Heavy Seas Bourbon Barrel Aged Below Decks - Heavy Seas Beer

TheJollyHop

California

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft at Duckworth's in NC.
Opaque chestnut brown hue, steady cascade small bubbles, light tan head.
Heavy sweetness at first sip, malted milk balls, vanilla, bourbon, then it turns into anise, butter cookies and ends oaky. Fantastic taste, if it were not for a slightly soapy hint in the mid palate. Nose is burnt sugar, caramel, bourbon soaked raisins, and vanilla. Not nearly as expressive as the taste.
Medium full body with medium carbonation. This is a tasty sipper. While a bit too sweet it works for my present mood.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2012 18:51:40 | More by TheJollyHop

twaddlac

Ohio

2.5/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A- Very beautiful. Dark amber color with a nice creamy head. The carbonation in the beer is what I really like about the looks of this beer - I haven't seen this many before.

S- Very sweet and nutty with a hint of banana

T- It has a strong metallic note to it that lingers throughout. You can definitely taste the alcohol which is mildly unpleasant. A very nutty flavor with a strong hop bite at the finish.

M- Very nice (Borat voice). Finishes very dry and the carbonation isn't too bad. Medium bodied.

O- I didn't think that bourbon barrels would complement a barleywine well.. I was right. I would have much rather had the cabernet barrel for this brew.

To note: I don't know if it's just me, but the barrel aging process that Heavy Seas uses seems to not be the best... It's always overly sweet with a very nutty overtone and not much for a bourbon taste. I remember having their octoberfest (or one of their fall beers) and it was almost indistinguishable from this beer. Just something the take caution about.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 23:46:29 | More by twaddlac

claaark13

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011 bottles served at cellar temp. Sent as an extra from Brad in a RB trade. Awesome.

A - Dark brown with a reddish hue. Thick off-white head turns to some nice lacing. The lacing retention is fantastic.

S - Sweet malts, slight oak, slight vanilla.

T - Much like the aroma. Sweet malts, dark fruits, then hints of vanilla and sweet oak push through. Very smooth throughout. There is a little bit of a drag in the flavor before the barrel picks up. The vanilla/caramel/oak almost shows a candy-like flavor from middle to end. The finish gives the slightest amount of heat and dryness, but is fairly smooth.

M - Medium, feels a little thicker and has some carbonation. Pretty nice.

O - Good flavors, not too hot, good finish, good beer. I'm really enjoying this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 02:04:19 | More by claaark13

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011 vintage, 22 oz bottle, 10% abv. Mahogany in color, with ruby highlights. Thin white head disappears quickly, but leaves a collar around the sides of the glass, along with a few random spots of lace.

Bourbon and oak shine through first in the nose, but do not dominate. Candied fruit, toffee and caramel notes follow. A bit of vanilla and a spicy note round things out.

Toffee and candied fruits show up first. Nice amount of fruit up front. A bit of a dry note, then the wood and bourbon flavors round things out. Bourbon lingers in a nice way.

Medium body, soft carbonation. Warming alcohol present. Very nice that the barrel does not overwhelm this beer, but I feel like there is something missing in the middle. Still a good beer, for a very reasonable price.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 00:58:25 | More by Bierguy5

jegross2

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewing the Bourbon Barrel Aged Below Decks from Heavy Seas Beer.
Score: 90

2011 vintage bottle served in a Surly Darkness snifter and enjoyed on 02/29/12.

Appearance: Pours a rich, dark mahogany color -- cognac-like, albeit in a darker tint, in appearance. Pours one finger of creamy cream colored head at pour that settles into a thin ring around the glass. Appearance falls between translucent and opaque. There is a dark brown center surrounded by thick globs of reddish brown highlights when held up to light. Minimal lacing, minimal retention. 3.5/5

Smell: First impression is caramel, vanilla and booze. More wafts reveal brown sugar, dark fruit, barley, plum and "birthday cake." There is also an aroma of sweet red grape that is not in the least tart or acidic. Also detecting what can only be describes as the smell of a "leather belt." 4/5

