Bois - Brandy Barrel-Aged
The Bruery

Bois - Brandy Barrel-AgedBois - Brandy Barrel-Aged
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From:
The Bruery
 
California, United States
Style:
Old Ale
ABV:
15%
Score:
96
Avg:
4.34 | pDev: 7.6%
Reviews:
36
Ratings:
268
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 24, 2021
Added:
May 28, 2013
Wants:
  64
Gots:
  100
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by jzeilinger:
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Rated by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +9.4%

Mar 08, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of colts9016
Reviewed by colts9016 from Idaho

4.85/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Review 1550
Today was an epic day, I did something I had not done in 24 years. I chose to celebrate this day with a 2013 Bois. Almost everything I have consumed from The Bruery has been stellar. Looking forward to this beer. The cap gave a lovely hiss as it came off, the aged perfectly. The beer is 48 degrees and served in a tulip glass. The pour created a massive two-fingered light tan head with excellent retention. The head is airy, creamy, and foamy. A touch of lacing was left on the glass as the head slowly dissipated. The color is SRM 32, dark brown used engine oil with mahogany hues. The beer is mostly opaque. A stunning presentation for an eight-year-old beer.

I first smell brandy, toffee, caramel, and fruity sweetness. Nosing further, I detect oranges, wood, floral, biscuity, bready, a touch of smoke, and malty sweetness. The aromas are heavily concentrated around the barrel and malt profile. Hard to discern any distinct characters.

The flavors in the beer are brandy, caramel, toffee, raisins, oranges, wood, a hint of floral, biscuity, bready, a hint of Maillard, malty sweetness, wine character, leather, and earthy tones.

The mouthfeel of the beer is chewy, coating, and slightly warming.

The body of the beer is full, the carbonation low, and a full finish.

This is the exact reason why I age beers. This beer is phenomenal. The alcohol warming is pleasant and inviting. The big malt profile is deep and rich. I get subtle hops and the barrel is near perfect. This beer is stunningly gorgeous inside and out.
Jun 24, 2021
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.65/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
These anniversary beers seem to get broken out for fight night more than almost any other. Here is yet another from August 2015, or UFC 190 if you do it by fight card. Garbage card, good beer.

Pours dark brown, lighter brown head, 1/6". Aroma of dark fruit bourbon, which I guess is brandy. Lots of dark fruit notes, leather, brown malt, tobacco (damn this would have been nice with a cigar).

Taste, eh, given the awesomeness of this series, this was a bit underwhelming. Had plenty of alcohol and alcohol sting, brandy just does that, I thought the aroma was gonna make this different, but nah. A little bit of perhaps chocolate malt to it even. Vinous dark wine like note. The combo of the dark fruit notes, the high alcohol heat just didn't go as good as your average anniversary Bruery beer (which are usually awesome). Didn't find it to be as sweet as most seem to have. Turns out I wasn't a big fan of the Brandy Eclipse as it aged, loved it fresh, so maybe that is where there was a little misstep here.
May 13, 2020
Photo of stortore
Reviewed by stortore from Illinois

4.52/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
750 ml bottle into a snifter. Bottled 4/17/13, had 10/20/19. Bought at the Bruery store in DC, June 2018.

Pours a dark chestnut brown, semi opaque, with a half inch foamy head and sparse, spotty lacing. Aromas of caramel, figs, dates, malt, light brandy, tobacco, brown sugar, raisins, molasses, some oak, light char and leather, a little licorice. Has a bit of a sweet aroma. Smells absolutely incredible. Flavors of caramel, figs, brandy, dates, malt, raisins, tobacco, oak, molasses. Only a hint of alcohol warming, not as sweet as you might think. Smooth, a great medium to full body, appropriately carbonated.

