Barrel Aged Scotch De Silly - Brasserie de Silly S.A.

UCLABrewN84

California

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle I shared at my tasting.

Pours a clear dark orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, caramel, dark fruits, and some red wine aromas. Taste is much the same with a fruity flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of earthy bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 01:42:27 | More by UCLABrewN84

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Served in a Sloeber tulip glass.

The core of the beast in the tulip is like staring into the soul of the garnet in all its January-honoring glory. There ain’t no murk lurkin’ here, just lazy clarity. Above, a creamy cap of khaki seems to serve both as a welcoming hearth and a warning of what may lie beneath. Fuck you, I’m Beowulf, and I’m taking the plunge, witch!!

Call it the power of suggestion, call it reality, call it maybe, but I definitely get a sense of tannic red wine here from the get-go. Now, unless that wine was fortified with Everclear instead of aguardiente, there’s also a heavy dose of straight booze hanging along with the wine up front. A lesser man’d start feelin’ the world turn on him already, the ‘hol working its magic without having to work its way through the bloodstream. Luckily for us, though, I’m not a lesser man than I. See, I even have command of near-tautologies. Once the strong Bordeaux clouds pass, the Earth gives forth what’s left of its bounty in the glass: buttery caramel, earthy greens, oak, spicy seaweed, and the faintest possible hint of used-up charcoal way off in the distance. Things are certainly brighter than in the un-barreled days, but that ain’t saying as much as first glance might let on. In fact, it seems as though a different atmosphere settled on the same planet: Sure, there’s gonna be some influence on the surface, what with new winds and precipitation and whatnot, but it’s mostly just in the air.

Turfside, the wine has certainly been absorbed by the still-cardboardy sweet bread plains. What results is a base cake of wet box, heather, rye crust, and earthy greens, all drizzled-o’er with the musty grapes of a plummy port. If this is Bordeaux, it’s strangely mineraly, watered-down just like the container that once held my old refrigerator after a few hours in the rain waiting for collection and interment. The end result isn’t necessarily better than the bare version: it’s not pure evolutionary growth, just radial evolution.

Beyond that, Venus is pretty much just like Earth, what with a middling mass for a terrestrial planet and a token amount of tectonic and tidal activity. Yup, if it weren’t for that barreling, I’d think I’ve got two bottles of the same beer here, and I’d have to go back to the store and challenge what my receipt and their shelf-tags told me. The similarities continue into the general impressions, which remain fairly tepid. I can’t in good conscience call this stuff great beer, nor really all that tasty or enjoyable. Still, I hesitate to go too far in my condemnation, as it’s not technically bad, just broadly kinda crappy-tasting.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 02:26:55 | More by TMoney2591

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.34/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

750 ml caged and corked bottle. Served in a thistle glass, the beer pours a reddish/brown color with about a half inch light tan had that didn't stay around for too long. There's a small amount of lacing. The aroma is nice, the brew smells like red wine, dark fruit, caramel, peat and a bit of vanilla. The taste is pretty much just like the aroma, it tastes like caramel and bready malt/grain, dark fruit (cherries, raisins), vanilla, red wine and some peat. Gets only better the longer I drink this. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's a bit creamy and slick and has moderate carbonation. It's smooth and easy enough to drink. I think it's a good brew, I liked it. $13.99 a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 23:13:07 | More by bluejacket74

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a MacAndrew's thistle glass. Pours a dark red amber with a fine two finger light tan head with great retention and lacing. Aroma of dark dried fruit, bready malt, Belgian yeast, hints of cherry and red wine. Flavor follows with rich dark fruit juice, dried fruit, light cherry, bready malt and Belgian yeast. Finishes with dark fruit, light hops and a hint of red wine and wood. Proabably closer in taste to a Belgian dark than a scotch ale (not much peat or smokiness), but I'm not complaining, this is really tasty. Medium body with a pleasant light creaminess. Glad I got one of this in the nanosecond they were on the shelves and will look for it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 04:33:45 | More by LiquidAmber

bashiba

Iowa

3.94/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured a dirty orange/amber with a thick off white head. Not much lacing or retention.

The smell was dominated by the fruity wine barrel esters and caramel malts mixing together for a big sweet nose.

The flavor was sweet as well, big sweet scotch ale malts mixing in with a lot of dark fruit flavors, very grapey and just a touch of oak in the finish.

The mouthfeel had nice levels of carbonation with a moderate creamyness.

A fun strange Scotch ale, nothing great but at least it was interesting and unusual.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 16:43:11 | More by bashiba

AltBock

Ohio

3.76/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Corked and caged 750ml bottle that had a plain and simple sea green/black/blue striped label with the name of the beer in bold letters and the brewery crest in the background. The back label only contains the mandatory US info. What kind of barrel is it aged in? Tequila? Rum? What? If I didn't have Internet access, I wouldn't know.

When poured into a Peg's Cantina Snifter, this silly beer appeared to pour a dark brown color, but rays of light showed this beer's true color. The beer was actually a dark cherry amber with some faint burgundy highlights. The color of the beer was better than the head of foam. All I received was a tiny thin tan like head of foam. It acted like it somewhere to be so it receded away very fast. It only managed to leave behind a small number of rings along the side.

The aroma was a little bit on the sweet side. Right up front was the lightly toasted caramel malts. After that, this beer smelled like a red wine. That's the Bordeaux barrel aging shining through. This red wine part of the aroma consisted of red grapes, a few black cherries, a plum or two, and some subtle oak in the back. You can tell the barrel aging ruled over the aroma.

