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Texas Bourbon Barrel Series Imperial Brown
Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling
- From:
- Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling
- Texas, United States
- Style:
- American Brown Ale
- ABV:
- 10.7%
- Score:
- 91
- Avg:
- 4.12 | pDev: 11.41%
- Reviews:
- 8
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Nov 22, 2022
- Added:
- Feb 04, 2015
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 12
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by videofrog:
Rated by videofrog from Texas
4.49/5 rDev +9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
May 08, 2015
4.49/5 rDev +9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
May 08, 2015
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania
3.97/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.97/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Texas Bourbon Barrel Series Imperial Brown from Ranger Creek. Purchased at the brewery, 31/10/22. $ 13.87 (Including tax)/4-pack 12 oz cans ($ 0.289/oz). Room temperature shelf at store, stored at 34 degrees at home. Reviewed 21/11/22. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated can. Served at 54.1 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 58.8 degrees.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Medium Amber (SRM 12), hazy.
Body – Brown (SRM 20), opaque. Under direct light, massive numbers of large and small particles are visible in suspension. Rear-lite, chocolate brown, and nearly opaque, brown at the edges.
Head – Tiny (Maximum 0.7 cm, aggressive center pour), beige, high density with rocks, quickly diminishing to a 0.2 cm crown and thin partial cap.
Lacing – None. At 9.3% ABV I really wasn’t expecting any.
Aroma – 3.75 – Weak whiskey and some chocolatey malt. No hops, no yeast.
Flavor – 4.25 – Chocolate malt and whiskey. No yeast, no hops. No ethanol (9.3% ABV as marked on label) aroma or taste. Weak whiskey, not necessarily bourbon. Moderate gastric warming occurs. Very weak tannins, no vanillin. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.75 – Medium, approaching creamy, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 (After deducting 0.25 points for unlabeled personal container.) Overall, a weak brown, more notable for the bourbon than the barrel-aging or the brownness. Doesn’t taste bad, just weak on the brown ale end. Bourbon is not so strong as to be offensive. The price point is ridiculously low, so I assume it’s barrel-aged in one of Ranger Creek’s own bourbon barrels.
Nov 22, 2022Undated can. Served at 54.1 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 58.8 degrees.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Medium Amber (SRM 12), hazy.
Body – Brown (SRM 20), opaque. Under direct light, massive numbers of large and small particles are visible in suspension. Rear-lite, chocolate brown, and nearly opaque, brown at the edges.
Head – Tiny (Maximum 0.7 cm, aggressive center pour), beige, high density with rocks, quickly diminishing to a 0.2 cm crown and thin partial cap.
Lacing – None. At 9.3% ABV I really wasn’t expecting any.
Aroma – 3.75 – Weak whiskey and some chocolatey malt. No hops, no yeast.
Flavor – 4.25 – Chocolate malt and whiskey. No yeast, no hops. No ethanol (9.3% ABV as marked on label) aroma or taste. Weak whiskey, not necessarily bourbon. Moderate gastric warming occurs. Very weak tannins, no vanillin. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.75 – Medium, approaching creamy, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 (After deducting 0.25 points for unlabeled personal container.) Overall, a weak brown, more notable for the bourbon than the barrel-aging or the brownness. Doesn’t taste bad, just weak on the brown ale end. Bourbon is not so strong as to be offensive. The price point is ridiculously low, so I assume it’s barrel-aged in one of Ranger Creek’s own bourbon barrels.
Reviewed by XicanoBeerRun from Texas
4.26/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.26/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is fantastic. Bottled in late 2014. Black and not so much brown like I expected. Smells like sour cherries. The bourbon characteristic is subtle and not over powering, which I appreciate. I do not taste any alcohol, another plus. Slightly sweet, wood, vanilla, slightly sour but I know it's not a sour. I'm not sure if that's intentional but it works well. Slight tootsie roll taste. I wish I had purchased two bottles. I'm not offended that this beer is marketed as a brown ale. I miss Texas.