Amazing for six and a half years in the bottle, well developed and expressive aromas and flavors. Probably would have been a little better a few years back, but still outstanding.
Mar 30, 2020
 
Rated: 4.5 by Eziel from Ohio

Dec 19, 2019
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
750 ml bottle into snifter, bottled on 4/17/2013. Wax got a bit brittle. Pours fairly hazy very dark ruby red/brown color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky light khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, apricot, red apple, orange zest, currant, red grape, brandy, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, oak, brown bread, toasted biscuit, and nuttiness; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, chocolate, cocoa, sherry, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Touch of booze as it warms; a bit too fruity/yeasty aromas, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, and brandy barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of huge raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, apricot, red apple, orange zest, currant, red grape, brandy, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, oak, brown bread, toasted biscuit, and nuttiness; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, chocolate, cocoa, sherry, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Mild herbal/floral/grassy/roast bitterness and brandy/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruits, cherry, apricot, red apple, orange zest, currant, red grape, brandy, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, oak, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, molasses, light licorice/leather/tobacco, herbal, floral, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, and brandy barrel flavors; with solid malt/bitterness and brandy/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying sweetness after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and brandy/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and very full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety, and slightly slick/sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mildly increasing warmth of 15%, with no barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an amazing brandy barrel aged old ale! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, and brandy barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV. Amazing balance of fruity yeast and rich malts; with perfect brandy barrel integration. Minimal booze/tannins. Not overly sweet/heavy for the ABV. The brandy flavors complement the yeast profile perfectly as would be expected. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing style example as expected of the base beer. These always age wonderfully after multiple years.
Sep 08, 2018
 
Rated: 4.18 by bcsbeer from Florida

Aug 10, 2018
 
Rated: 4.46 by kingjohnh from New Mexico

Jan 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4.34 by KAP1356 from Pennsylvania

Jul 17, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by imperialking from Illinois

Jul 05, 2017
Photo of bgold86
Reviewed by bgold86 from New York

4.75/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours a deep murky brown, big dark dried fruits (dates & raisins in particular) on the nose, caramel, toffee, vanilla as well. Big brandy right up front on the taste, but in a mature not too sweet kind of way, finishes smooth with hints of vanilla and caramel. At almost four years old, this has held up extremely well, and dare I say improved. Bodes very well for the others in set I have sitting in the cellar.
Dec 27, 2016
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.65/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Bottled 4/17/13; drank 8/8/15 @ Harvest Hop Haus.

Poured from the bottle into a glass.

Murky brown/purple appearance.

Minimal khaki head; minimal lace.

Brandy, raisin, caramel & booze heat notes in the nose.

Thick mouthfeel.

Rich raisin, caramel & oak flavors; booze heat emerged as this warmed. Sweet caramel settled on my lips over the course of the session. Pretty much everything you could ask for from an Old Ale.
Dec 23, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by Kevinpitts from Illinois

Oct 17, 2016
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Reviewed by SHODriver from North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: Poured into a gigantic snifter to a deep brown beer that is topped by a finger and a half of dense tan head that fades to a collar around the edge of the glass with some lacing.
S: Smells of brandy, dark fruits, toffee, and a little booze
T: Taste is brandy, a little wood, dark fruits, and toffee. The booze is well hidden and some nice grape notes come in at times as well. The swallow on this one is more brandy and wood, grapes, dark fruit and toffee.
M: This beer is full and silky in the mouth with soft but adequate carbonation and a dry finish from the ABV.
O: Overall this beer is incredible. It's extremely drinkable for the ABV and the brandy barrel aging is a really nice twist on things that really complements the base beer. It would be nice for them to re-do this one.
Oct 01, 2016
 
Rated: 4.47 by cyrushire from Florida

Sep 09, 2016
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Rated by brother_rebus from Maine

3.21/5  rDev -26%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
Disgustingly sweet. Too hot with brandy. Tangy in a bad way.
Aug 29, 2016
 
Rated: 5 by gibgink from Missouri

May 31, 2016
 
Rated: 4.46 by peensteen from Canada (ON)

May 19, 2016
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Rated by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.9/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Three years' aged. armen's bottle. Brandy wine character over all. Malt in finish. Alcohol well hidden Reddish tinge. Smooth mouthfeel.
May 17, 2016
 
Rated: 4.17 by yankeepride from New York

Mar 19, 2016
Bois - Brandy Barrel-Aged from The Bruery
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 268 ratings