It wasn't the lightly toasted caramel malts that kicked off the taste. Instead it was the dark fruits that started things off. Up front was the red grapes, dark cherry, and a drop of plum. The fruits don't stick around for very long. That's when a small taste of toasted malts comes in. When the malts are done, the taste then finishes up with a dash of sweet caramel and a pinch of oak. It was the barrel aging that controlled the aroma, but it was the dark fruits that took over the taste.

This was a medium bodied barrel aged Scotch Ale that had its fair share of carbonation and a faint aftertaste. The aftertaste was both lightly dry and sweet with toasted malts, red grapes, black cherry, and a dash of oak. This aftertaste will not linger. It didn't have enough power to linger.

Silly Rabbit, barrel aging isn't just for Imperial Stouts or Barleywines. Not a bad beer, but this beer is a tad bit expensive. I would have liked more red wine and oak to come out. Would I buy another bottle to age? No, one bottle is fine.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 23:54:23 | More by AltBock

impending

California

4.09/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

A-

750ml into a tulip. Pours as if a slick walnut cola with a minor dense mocha color head, ok lacing.

Aroma is strong of grape and figs, fairly quaddish. Dark cherries perhaps, sweet vinous qualities. Nothing that indicates a barrel.

The flavor is of a strong dark blended with a scotch ale. Dark fruits, raisins, large sweet dark grapes, more herbal bark very low bitter rather than peat, tannins sit in as well. Shy of medium low carbed mouthfeel.
don't sense any barrel contribution but far superior to the original recipe
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 05:31:56 | More by impending

BuckeyeSlim

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

750 ml bottle poured into a NB snifter.

A - Pours a rich red/copper color. One-finger head of loose khaki brown foam dissipates quickly to sloppy islands across the surface. Beer is a deep red rosewood color and moderately opaque.

S - Rich toasted malts and dark caramels. Hints of dried cherries, amaretto, and milk chocolate. As it warms, smokey peat can be coaxed out of the glass.

T - Grainy bread mixed with 50% chocolate and rich caramels. Nicely toasted malts. Deep, rich red fruits in the background at the edges - almost as shadows. Hints of vanilla appear as it warms. Not at all sweet or cloying, but no hop bitterness, either - perfectly balanced. No signs of booziness in spite of the 9% ABV. Very true to the style, and absolutely delicious!

M - Moderately fizzy, but smooth. Nice structure with a solid body. Light, short finish.

O - A simply outstanding beer, this was a treat to savor and enjoy. The flavors are rich and wonderful; it's clearly made from high-quality ingredients. In fact, it's almost a Scotch-Belgium dopplebock. One of the best beers I've tasted in a long, long time, and will definitely be a required purchase when it's on the shelf.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 22:39:11 | More by BuckeyeSlim

KKB

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Now I knew this girl was a bit of a rarity, but I had no idea just how rare. I wish I had bought 3-4 more. I have had one of these bottles already about 3 months ago and it was just divine. One of my favorite beers of all time. I am thoroughly looking forward to this.

A – A deep chestunut ruby that is somewhat see through. A huge gorgeous cinnamon head that lasts forever and leaves clumps of lacing. This is a gorgeous beer right from the get-go, I’m giddy with excitement already.

S – It has a caramel and floral aroma to it, dark fruits to be certain, and what I can only describe as a creamy cinnamon element to it as well. It also smells a little bit like a very sweet scotch, and you get some of the indicators of the red wine barrel aging in the nose as well. It kind of smells like candied bread, if that’s possible.

T – The taste is good. I’m sitting on judging it for a minute because right now I am actually not blown away. I think I need to let it heat up a little bit. But for the flavors you get a mild scotchyness, some caramel, a slight combination of sour and sweet that works rather nicely… You have to wait for this thing to get real warm in order to enjoy it. Do not drink this if it is cold in any way or you will be kicking yourself. A little chilled is fine and anything in that region to slightly below room temperature is where it starts tasting totally awesome. There are a lot of dark fruits and a slight wine element coupled with the malty factor. It has a very sweet taste to it, no sour now really, and it also has a nice vanilla aspect to it as well. It’s really a very good beer, it is not, however, as good as I remembered it being. I would call it great, but not quite excellent, or world class.

M – The mouthfeel is medium-full body with limited carbonation and has a creamy texture to it.

O – Overall this beer is totally awesome. I would absolutely buy it again, but it is not one my favorite beers of all time as I had remembered it being. Still though, this is something for the brewers to hold their head high over, great beer all around.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 02:32:15 | More by KKB

Patrickbrusil

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

So drinkable. 

Lots of dark fruit. Little vanilla in the nose. Some caramel. 

I smell the red wine barrel. 

The taste has cherry. Dark woods. 

Slightly heavy and not really my favorite style but this is randy. 

Huge cherry aroma 

Big quad like taste. Super smooth quad-esque 

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 01:14:18 | More by Patrickbrusil

r0nburgundy69

Texas

3.85/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured from a 750 ml into snifter.

A - deep cherry, light brown, small fast dissipating head

S - light red wine, dark fruits, light booze

T - hints of wine, lots of dark fruits, cherry and vanilla

M - on the lighter side, havent had very many scotch style ales, a bit creamy tho

O - somewhat of a strange brew for me, its not anywhere near my favorite but it is good. dont know if id have it again

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 02:29:23 | More by r0nburgundy69

homebrewedchristian

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

So extremely smooth. I'm not the biggest Scotch Ale fan, but I could sip on this all day. Pours out a nice clean copper/amber color. Sweet maltiness on the nose with a hit of wine characteristics. Soft on the mouth with bits of vanilla and a touch of caramel. As the beer warms up, the Bordeaux comes it, with a bit of tartness and just a slightly dry finish, but not to the extend where your tongue feels like a cotton ball. Very very enjoyable beer. Would love to compare this to the regular Scotch Silly....

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 17:25:02 | More by homebrewedchristian