Sep 05, 2016Reviewed by elNopalero from Michigan
4.31/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.31/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottled on 11.22.14
This pours a jet black brown color with light cocoa colored foaming. There's a warming bourbon aroma, with hints of oak and vanilla. I get some heat on the palate, with a pleasing warming caramel and vanilla flavor. Time in two barrels did this some good.
Jun 17, 2016This pours a jet black brown color with light cocoa colored foaming. There's a warming bourbon aroma, with hints of oak and vanilla. I get some heat on the palate, with a pleasing warming caramel and vanilla flavor. Time in two barrels did this some good.
Rated by rlee1390 from Indiana
4.1/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.1/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Caramel, and toffee, oak, mild bourbon, some vanilla. A tad watery, decent balance.
Jun 22, 2015Rated by Messi2015
4.96/5 rDev +20.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
4.96/5 rDev +20.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
Very nice Flavor Great beer
Jun 17, 2015Reviewed by churchillps from Texas
2.2/5 rDev -46.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
2.2/5 rDev -46.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
Tastes like drinking watered down bourbon. Absolute joke to advertise it as a "brown ale" as it shares 0 recognizable characteristics with that style.
May 16, 2015Rated by Painmob from Texas
5/5 rDev +21.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +21.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
My favorite barrel aged beer to date.
Mar 27, 2015Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado
3.38/5 rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.38/5 rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
"Texas Bourbon Barrel Series" "Imperial Brown."
SRM: 25
IBU: 30
BRIX: 25.5 degrees.
Primary Cask: Four Roses
Secondary Cask: Ranger Creek .44 & Rimfire Barrels.
10.9% ABV.
1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with silver branded pry-off pressure cap and appealing understated label design acquired at an Austin TX bottle shop and served cold into a snifter per the label's instructions. Allowed to warm during consumption.
APPEARANCE: Snifter pour yields a ~1.5 inch head of khaki colour with gorgeous creaminess, nice thickness, and a fairly soft presentation. Retention is nice, lasting maybe 5 minutes. The body is *not* brown, but is rather an opaque black. I see no yeast nor hop sediment. Light lacing clings to the sides of the glass as the head recedes.
AROMA: To its credit, bourbon is evident, with notes of faint vanilla (authentic, not artificial) and faint white oak. Odd that Ranger Creek went with a bourbon from a different distillery for the primary aging, but then that's likely why this is a better aroma than anything they've put out perhaps ever. The bourbon dominates but doesn't overwhelm the base beer, which itself doesn't seem like much of a brown ale; there's no nuttiness or English brown malts. Instead, I find dark malts, faint tobacco, toffee, cream, and a hint of dark malts.
Pitiful for a purported brown ale, but nice as a general bourbon aged brew, with an average overall aromatic intensity and no off-notes.
This aroma suggests a better beer than I've ever had from Ranger Creek, and - contrary to the label's description - there's no alcohol warmth. I'm oddly excited to try this; has Ranger Creek finally come out with a good bourbon barrel beer?
TASTE: "Good" might be a stretch, but it's a nice brew for what it is. It's rather vanilla forward, but the vanilla is somewhat inauthentic (contrary to the aroma's promises). A generic dark malt backbone offers little of interest. The bourbon is fairly reticent, but it is there, and the vanilla and faint white oak coax out additional notes of pleasant marshmallow and toffee. I find no caramel or dark fruit. Strangely for a brown ale, there's no nuttiness of English brown malt character. The bourbon has overwhelmed the weak base, but that's frankly for the better, as the vanilla and marshmallow notes are the high point of this middling brew.
Its limited depth of flavour holds it back, as does its relative simplicity, but this isn't an unbalanced brew and I do like it. At best, it's a delivery vehicle for the Four Roses bourbon, and that's fine. Just don't expect an intricate or deep brew with any subtlety or layering of flavour.
TEXTURE: Nice, I suppose. It's smooth and wet, though unrefreshing, and has apt carbonation and a soft creamy feel on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, with sufficient heft and weight on the palate. A nice mouthfeel for a bourbon barrel beer, but it's pretty straightforward and fails to elevate the beer or accentuate the flavours in the build.