Taste: This brew is very bourbon barrel-forward on the palate, and the taste is pretty much dominated by three flavors: bourbon soaked raisins/fig, vanilla and sweet red grape that is neither tart nor acidic. There's also a distinct "whiskey-like malt" flavor and boozy caramel. Some brown sugar too. Huge bourbon soaked raisin backbone. This one is super malty, but it's not very "grainy" in flavor -- which is great. The 10% ABV definitely shines through and renders this one is a sipper, but it is far from the type of beer that burns on the way down or makes you cringe. To the contrary, it is quite the pleasant brew to sip and the kind of beer that should be enjoyed as it warms. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied with low/minimal carbonation. There is just enough carbonation to make some of the alcohol flavor prickle the tongue and make the "whiskey malt" flavors shine through. This brew has a syrupy mouthfeel and seems to have a chloraseptic lozenge "rigid numbing effect" on the throat. Finsh is a little dry and sweet -- even a little sticky at points. 4/5

Overall: Like the Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Barleywine, this is a super solid barrel aged barleywine at a very reasonable cost. For under $10 a bottle, I would certainly seek this one out again.

Recommendation: The flavors of this beer might be a little aggressive for the casual beer drinker, but beer geeks and those who like whiskey/bourbon should give this one a whirl.

Pairings: Lamb.

Cost: $7.99

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 08:06:38 | More by jegross2

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

sampled on-tap at the RFD Strong Ale Tasting, 2/26/12. review from notes.

A: shiny chestnut brown body.
S: sugar in the raw. brown sugar. sweet plums. maybe a bit of fig. toffee notes.
T: lots of toffee. lots of soft fruit, pears and apples. a little different from the dark, sweet fruits i smelled in the nose. some bourbon. tons of residual sugar.
M: average carbonation on a full body.
D: pretty good english style barleywine here. however, personally i did not detect as much bourbon as i expected. lots of sweet malt almost overpowers any and all bourbon, oak, vanilla notes. unfortunately i do not remember the vintage the brewer brought to this tasting, but i am going to guess it has been out of the barrel for a little bit of time. otherwise, a very solid english barley.

Serving type: on-tap

02-29-2012 11:40:42 | More by Jimmys

russwbeck

Virginia

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

A: Clear, deep brown pour with a finger or so of white head. Minimal retention, the head does leave some lacing down the side of my Deschutes Snifter.

S: I'm getting mostly Barleywine on the aroma, but some hints of barrel treatment, such as vanilla and oak, are noted. Not a ton of bourbon to be honest.

T: The taste is a big shift from the aroma. This seems to be far more focused on the barrel. Slight notes of bourbon, but again mostly oak and vanilla, mix with plum and other dark fruits, molasses, and sugary caramel malts. Very, very sweet taste. Slight booziness noted as well, although it seems to be coming more from the barrel end of the spectrum instead of from the beer itself.

MF: Medium body, creamy on the palate. It's just too sweet, takes away from the drinkability.

O: This was tasty, but 22oz was too much. I would probably pass on it again, but we'll see how it does with age. Still, for $7.50 a bottle you can't really go wrong here.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 01:25:37 | More by russwbeck

argock

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz brown bomber into a clear glass snifter. 2011 vintage. Purchased at Market Street Wineshop (Charlottesville, VA) for $7.99.

A: Chestnut brown with thin cap of off-white tightly bubbled that dissipates quickly.

S: A wide range of succulent aromas arise from this brew including coconut, pineapple, bourbon, alcohol, caramel, and toffee.

T: The flavor is pretty one-dimensional of bourbon, coconut, and vanilla flavors. The maltiness is way too subdued to matter although therer are some musty, leathery notes in there.

M: Way too light for the style Carbonation is low and does not help the drinkability of this brew.

O: A simply good beer but for the price I can do a lot better many other ways.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 05:24:47 | More by argock

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap in a little snifter.

Mahogany body with a wine red hue. Little foam topper looks meager.

Vanilla, caramel, bourbon, and butterscotch in the nose. Warm dates and chocolate, too. Sweet. Nice.

Big sweet caramelly punch, punctuated by vanilla and bourbon whiskey notes. Very sweet. Some grape skin bitterness with a hot breath of booze. Finishes strong, sweet, and with some hop bitterness. Oak woodiness, brown sugar, and a hint of apple. Tasty, huge, slightly messy, but still good stuff.

Needs a year or two in the cellar, but I like the direction that it's going. Cloyingly sweet and sticky. Decent fizz. Nice body.

I still recommend. I'd love to try the Cabernet version.

