Burning Barrel
Craggie Brewing Company

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From:
Craggie Brewing Company
 
North Carolina, United States
Style:
American Porter
ABV:
5.9%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.64 | pDev: 11.26%
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
33
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 24, 2019
Added:
Jan 19, 2011
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by NCbeerpirate:
Photo of NCbeerpirate
Rated by NCbeerpirate from North Carolina

4/5  rDev +9.9%

Nov 17, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Had on tap. For its time I really thought this was one of the craziest beers I had. Smoky black pour with a very thin head. Smell is big roasted malt, some chipotle pepper, molasses, toffee, some robust charred wood, and smoky and sugary booze. Taste was more focused on what should be the background, toffee, molasses, vanilla, coffee, malt, where the flavors that what the excitement was all about, namely the peppers and oak were faded into the background at the end of sips. Booze present through out though! Balance is off in feel, booze is hot.
Jan 24, 2019
 
Rated: 3.25 by jrob21 from North Carolina

Nov 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.81 by Eziel from Ohio

May 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by jaredtp from Tennessee

Sep 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by ncstateplaya from North Carolina

Sep 09, 2014
Photo of dbrauneis
Reviewed by dbrauneis from North Carolina

3.45/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A: Pours an opaque very dark brown (almost black) in color with some reddish brown highlights and light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a quarter finger tall light beige head that quickly reduces to a very thin ring at the edges of the glass. Minimal amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of roasted malts with lighter notes of cocoa, vanilla, toffee, and some very light notes of bourbon and oak.

T: Light flavors of roasted malts with a light amount of toffee sweetness and some cocoa. There are even lighter notes of vanilla, oak, and bourbon. Very slight smokey peppery notes in the finish from the chipotle - just a touch of heat as the beer warms.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with light amounts of carbonation. Slightly thin/watery.

O: I really wish that the oak, bourbon, and chipotle pepper came through a little more strongly - very nice in concept but the aromas/flavors are just a little too subtle. Enjoyable but not something I would go out of my way to find again.
Nov 24, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by HipHopinHooligan13 from North Carolina

Oct 30, 2012
 
Rated: 3.25 by zekeman17 from Pennsylvania

Oct 07, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by genogirl from Florida

Sep 28, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by orangesol from Pennsylvania

Aug 18, 2012
Photo of tdm168
Reviewed by tdm168 from Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Growler purchased from Bestway in Greensboro on 7/7/12. Poured on 7/9/12.

A - deep, dark brown with a reddish hue; bubbly, fizzy, brownish head that quickly fades away

S - oak, vanilla, brown sugar, alcohol

T - oak, vanilla, alcohol, roasted malts, faint chile powder, faint sweetness, mild bitterness in the finish; there's a very faint heat in the finish

M - medium to full bodied, well carbonated

This has potential but it is way over oaked. The oak is overpowering and doesn't let what is probably a decent porter shine through. The chile is noticeable and adds a light spiciness to the flavor and finish. This would be alright to try once. Unfortunately, I have an entire growler to work through...
Jul 09, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by OldTime from Georgia

Jun 19, 2012
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Reviewed by humbabba from North Carolina

2.98/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
I wanted to enjoy Burning Barrel Porter more than I am able to. I generally like porters brewed in the Asheville, NC area, and I also generally enjoy Craggie brewing's other offerings.

I poured a glass from a growler I got at an Ingles grocery store. There is very little head, and no lacing that I could see. The color while pouring is a dark brown with some cloudiness. In the glass it is nearly black.

I would describe this offering as starting nearly like you would expect a porter to, but with a thinner mouthfeel and less sweetness. There are the chocolate and coffee notes that you would expect. There is a sensation as if you added to each glass a few drops of something sour and a bittering agent. It does not taste vinegary or lemony, but there is a sour component here.

My philistine pallet is not able to detect chile flavors, but this sourness must be coming from something and I am going to assume it is the barrel chips.

This is definitely not a bad beer, but I would have to say that for local Western North Carolina offerings I would prefer Green Man's porter or Asheville Brewing's Ninja porter.

As a point of curiosity I have noticed in other reviews that people have noticed in their pours a full head and significant lacing. I have to wonder if there might be some inconsistency from batch to batch?
Apr 02, 2012
Photo of rangerred
Reviewed by rangerred from Tennessee

3.65/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Had on draft at Mellow Mushroom in Johnson City, TN.

Slightly hazy dark brown with a smallish off-white head.

Smells of caramel and some roasted malt along with a light hint of chili powder.

The taste is full of caramel and vanilla presumably from the bourbon barrel. A light touch of wood along with some roasted malt. Chilies are there but in the background with a low warming in the back of the throat after the finish.

Overall this was a pretty tasty beer. I really enjoyed the bourbon characteristics and the warming from the chillies.
Mar 13, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by RedneckBeerz from Massachusetts

Feb 16, 2012
Photo of Mississipping
Reviewed by Mississipping from Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A: Pours a dark brown that tries to convince me it's actually black.  Gentle highlights appear when held to light.  A small tan head rises and falls quickly, leaving behind minimal lacing on the edges of the glass. 

S: Really nice aroma.  Starts out sweet with some chocolate and toffee with some roasted barley and hops in the background.  Bourbon and chili peppers are very subtle, but are noticeable as it begins to warm.  

T: The taste follows the aroma quite well.  Sweet chocolate, toffee, and vanilla up front with the warm bourbon, roasted barley, and hops in the background.  Excellent balance between the two profiles.  Chilies are not really noticeable in the flavor, but come out stronger than predicted in the throat, creating a nice warmth and a gentle bite. 

M: Lighter side of medium-bodied, which was a bit of a disappointment, but it's still a bit creamy and tingly.  Great transition from sweet to bitter/warm with a nice drying effect and bit in the throat. 

D: This was the first Craggie beer I've had, and I was quite impressed.  Good balance, nice flavors, and an ok feel.  I would have liked a bit more viscosity, but as is, it was still very enjoyable.  
Jan 09, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by Ryan011235 from Ohio

Jan 05, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by CGMLS3 from Florida

Dec 09, 2011
Photo of TheWhiskerReview
Reviewed by TheWhiskerReview from Tennessee

3.12/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap at the Village Pub in Inglewood

A ruby-tinged black pour with minimal head, retention and lace leads to a nose of robust earthy malt, coffee, raisin and cashew. Besides the raisin note, I couldn't really detect anything to do with chili peppers and the bourbon was no where to be found. Med-bodied palate has a moderate bitterness and tastes intensely like coffee grounds up front and turns towards a leathery-raisiny spice as the finish picks up a nice bit of pleasant pepper-burn.

Overall not terrible, but with bourbon barrel and chili pepper in the description, but not all that prominent in the beer (especially the barrel), it certainly didn't live up to expectations. A shame too because I've never had a chili beer that blew me away, and I think a bourbon barrel addition could be just perfect. Nice try, but try again.
Dec 07, 2011
Burning Barrel from Craggie Brewing Company
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 33 ratings