#bourbon aged

[urbanbarrel]

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[gloryofbeer]

Goose Island Bourbon Country Stout 14.1%

Light [=========10] Dark

Fizzy [=======8==] Flat

Hoppy [======7===] Malty

Well, I was going to sit here and drink a tall glass of this stout wind read the manga of one of my favorite anime... just have a nice relaxing afternoon.

After a single sip, I realized I have made a few grave errors

1. I need a smaller glass. Maybe even the advised snifter. This is a strong, fragrant, flavorful drink that should not be swilled from a bar beer glass.

2. This is a drink to be shared or savored. A whole pint of this is a significant amount of alcohol for a single person for a single sitting.

3. I’m not going to be able to enjoy the art and beauty of this book if I just sit here and drink this deeply flavored dark bourbon-aged stout.

I have to say, I’ve been consistently surprised with everything I’ve ever had from Goose Island. They know their craft and the best part is you get to enjoy the results of their expert skill.

Even if you’re not into bourbon or dark beers, or IPAs, or whatever else you find from Goose Island, do yourself a favor and pick it up. It’s worth every penny.

[whatchudrinkin]

Our Belgian Brothers

When American brewers tried to recreate Belgian ales, the results are mixed. I've had my share of delicious dubbels, but I've tried plenty of stinkers, too. The main issue I've tasted is an abundance of sweetness. High attenuation, and low residual sugar, is a hallmark of Belgian brewing. All the classic abbey ales are bone dry, but their American cousins finish in a blast of candy sweetness. In Brew Like a Monk, Belgian brewers often describe their beers as digestible. They may be high in alcohol, but these beers should not give you a tummy ache.

Take Bourbon Little Brother for example. The Commons’ strong dark ale is a weighty nine percent alcohol before going into bourbon barrels for months. On the other side it comes out at ten percent, but  remains dry and easy to drink. Dangerously easy to drink. This Little Brother pours dark brown with ruby red highlights. The scent is full of dried fruit and whiskey -- prunes, raisins, vanilla. The flavor is semi-sweet, with notes of caramel and chocolate, but not gobs of candy. The finish has a bit of alcohol heat, but it’s not boozy sweet or gasoline hot. Little Brother is balanced perfectly for optimal flavor without that heavy feeling in your gut.

[acraftybeer]

The Living End - Buxton Brewery. I have had my fair share of bourbon barrel aged stouts, mainly because I love what the bourbon adds to a stout. This one is wonderful, maybe I'm a bit biased because this is a local brewery, maybe it was because this was the only beer I had last night, but I really enjoyed this. Subtle vanilla and not too much sweetness, this isn't over aged and it doesn't overpower for a beer at a nudge over 10%. Beautifully brewed.

[acraftybeer]

Barrel Aged Even More Jesus VIII - Siren Craft Brew. There is nothing small about this beer, big bottle (well 500ml), big price tag, I paid £11 for this and big abv - at 12.4% this is a beer to be savoured. Then there is the flavour, huge and complex with layers of coffee, chocolate, toffee and liquorice - all carried by a sweet bourbon boozieness. This is technically a Siren and Evil Twin collaboration (Even more Jesus VIII) aged in bourbon barrels. It is a thick black stout that demands a slow drink. It is beautiful and rich, with a slight sweetness from the bourbon which complements the other layers of flavour beautifully. I’m not sure I could justify the price tag again. But as as a one off this was really, really special.

[whatchudrinkin]

Tribute

Over the weekend, Sarah's family had to put down her old pal Luke. He was a fifteen year old flat coat retriever. He'd been sick lately, what with being old and all. But he hurt his leg on Sunday and was diagnosed with bone cancer. He had to be put to sleep rather suddenly. It was a sad day.

The crew at Caldera Brewing first brewed Mogli as a tribute to a fallen friend. Mogli was an adorable chocolate lab. The beer is an imperial porter brewed with chocolate and oak aged. Mogli lives up to the it's name with warmth, sweetness, and a chocolaty center.

Mogli is actually fairly weak for a bourbon aged beer, only eight and a half percent, but that allows the beer open up without the harsh burn of alcohol. A hint of warm bourbon on the nose is swallowed by sweet vanilla. Smooth milk chocolate coats the tongue, like a nice cup of Swiss Miss. The lower alcohol also leads to a lighter body. Mogli is bubbly with a clean, nutty finish.

[whatchudrinkin]

Seven and Seven

Traditionally, strong beers were left in barrels for years to condition them. In England, beer was aged in barrels lined in pitch -- explicitly to avoid the flavor of wood and the nastier bacterias that can live there. These days barrel aging seems more concerned with extracting maximum oak flavor and -- more often than not -- the leftover molecules of whiskey hiding in the wood.

It's nice to see Double Mountain doing something a little different with Sinister 7. The anniversary beer was aged nearly a year in Kentucky bourbon barrels before being released, but instead of collecting extra heat and sticky vanilla notes, the beer has oxidized slightly adding a pleasant musty note, and picked up a nice dose of wild yeast. Not a ton of funk, but just enough sourness to pique my interest. The bourbon and oak flavors are subtle. I can feel the heat, but I can't taste it. A little pitch may have sealed the barrel better, but I like the gentle aging. I'm not sure that's what the brewers intended, but I'll take it.

[whatchudrinkin]

Mother in the Storm

Another trick to cellarmanship: if you didn't like it so much fresh, you might not like it any more in a year. I like the Mother of All Storms. I liked it fresh, but I didn't love it. A year later not much has changed.

It smells sort of old, dusty and faded, but the bourbon flavor is still fresh. It's balanced in all things but alcohol. Mother really warms you up. There are some fruity notes emerging, a good sign. And still some chocolate that seems out of place in a barley wine. It goes from sweet to semi-sweet to bitter sweet as you sip it. 

Mother of All Storms is good, not spectacular, and at twenty dollars a pop it ought to be a little better. Maybe it's just not for me. I don't know.