Serving type: on-tap

02-06-2012 23:44:22 | More by thecheapies

b3shine

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Deuce to tulip. 2010 vintage. Looks good; deep amber with very thin lacing. Smell is almost nonexistent. Pretty underwhelming, actually. Tastes good; nothing too complex, but a nice journeyman's attempt at a BA barleywine. Mouthfeel is good; little carbonation. It's a tasty brew and a good value for the price.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 00:24:55 | More by b3shine

Kromes

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: A clear dark copper with a thin line of bubbles on top. Good legs.

S: A nice vanilla and oak aroma with a bit of caramel and butterscoth.

T: Taste follows the nose. Vanilla and oak up front with a bit of caramel and then the bourbon and alcohol flavor and warmth kick in.

M: Medium bodied for a Barleywine. Good carbonation....smooth.

O: The Barleywine does get overpowered a bit by the alcohol. But it is a nice mixture of both.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 01:58:10 | More by Kromes

mrandypandy

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

32oz growler purchased at Hop City in Atlanta.

A - Pours a deep, clear mahogany. Thin white soapy head. Pretty.
S - Caramel sweetness, but not much else. Expecting a bigger bourbon nose on this.
T - Nice malty backbone with a toffee sweetness. Not much bourbon. Almost a buttery aftertaste though.
M - Medium to full body but not too heavy. Surprisingly smooth.
O - Very subdued bourbon treatment on this. A bit on the sweeter side for a barleywine, but still tasty. Doesn't taste boozy but I can feel the alcohol sneaking up on me. Overall, wished there was more bourbon in both the nose and flavor.

Serving type: growler

01-29-2012 23:30:06 | More by mrandypandy

frenchblood21

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bomber into a goblet. Allowed to sit for approx. 20 minutes outside of fridge before opening.

Appearance- Deep dark ruby red brown color. A beautiful light tan one finger head. It takes its time going away, and leaves a surprising amount of lacing.

Smell- Fruity and malty...barely a hint of bourbon. Apple, pear and fig are present.

Taste- I'm getting way more bourbon in the taste than in the nose. Bourbon, oak and apple in that order.

Mouthfeel- way more thick than it looks. This beer was born to be bourbon barrel aged. Just a slight burn from the high alcohol, but who doesn't like a good bourbon burn?

Overall- There is obviously a good reason people are requesting BA beers. This is a grandslam Heavy Seas! They also make this beer non-barrel-aged, I recommend getting both and doing a vertical.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 22:24:05 | More by frenchblood21

mdfb79

New York

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

1/6/12 heavy seas below deck in bourbon barrels
2010 vintage. Drank side by side with a 2010 Cabernet barrel aged Below Deck. Poured into my Brawley's snifter.

a - Pours a pretty dark mahogany brown color with two inches of light tan head and light to moderate carbonation evident. Looks like the Cabernet version, maybe a touch lighter in color but not much at all.

s - Smells of caramel malts, toffee, dark fruits, oak, bourbon, toasted malts, and light vanilla. Definitely more bourbon in this one than there was wine in the Cabernet version, but again, it seems very faded. Nose is no where as sweet as the Cabernet nose. I like both noses, but for very different reasons.

t - Tastes of caramel malts, toffee, bourbon, oak, vanilla, toasted malts, nuts, dark fruits, and alcohol. More bourbon and oak here than in the nose. This is about what I was expecting; taste is very nice and I prefer it to the Cabernet. Again, not as sweet as the Cabernet in the taste as well.

m - Medium to full body and moderate carbonation. Thick, smooth, and c reamy; very good for a barleywine.

o - Overall I preferred this one to the Cabernet version, but I'm not convinced either improves form aging. Both are good beers, with the Cabernet verions being much sweeter, and this version havnig more bourbon (as expected), so I guess it just really depends on what you like in a barleywine. Either way, I'd suggest drinking them relatively fresh as I think they both faded already in a year.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 00:40:37 | More by mdfb79

zaphodchak

Virginia

4.58/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The keg was dated 11/19/11, and I had it earlier this week, less than 2 months later. I was fooled; the taste suggested something that had been patiently cellared and matured well thereby.

A finger of tan head, ruby/amethyst body (almost purple!). Nice lace.

Plenty of bourbon, sticky toffee malt in the nose.

Magnificent bourbon character. Coconut, oak, malt.

Everything I ever wanted in a bourbon-barrel barleywine, and it turned out to be magnificent fresh.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2012 03:34:42 | More by zaphodchak

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber poured into an oversized snifter.

