Heavy Seas - Bourbon Barrel Aged Letter Of Marque 2011 (Dubbel) - Heavy Seas Beer

jjboesen

Maryland

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The "Letter of Marquee" was a document that gave legal protection to a pirate, who could then act as a "privateer." However, in the case of this Heavy Seas beer, it opens with a moderate head that quickly subsides into nothing. The body is a cloudy body of amber that houses a sparse population of carbonation bubbles.

The nose will get a minor whiff of toffee and pine; the palate is overwhelmed by a swift onslaught of candy apple that fades into a wet nutmeg bash.

This is a pleasant rendition of your typical Belgian candy beer that is nicely quaffable without being too complex. It certainly allows one to drink a Belgian and "Embrace Your Inner Pirate." I wonder: did Belgium have many pirates?

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 23:12:01 | More by jjboesen

MbpBugeye

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On cask at Bodega, pumped into a pint glass. Described as being aged in a Buffalo Trace barrel.

Appearance
The beer engine gave this pint a really nice, frothy, long lasting head. Lots of soapy lacing was the result. The beer was a clouded bruised fruit brown.

Aroma
Lots of sweetness, but its quite nice. Rich dark cherry aromas, like any self respecting dubbel should have, figgy dried fruits and oaken vanilla. Alcohol is pretty much hidden, this one is a smoothed out fruity Belgian.

Taste
Plenty of rich dark fruits. Cherries take the lead. Vanilla is strong enough to give this beer a cherry yogurt-like flavor. Spicy yeast hides behind smooth bourbon soaked oak.

Mouthfeel
The cask was a little warm this time, but it suited the beer just fine. Carbonation was low, as was the body. The beer wasn't thin, but some added weight would have really helped this beer.

Overall
This one drank way easier than it should have. The low carbonation, hidden alcohol and thinner body had me gulping the stuff.

So far this is the best beer that I've seen on Bodega's beer engine. Hopefully the rest of the beers to hit the cask are going to remain as interesting as this.

Serving type: cask

07-06-2011 02:39:06 | More by MbpBugeye