Aztec - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Breakside Brewery - NE Dekum

Aztec - Bourbon Barrel-AgedAztec - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
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From:
Breakside Brewery - NE Dekum
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
12%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.03 | pDev: 8.93%
Reviews:
29
Ratings:
152
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 02, 2019
Added:
Sep 01, 2011
Wants:
  18
Gots:
  30
Strong amber ale made with cacao/chocolate nibs and two types of chilies that was aged in freshly emptied bourbon barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by LiquidAmber:
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.23/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a medium to dark coppery orange amber with a fine half finger light khaki head with great retention and lots of lacing. Great aroma of bourbon, vanilla, toffee and hints of chile. Flavor follows, dominated by bourbon, caramel and vanilla,with the chile spiciness building and leaving a pleasant light chile bite in the finish. On the sweet side and quite warming. Medium bodied with mild creaminess. An excellently balanced amount of chile for the rich body, with the other flavors nicely masking the capiscum at first then slowly revealing it. Lots of barrel character, with good bourbon and oaky vanilla. I'm a fan of bourbon barrel ales and chile that is well supported by other flavors and this bring it all home. Very tasty. ABV dangerously covered, needs pacing.
Jun 16, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 2.42 by Oh_Dark_Star from Washington

May 02, 2019
Photo of cjgiant
Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia

4.19/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle:
Chestnut clear body with a lightly rusted white head. For the higher alcohol volume, the head is quite perisitent. There are a few streams of lace on the glass.

Nose has the sweetness of bothering the base ale and the barrel. A spicy spiked cola is the general impression: brown sugar, cherry cola, cinnamon bite, vanilla and char from the barrel aging,

Taste has a sneaky earthiness underlying the sweeter note - almost like an old ale with a hint of earthy spice. I’m not quite getting the chile heat as expected initially, but there’s a light bite to the light, barely sticky liquid. Bourbon and cherry cola jump from the nose to the taste with ease. The bite seems like it could be from the spirit, but it slowly builds into an ever so light lingering heat that I’ve not gotten from any other bourbon-barrel aged beer. What I am missing for most of the drink is the cacao nibs (it is possible they’re feeding the earthy aspect a little, but it might be too well integrated).

So, I actually don’t mind not really noticing the nibs. The barrel influence is at a good level, and the chiles add a light spice early and a little heat later. Sipping this beer was a fun experience.
Nov 25, 2018
 
Rated: 3.74 by Bandi from New York

Oct 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4.09 by smithj4 from New York

Oct 14, 2018
Photo of metter98
Reviewed by metter98 from New York

4.02/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A: The beer is dark amber in color. It poured with a quarter finger high off white head that left a little wiping on teh surface and a narrow collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate to strong aromas of bourbon and associated vanilla are present in the nose.
T: The taste has flavors of bourbon from the barrel aging and strong notes of chili peppers.
M: It feels a bit more than medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The taste of this beer has a good balance between the flavors of bourbon and chili peppers. The alcohol is very well hidden.

Serving type: bottle
Oct 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Oct 13, 2018
 
Rated: 3.5 by oline73 from Maryland

Sep 16, 2018
Photo of jakecattleco
Reviewed by jakecattleco from California

4.04/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
L: Pours vibrant mahogany with 1 finger of medium density white head that dissipates very quickly and left very little lacing.

S: Nose is mostly barrel attributes, charred oak, vanilla and bourbon. Its pleasant, but very little from the base beer is shining through.

T: More dynamic than the nose, definitely picking up some of the base beer especially the chilies. In addition to the chilies and barrel notes, there's some noticeable chocolate on this finish, which lingers on the palate a bit alongside the chilies.

F: Low-medium bodied with lower carbonation, slick on the tongue with plenty of burn from the chilies.

O: It's a nice beer, a buddy brought this to a chili cookoff/bottle share. I can definitely see this being a great option for such an event. Breakside does not disappoint with this one (much like everything else I've had from them), they are one of the best in PDX for sure.
Aug 12, 2018
Photo of Blackop555
Reviewed by Blackop555 from Michigan

4.04/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours Amber Brown. Medium, fluffy, off-white head that Fades fast.