OVERALL: Not a gestalt beer, and a sad attempt at a brown ale, but as is often the case with Ranger Creek, when one takes this beer as the style it is rather than the style Ranger Creek claims it is, it's not bad. This is probably the best beer they've ever released, and it does hide its ABV well, but one could absolutely do better - especially at this price point. I wouldn't bother buying it again, but I'll enjoy finishing the bottle - and that's rare with this brewery. I'm glad to see them using true bourbon barrels rather than messing about with their own. The discerning drinker will find it pleasant but middling, but there's some nice Four Roses character showcased here and its hides its ABV rather well.
B- (3.38)
Mar 23, 2015SRM: 25
IBU: 30
BRIX: 25.5 degrees.
Primary Cask: Four Roses
Secondary Cask: Ranger Creek .44 & Rimfire Barrels.
10.9% ABV.
1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with silver branded pry-off pressure cap and appealing understated label design acquired at an Austin TX bottle shop and served cold into a snifter per the label's instructions. Allowed to warm during consumption.
APPEARANCE: Snifter pour yields a ~1.5 inch head of khaki colour with gorgeous creaminess, nice thickness, and a fairly soft presentation. Retention is nice, lasting maybe 5 minutes. The body is *not* brown, but is rather an opaque black. I see no yeast nor hop sediment. Light lacing clings to the sides of the glass as the head recedes.
AROMA: To its credit, bourbon is evident, with notes of faint vanilla (authentic, not artificial) and faint white oak. Odd that Ranger Creek went with a bourbon from a different distillery for the primary aging, but then that's likely why this is a better aroma than anything they've put out perhaps ever. The bourbon dominates but doesn't overwhelm the base beer, which itself doesn't seem like much of a brown ale; there's no nuttiness or English brown malts. Instead, I find dark malts, faint tobacco, toffee, cream, and a hint of dark malts.
Pitiful for a purported brown ale, but nice as a general bourbon aged brew, with an average overall aromatic intensity and no off-notes.
This aroma suggests a better beer than I've ever had from Ranger Creek, and - contrary to the label's description - there's no alcohol warmth. I'm oddly excited to try this; has Ranger Creek finally come out with a good bourbon barrel beer?
TASTE: "Good" might be a stretch, but it's a nice brew for what it is. It's rather vanilla forward, but the vanilla is somewhat inauthentic (contrary to the aroma's promises). A generic dark malt backbone offers little of interest. The bourbon is fairly reticent, but it is there, and the vanilla and faint white oak coax out additional notes of pleasant marshmallow and toffee. I find no caramel or dark fruit. Strangely for a brown ale, there's no nuttiness of English brown malt character. The bourbon has overwhelmed the weak base, but that's frankly for the better, as the vanilla and marshmallow notes are the high point of this middling brew.
Its limited depth of flavour holds it back, as does its relative simplicity, but this isn't an unbalanced brew and I do like it. At best, it's a delivery vehicle for the Four Roses bourbon, and that's fine. Just don't expect an intricate or deep brew with any subtlety or layering of flavour.
TEXTURE: Nice, I suppose. It's smooth and wet, though unrefreshing, and has apt carbonation and a soft creamy feel on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, with sufficient heft and weight on the palate. A nice mouthfeel for a bourbon barrel beer, but it's pretty straightforward and fails to elevate the beer or accentuate the flavours in the build.
OVERALL: Not a gestalt beer, and a sad attempt at a brown ale, but as is often the case with Ranger Creek, when one takes this beer as the style it is rather than the style Ranger Creek claims it is, it's not bad. This is probably the best beer they've ever released, and it does hide its ABV well, but one could absolutely do better - especially at this price point. I wouldn't bother buying it again, but I'll enjoy finishing the bottle - and that's rare with this brewery. I'm glad to see them using true bourbon barrels rather than messing about with their own. The discerning drinker will find it pleasant but middling, but there's some nice Four Roses character showcased here and its hides its ABV rather well.
B- (3.38)
Texas Bourbon Barrel Series Imperial Brown from Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling
Beer rating:
91 out of
100 with
37 ratings
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