A: Pours a deep ruby color. Little head, even after a vigorous pour. No retention at all. A strong swirl of the glass only succeeds in stirring up a few bubbly patches that dissipate immediately. Thin wisps of lacing.

S: Bourbon and barrel scents are prevalent, but not overbearing. Bourbon, oak, vanilla. Underlying caramel and bread crust. A touch of leather and some powdery chocolate. Mild alcohol. Estery scents of raspberry and dried figs. Hops are hard to pick out, but they seem to be English and earthy/herbal.

T: Caramel and bread crust open. Sweet caramel builds. Toffee. Raspberry esters tease the tongue. Bourbon interjects mid-palate, albeit subtly. More rich, sugary caramel. Woody flavors pull through and dry things out a bit. Dry chocolatey taste. Vanilla sneaks out. Long finish of caramel and wood.

M: Thick, chewy, syrupy, and viscous. Little to no carbonation. Just the way a good barleywine should be.

O: A very impressive barrel aged barleywine. Bourbon barrel aging speaks softly, but has a lot to say. It is subtle in just the right spots, and allows the complexity of the beer to pull through.

Notes: Wow, what a steal at $5.99 a bomber. Who ever heard of a bourbon barrel aged beer at this price point, especially one of this quality? I will be stocking my cellar with this. A diamond in the rough for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 04:29:52 | More by ryan1788a5

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clean orange-ish to brown color with an off white head. In the aroma, vanilla, oaky, and bourbon. In the taste, oaky bourbon, vanilla sweetness and a dry alcohol presence. An alcohol like bite and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry alcohol and bourbon like aftertaste. Big bourbon presence sweet oak and vanilla for a balance.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 14:33:06 | More by OWSLEY069

smakawhat

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vintage 2011. Poured into a large snifter glass.

Barely any head off the pour, with little faint off caramel and tan color whisps of foam. Barely a collar remains. Color is a real nice looking clear and chestnut hued brown with red edges. Lots of red throughout the body too. Too bad the head doesn't really seem to make an appearance other than leaving some whispy top and a little bit of a collar. Really like the body color, but no so much absence of foam.

Nose is sort of strange. A faint hop of tea like sense, some noticeable heat, light sense of malt and body coming perhaps? A bit musty and dark raisin fruit but light.

Taste however is a big improvement. Light dusted brown sugar, and fruit cake tasting palate. Nice light candied and dark coat fruits with a faint molasses sense. A slight sense of playful tight carbonation in feel. Very fruity, with a little caramel tasting action.

Overall pretty solid, but also real easy drinking too. Surprisingly not much barrel aging bourbon character here but no complaints.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 01:52:36 | More by smakawhat

harrymel

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2010 Vintage

Moving on from the virgin version, we come to the BBA version. It appears lighter in color than the first and has excellent clarity of a toasted honey graham color. No head to speak of. The nose is not dominated by the bourbon character, and actually takes time for me to find. As it warms this character comes through a bit more, but the base still stands: cocoa, english toffee malts. Simple and satisfying.

The flavor is more bourbon infused than the nose. There is a substantial bourbon flavor, but sans boozy tones. Nice toffee and caramel flavors with a little smidge of prunes in the finish. Nice flavor with medium body and light carb.

A nice beer, but to be honest, if this was more than 10% the cost of the original, I would likely pass it up for the original.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 05:50:47 | More by harrymel

chodinheaven

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Snowy off-white head on top of a brown beer with bright ruby red highlights. Decent head retention that reduces down to a white sheet, yeilding some spotty lacing. Deep caramel notes through the nose underneath some juicy dark fruit smells. The bourbon barrel aging lends some toasty grain smells that are reminiscent of bourbon. This aroma combines perfectly with the fruity esters to create a well-balanced nose. The alcohol is present and noticeable but doesn't overpower the other aromas. Very nice nose.

The toasty grains come through nicely in this beer and combine fruity flavors of apples and pears, but not quite as smoothly as with the aroma. It's a taste that grows on you as you go however, especially as it warms. Caramel malts do most of the background work, letting the apple and pear tastes shine. There is a subtle bourbon influence in the alcohol and grain feel and taste that works well in this barleywine. The alcohol and sweet flavors are not cloying, but not far off from it either. The hops work nicely in balancing this sweetness out, also creating a prickly feel with the alcohol and finishing smoothly, but crisp. That alcohol taste is warming and not too hot, allowing the flavors to interact and make for a pretty balanced and flavorful english style barleywine.