Smells roasted malts, toasty, caramel, dark fruit, vanilla and a hint of pepper.

Taste Carmel, vanilla, dark fruit, earthy and bourbon. Followed by toasted malt and light heat from the peppers. Finish is semi-dry with a bourbon linger. Medium body and fizzy medium carbonation.
Jul 10, 2018
 
Rated: 4.19 by stratusjeans from Washington

Jun 23, 2018
Photo of mactrail
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington

3.88/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Brewed with ancho and habanero chilis, this is fairly warm, heat-wise. But it doesn't interfere with the enjoyment of the chili flavor and the pleasing mellow Bourbon taste. Malty with a little sharp finish and a boozy nose.

Massive roasted malt and caramel. Some lingering but flavorful chili heat. This year's version is 10% ABV. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Elizabeth Station in Bellingham.
Jun 13, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by pkalix from California

Jun 10, 2018
 
Rated: 4.22 by aasher from Indiana

Jun 04, 2018
Photo of biboergosum
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bottle (@10% ABV) - I guess chocolate and chili peppers equals Mexican references up the yin-yang.

This beer pours a clear, dark magenta amber colour, with two hefty fingers of puffy, loosely foamy, and fairly bubbly tan had, which leaves some decent dissolving ice floe lace around the glass as it evenly subsides.

It smells of bready and doughy caramel malt, bittersweet cocoa powder, a faint spicy pepper heat, equally tame Kentucky barrel staves, some indistinct black stone fruitiness, and very, very tame earthy, musty, and floral green hops. The taste is bready and biscuity caramel malt, a wisp of damp ashiness, some muddled and bruised pome fruity notes, a very vanilla-forward woodiness, fading chocolate wafers, an ethereal chili spiciness, and some more very hard to detect leafy, earthy, and floral hop bitters.

The carbonation is fairly understated in its workaday frothiness, the body a solid medium weight, and generally smooth, as the spice isn't strong enough to make a dent at this particular point in the game. It finishes off-dry, the caramel, cocoa, and sweet barrel essences continuing the lingering party.

Overall - this is a pleasant enough strong ale, one whose barrel treatment and elevated ABV never really cause any concern for that ol' palate of mine. Definitely worth checking out, if solely for the just mentioned conclusions, or any ones that you might come to yourselves, as such.
Jun 03, 2018
Photo of JohnnyHopps
Reviewed by JohnnyHopps from Indiana

3.92/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Appearance - The beer poured a murky brown color with an off white head.

Smell - Once the volcanic carbonation settled down, I noted dry red grapes and a hint of spice.

Taste - The beer was like a dry red wine spiced with peppers. The heat comes toward the back and gave a slight but not unbearable burn.

Mouthfeel - The carbonation was a problem. Every pour was a challenge to keep in the glass, occassionally errupting to the floor. When it settled down, the beer was fairly smooth.

Overall - I had an older bottle, so I would not mind sampling a new one for comparison. I would not actively seek a newer bottle though.
May 27, 2018
 
Rated: 4.06 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

Apr 19, 2018
 
Rated: 4.27 by BirdsandHops from Oregon

Apr 09, 2018
 
Rated: 3.9 by Boilerup from Maryland

Mar 25, 2018
Photo of connecticutpoet
Reviewed by connecticutpoet from Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance – Two and a half finger head on a clear brown body.

Aroma – Sweet dark malt, milk chocolate, and a little bourbon.

Taste – Slightly bitter oak tannins, chocolate, a little bourbon, hints of chilis on the soft palate at the end.

Mouthfeel – Full and well rounded body, not heavy.

Overall – A good beer that hides the ABV in the flavor, but it packs a punch.
Mar 24, 2018
Aztec - Bourbon Barrel-Aged from Breakside Brewery - NE Dekum
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 152 ratings