Bois - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
The Bruery

Bois - Bourbon Barrel-AgedBois - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
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From:
The Bruery
 
California, United States
Style:
Old Ale
ABV:
15%
Score:
96
Avg:
4.33 | pDev: 9.24%
Reviews:
163
Ratings:
1,351
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 22, 2022
Added:
May 14, 2013
Wants:
  115
Gots:
  512
The traditional fifth anniversary gift is something made of wood, or "Bois" in French.

Bois is our fifth anniversary ale, loosely brewed in the English-style Old Ale tradition using our house Belgian yeast strain and then blended using the solera method. A portion of each of our anniversary ales is saved in our barrels and blended in with the next year's production, providing more complexity and depth of character that comes with age. Layered with complex flavors of dark fruit,vanilla, oak, and burnt sugar, Bois is a robust ale, surely the perfect beer to mark this major milestone.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by DanGeo:
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Rated by DanGeo from Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%

Aug 13, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.25 by imperialking from Illinois

Sep 22, 2022
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Reviewed by BucannonXC5 from California

4.33/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Type: 750-ml. bottle
Reviewed as: Old Ale
Glass: Ball 16-oz. mason jar
Price: $15.00
From: From a Facebook San Diego beer trading group
Purchased: Dec. 3, 2020
Consumed: Dec. 31, 2020
Misc.: Bottled on April 4, 2003; Gold waxed neck

Picked this out on a Facebook San Diego beer trading group from a guy that was trying to get rid of a bunch of stuff. Ended up paying $40 for five 22-oz. barrel-aged beers, including this for just $15. Online description read “Bois is our fifth anniversary ale, loosely brewed in the English-style Old Ale tradition using our house Belgian yeast strain and then blended using the solera method. A portion of each of our anniversary ales is saved in our barrels and blended in with the next year's production, providing more complexity and depth of character that comes with age. Layered with complex flavors of dark fruit, vanilla, oak, and burnt sugar, Bois is a robust ale, surely the perfect beer to mark this major milestone.” Seems like a great way to finish my New Year’s Eve night.

Poured a dark-to-very dark brown color with two fingers of khaki-tan frothy head. Pretty calm setting underneath with just a few noticeable bubbles. Below average watery lacing. Minimal retention. (Sight - 3.00)

Smelled chewy toffee, caramel, butterscotch, toasted oak, leathery tobacco, smooth bourbon, dark fruit, vanilla, toasted oak, chocolate, brown sugar, sugary maple, molasses and hints of port wine. Much of the same from the bottle. (Smell - 4.25)

Tasted about as good as the nose. In order got chewy toffee, caramel, butterscotch, boozy bourbon, toasted oak, leathery tobacco, date, fig, raisin, vanilla, toasted oak, brown sugar, sugary maple, sticky molasses and toasted brown bread. Didn’t quite taste 15 pct. ABV. (Taste - 4.50)

Full body. Sticky texture. Soft carbonation. Long, smooth finish. (Feel - 4.75)

Really liked this one, which isn’t surprising considering it was from The Bruery. Underrated it slightly overall, but excellent. (Overall - 4.25)

4.33 | 96 | A
Jun 06, 2021
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Reviewed by ghostfacekilla69 from Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Really mellow with bourbon sweetness, Vanilla, butterscotch, and little sourness at the back balancing things out. Definitely a solo sipping dessert beer at heart, though. Overall, great beer that is dangerously smooth considering the abv.
Jul 08, 2020
 
Rated: 4.35 by MDDMD from Pennsylvania

May 24, 2020
 
Rated: 4.49 by BeardedWalrus from North Carolina

Mar 24, 2020
 
Rated: 4.91 by brewskis from Indiana

Feb 22, 2020
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Rated by swid from Missouri

3.73/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
2013 bottle
Dec 15, 2019
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Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a wax topped bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: A cloudy viscous caramel/mahogany brown pour. Thin fizzy white head... modest ring of lacing.

S: Rich and sweet. Caramel, sugars, dark fruit, and toffee. Vanilla and booze.

T.F: Just like it smells. Rich and sweet up front. Loads of molasses and toffee... boozy and warming. Fig and raisin. Nice vanilla and bourbon from the barrel. Compliments the big sweet beer nicely. Thick and sticky on the tongue. Better as it warms.

O: A fantastic big, boozy, barrel aged Old Ale. 6 years in and this was still amazing.
Aug 19, 2019
 
Rated: 4.46 by Eziel from Ohio

Jul 10, 2019
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Reviewed by ScruffySouthpaw from New York

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25
Served in a snifter glass from the bottle.

Appearance: Semi cloudy color with deep mahogany with medium to heavy bubbles creating an off-white head rising to just about half a finger's length off the body.

Smell: Deep deep whiskey scent, it definitely improves as the beer warms up.

Taste: Complex toffee with hints of malt which offset it with a punch off light bitterness. A touch sweet but the bourbon used to age this beer is on another level. Personally I'm in lust.

Mouth: This is one sticky beer and with it's sweet finish you can put it down for a very very long time and the finish just lingers.

Overall: This brew design is nothing different but it is definitely a gem. It is a touch more complex than it's brethren and honestly it is very hard to keep the glass down. Grab again and again if you see it.
Dec 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4.42 by Uconnelmo from Connecticut

Nov 23, 2018
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Reviewed by Gaddabble from Ohio

4.48/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Sweet toffee/caramel, dark fruit, coconut, bourbon, alcohol. Some alcohol heat even after 5 years, but relatively smooth for 15% ABV. Flavors slightly muddled. Probably a little past its prime but still excellent. Definitely good to share as a whole bottle gets a bit diabeetus heavy by the end.
Jul 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by bdiiorio from Connecticut

May 19, 2018
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Reviewed by Eamonn-Cummings3 from New York

4.91/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Poured from a 750ml bottle into a Spieglau BA glass.

Look is a hazy opaque brown with barely a sliver of head.

Aroma is sweet malt with a lot of oxidized dark fruits.

Absolutely amazing! I can't believe this beer is five years old. Incredibly amazing. Goes down super well. Nice snow day sipper.
Mar 21, 2018
 
Rated: 4.37 by TrojanRB from Texas

Mar 19, 2018
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Reviewed by Davepoolesque from Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Toffee, caramel, figs, plum, oak, vanilla and booze. This is probably a bit past it's prime, as the flavors tasted oxidized. Lots of the sugars aged out. Finishes dry. Medium to medium thick bodied. Still pretty good.
Dec 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.43 by AnitaBrewski from Massachusetts

Dec 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4.35 by Bubbawilly88 from California

Dec 03, 2017
 
Rated: 3.52 by Rifugium from North Dakota

Oct 13, 2017
Bois - Bourbon Barrel-Aged from The Bruery
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 1351 ratings