.

M – Low carbonation. Thin bodied, and I found it a little sharp and syrupy. Kind of hangs on the palate.

O – Huge bourbon punch both a plus and a minus. At times this tastes like decent bourbon that someone just poured some beer into. Overall, everything doesn’t really come together very well. A solid idea, but probably could have been better executed. My bet is that this beer is a little young. Would like to taste this once it has had a chance to age and mellow and lose some heat.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 00:03:46 | More by TempeBeerMan

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle - $12.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia. What appears to be a brewed/bottled on date of Nov 14, 2011 in teeny tiny white font on the label.

Appearance: Pours out a clear, reddish-amber body with a foamy, off-white head. Little bitlets of lacing on the descent.

Smell: Moderate bourbon wafts in between notes of resinous hops, toasted grains, juniper berry, light-colored brown sugar, and week-old lemon rind.

Taste: Toasted bread malts with some crystal sweetness with an edge of brown sugar and quickly dunked into (and out of) Kentucky bourbon. Two lone drops of pineapple juice. A little hint of spruce tips. Remains fairly resiny (though this is boosted by the tannins), with some muted citrus, and a scant grassiness. Moderately bitter. Very, very subtle vanilla and toasted coconut. Still closes out bittersweet like the standard Brrr, but now with some drying, tannic oak action enduring into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium-light carbonation. Slightly smooth stickiness to the mouthfeel.

Overall: It's ultimately just OK, I certainly don't feel as though I got my thirteen bucks' worth with this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 19:39:53 | More by ChainGangGuy

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Pint Glass

Appearance - Dirty Brown color with a moderate haze to it. Pours a 1 finger head that quickly vanishes. Not too much going on here.

Smell - Caramel, Vanilla, Bourbon with a touch of brandy, oak and figs. Smells pretty sweet and there's also a sort of a "creamy" smell to it, almost like an Irish Creme.

Taste - Caramel, Bourbon, and Oak are all pretty powerful. In fact, it almost tastes like straight up bourbon! The figs and sweet malts just add to that overall sweetness that comes with bourbon. The Oak also adds a distinct dimension to what is already a complex flavor. Aftertaste is pretty much straight oak and bourbon, like I have just finished a couple shots of bourbon

Mouthfeel - It's fairly light in body and the carbonation is very subdued, this gives it a very creamy feel. For a beer that's 9.4% ABV, it's pretty easy to drink!

Overall - Some will be not like the sweetness due to the bourbon present. Otherwise, this is a great bourbon style ale that offers something unique and enjoyable to those looking for something a little different.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 04:23:15 | More by NuclearDolphin

arizcards

Arizona

3.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a bomber from Total Wine in late January 2011 for $10.99. Sat in the Wine Cooler since purchase.

Beer poured a garnet color with not much of a head. 3.0
Nose was pretty strong bourbon upon initial pour but has faded after about 10 minutes. 3.5
Taste is a big dose of warming bourbon to go on top of the big malt base. Oak and vanilla are present. Northwest hops have faded over time and are just a hint in the back of the palate. 3.5
Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and not really smooth. 3.0
Overall this is not a bad beer but definitely not worthy of the price. 3.5

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 22:48:02 | More by arizcards

HopHead84

California

3.4/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2/10/2012

On tap at Churchill's.

A: Dark orange and transparent. The white head fades quickly.

S: A pleasant blend of caramel, vanilla, oak, and bourbon (faint). There's earth and a dash of grapefruit. Smells nice but it's not very expressive. Takes a lot of coaxing and swirling to bring out the aroma. Butterscotch comes to mind.

T: Caramel and restrained bourbon notes. There's a lower moderate bitterness and a little citrus. Vanilla is faint. Alcohol is quite strong.

M: Upper medium body with upper medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is silky and sticky.

Overall: A decent barrel aged Strong Ale, though a bit inexpressive.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2012 19:35:30 | More by HopHead84

hopfacebrew

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bomber dated 10/2010 poured to tulip.

Poured from 22oz bomber dated 10/2010 to pint glass. The beer pours a deep ruby copper color with a two finger lighter tan colored head. Good retention and lacing throughout. I am enjoying this aroma: nice blend of vanilla, caramel, oak, figs, and a hint of bourbon. The flavor very much follows suit though the bourbon is a bit more pronounced on the tongue. The vanilla, caramel, and fig flavors blend well with a medium bitterness. Coats your palette. Medium bodied and adequately carbonation. Overall, I enjoyed this beer. Aging seemed to mellow the bourbon flavors but not as much as I anticipated. A brew I look forward to every year :)

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 14:09:26 | More by hopfacebrew

Drinkerofales

California

3.6/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours copper-amber with purple highlights. A large light tan head dissipates quickly to leave some good oily lacing.

Smell is bourbon and wood, sweet and pungent.

Taste is close to smell, bourbon and it's barrel, not much beer flavor though. A touch of char on the after taste rounds it out.

Beer texture is smooth and full bodied, yet for some reason difficult to drink.

I still have no idea what kind of beer this is. The barrel and bourbon are so forward as to hide the beer. If you like the hard alcohol aspect, this could be good, but I didn't find this all that great.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 07:32:51 | More by Drinkerofales

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.78/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a medium red-orange amber, thin head dissipates quickly, minimal lacing. Aroma dominated by bourbon with sweet malt. Taste follows, with bourbon dominating, decent wood notes, vanilla and faint hops. Light to medium bodied. The bourbon is nice, but the elements aren't that well integrated. The vanilla leaves a slightly diacetyl taste. Overall a satisfactory, but not noteworthy effort.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 04:41:11 | More by LiquidAmber

lonestar4lunch

Texas

4.15/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Maudite snifter with just the lightest had on top. I let this one sit out of the fridge for a good 25min to warm up some. The aroma is somewhat light but I am getting some malts, booze and some cherries.

Oh man, the bourbon and wood are for sure there. There is some sweetness that is like a caramel chew but it really doesn't stand out. The wood flavor is pretty much from the beginning to the end. Though it isn't harsh, like take the smell of those balsa wood planes when you were a kid and make it a flavor. Kind of awesome actually.

There is hardly any carbonation and it very drinkable. Was so glad to see this again for 2011. It is just one of those winter seasonals I don't mind paying for. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 03:05:15 | More by lonestar4lunch

david18

New York

3.98/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had a small draft of this at the Amsterdam Ale House on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. A very good beer, especially for a "Winter Warmer" which I typically don't like. The bourbon was very present and added a lot to this beer.

Color was lighter than I expected, a dark copper with a low amount of carbonation.

Aroma was a great balance of roasty malt, hops and the bourbon/barrel.

Flavor as well was very balanced and had a great warming to it without any of that crazy fruitiness or spiciness that you can get from winter ales.

A great beer drank at the perfect time of year for it.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2012 23:48:50 | More by david18