Barrel Reserve 2014
River North Brewery

Barrel Reserve 2014Barrel Reserve 2014
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From:
River North Brewery
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
87
Avg:
3.83 | pDev: 11.75%
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
14
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 30, 2020
Added:
Jul 17, 2014
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  4
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of beergoot
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

3.52/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Dark honey amber body; lots of carbonation; thin, almost wispy head yet lasting. Interesting and pleasing aroma; cider-like or ripe apple; a bit of caramel. The taste delivers more malt and caramel flavor; somewhat sweet but not cloyingly so. Heavy body; rough and bubbly initially and then settles into a heavy, residual sugary sweetness; some alcohol warmth and dryness.

For a 5-6 year old beer (of unknown aging conditons), it ain't bad. And it sure ain't very memorable, either. The fruitiness (esters) are an interesting aspect of this beer but doesn't detract from it, yet also doesn't add much for a barrel aged strong ale. But this is all a woulda / coulda / shoulda situation. What was the beer like upon initial release? How did it age after only a year or two?? I'll never know. And I'm still satisfied with the beer overall...
Jan 30, 2020
Photo of maximum12
Reviewed by maximum12 from Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Another beer captured in CO & liberated to MN; this one chosen specifically by my lovely wife. 22 oz. bottle with stark black-and-white label; I suppose it would be ungrateful not to split it with her…

The pour is orange & flat, carbonation is barely showing in the gill nets. The nose is sweet, a bit musty, with the sherry dominant. Everything is light.

Barrel Reserve 2014 is a beer ISO: an identity. The barrel roll is nice: I can taste the whiskey on top with a nice nip glass of sherry underneath. The wine barrel comes through in a fruity grape, big double heaping of sugary sweetness, then more sweetness that overwhelms the barrel & almost my eyesight. Finish is pure adrenaline. Easy to drink, especially for anyone who has been training on Coke or Mountain Dew for the last decade or two.

The blending has left the brew muddled, & there isn’t a lot of brew under the nice barrel presence. