Little Korkny Ale (Bourbon Barrel) - Nørrebro Bryghus

MasterSki

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Papsø for sending this my way. Served in a Darkness glass at Sean's place.

A - A finger-plus of tan foam settles to a thick collar, patchy film, and splotchy lace. Murky slightly purée-like red-brown body.

S - Red licorice, caramel, spicy oak, bourbon, brown sugar, light toffee, dark fruits. Very well-hidden alcohol, although the oak grows quite a bit in intensity as the beer warms up.

T - Sweet caramel, oaky vanilla, brown sugar, light bourbon, spicy wood, and red licorice. I wrote brown sugar twice - not sure whether I was drunk, OCD, or just trying to emphasize how strong that flavor was. The bourbon character is quite mellow - I'm guessing this is due to the extended barrel-aging time and the fact that the barrel had to be shipped across the Atlantic. In any case - quite different from American -bal barleywines, but still highly enjoyable. Alcohol is masterfully disguised.

M - Medium body that might be a touch undersized. Lower carbonation, sticky, chewy, and viscous. Finish is surprisingly light in tannins considering the extended barrel-aging time, although it dries things out sufficiently to balance out the stickiness. Minimal alcohol heat.

D - I don't like this quite as much as the Niepoort, but it's excellent stuff all the same. The feel and appearance are superior to the Niepoort, but the aroma and taste lack some of the uniqueness the port barrel contributed. In any case, another fine brew from Shaun E. Hill.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 19:09:35 | More by MasterSki

Sean9689

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thank you, Alex! 375ml bottle into my Narke tulip.

A - Pours a brownish/red color, cream-colored head that quickly vanishes and leaves a thin ring around the glass. Some wisps on top.

S - Sweet dark fruits, smooth booze, caramel, figs, dates, burnt sugars, touch of oak. The sweetness and booze are the two notes that stand out most, and they are quite impressive, to say the least.

T - Excellent dark fruity sweetness, smooth bourbon booze, oak, burnt sugars, some vanilla. Once again, the sweetness and booze are just awesome...so smooth, so rich. A nice sweet sugary finish with a touch of oak.

M - Medium, nice soft carbonation, rich and creamy finish.

O - Another outstanding variant of Korkny. Norrebro/Shaun Hill hit a home run with they made the Korkny and Seven variants. All of them are in a class of their own and should be tried. Just outstanding...a must-try.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 13:54:55 | More by Sean9689

jrallen34

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tasting with AgentZero, bottle into my Narke Tulip.

This was a big time rec from Jeppe at Olbutikin, and he came through.

Pours medium brown with light amber highlights, light tan head, decent retention, very good carbonation overall...The aroma is fantastic, tons of vanilla, spicy bourbon wood, a light hoppy bw finish. Sweet, and balanced from start to finish...The taste just keeps up where the aroma left out, totally outstanding and super smooth to boot. Wood, vanilla, light hops, and so easy to drink...Really nice feel and super easy to drink.

This is by far the best barleywine I've ever had. Look high and low for this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2010 20:57:10 | More by jrallen34

AgentZero

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

jrallen34 busted this special treat out on a random Thursday night. Awesome.

A - A rusty brown color with a small head that dissipated to a ring. Deep red brown at the base that turns yellow as it rises to the top. Some chunk sticks to the side. Some nice yeasty floaties in the bottom.

S - Nice wood and vanilla flavor. Get a bit of alcohol there. A little bit of sourness comes through on the end.

T - Probably the best tasting barleywine I have had, Wooden Hell is coming up, we'll see how it compares. This beer aged 21 months in bourbon and the smooth wood smell is evident. Great vanilla flavor is the highlight of this beer, no alcohol burn that I can taste, although this is 12% Euro-ABV which supposedly translates to about 13.5% "American" ABV. There is a little bit of sugar bite on it at the beginning, which almost turns into a sweet, fruity taste. Nice brown sugar melds with the vanilla, giving this a perfect flavor.

M - Near perfect carbonation and body only adds to the experience of this beer, goes down quite smoothly.

D - Definately an above average drinker for something this high ABV. Barleywines can be hard to get down, but this one qualifies as more than just a sipper.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2010 02:59:04 | More by AgentZero