Pretty good beer, and I'm glad I picked it up. Some subtle flavors in here that make for a complex beer that works pretty well.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 06:21:46 | More by chodinheaven

ATLbeerDog

Georgia

3.48/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a thin rust color with an average tan head that dissipates fairly quickly. Smells boozy, oaky, bourbony w/plenty of sweet malt adding to the nose. First sip is super malt sweetness layered in a ton of oak. There is bourbon in there too but the oak unfortunately is much more dominating. The sweetness that hits first fades rather quickly leading to a bitter finish highlighted almost entirely by the mighty oak. Though very thin bodied there is just enough carbonation to warrant a decent mouthfeel. The 10% ABV is not well hidden at all. It is in your face making one to think it is stronger than it really is.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 20:26:20 | More by ATLbeerDog

AgentMunky

California

3.68/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a St. Bernardus goblet. 2010 vintage.

A: Light off-white forms bubbles before migrating to the sides of the glass. The beer is a murky, reddish sienna. Not particularly translucent. Good lacing!

S: Strong smelling. Boozy fruits, bready chocolates, and a bit of funk that might come from yeast. It smells a bit like a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. Bourbon isn't particularly present, but alcohol is.

T: Meh, it's alright. The flavours are muted...perhaps because the beer was inexpertly stored before purchase? The maintaste is as murky as the appearance, betraying only a hint of chocolate and a gentle alcohol. A touch of red grape. The end/aftertaste is strongly reminiscent of whisky, not bourbon but some of the older single malts I've encountered -- it's old leather, pleasantly musty and enduring.

M: Sturdy. Musty and musky.

O: Not as good as I expected, but still worth the money I paid for it. I generally enjoy all of Heavy Seas' Mutiny Fleet productions, but this is a qualified exception. I guess it didn't age well. I will withhold any recommendation, positive or negative. I won't buy another it, even if I ever see one.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 01:14:25 | More by AgentMunky

jamescain

Texas

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a sniffer, thanks pwsoldier for sharing this one.

Appearance: Murky dark riddish-brown with a thin head that fades into a thin lacing and clings a bit to the side.

Aroma: Bourbon, vanilla, oak, caramel, toffee, and slightly bready, mixed with dark fruits.

Taste: Dark fruits with a tough of bourbon and alcohol, pleasing but not overwhelming alcohol contribution.

Mouthfeel: Syrupy but not too chewy, with a noticeable alcoholic finish.

Overall: It was enjoyable and I look forward to comparing it to the red wine version that I have.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 16:40:32 | More by jamescain

billab914

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It poured a murky, caramel brown color with a thin white head clinging to the edges of the glass. I got a bit of lacing on the glass as I drank it.

The aroma shows a good amount of bourbon to it. I immediately get the boozy, woody, oak barrel character to it. A sweeter, malty, caramel, dark fruit presence comes out as well and mixes very well with the bourbon character. The bourbon was fantastic in it, very flavorful and smooth. The beer was good but didn't bring as much to the table as it could have.

The taste also has a strong bourbon presence to it throughout the flavor. I get more of the sweeter, malty and vanilla flavors to it up front while more of the alcohol and wood character show in the finish. The maltiness really comes through with some sweeter, caramel notes that really compliment the bourbon nicely.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side with carbonation is low. Overall it was a delicious beer, the bourbon and the sweet, maltiness of the barleywine were integrated and balanced almost to perfection. The bourbon especially really stood out to me. The barleywine flavors were very good, but seemed a little overshadowed by the bourbon at times. Excellent beer overall though and an extremely enjoyable one to sip on this evening.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 00:58:42 | More by billab914

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.65/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up a Peabody's in Boone NC, sadly the last of my NC mini-haul

Pours chestnut with a finger of tan head. Average head retention & above average lacing

S: Pears & Bourbon, fades a bit as this warms

T: Rich bourbon notes, cakyness & a touch boozey warmth up front. Jammy notes (apricot & pear ) wrap with vanilla, oakyness, a touch of leafy hops & dryness as this warms. Finishes with fruitty notes, nice Bourbon flavor, oaky dryness & a touch of butterscotch

MF: Slightly over carbonated & a touch thin, warming & smooth once nearer room temp

Loved the flavor on this, but other areas fell flat. For the money I'll take Schlafly's Barrel aged BW at a fraction of the price any day. Still, I was thrilled to try it...

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 02:56:23 | More by russpowell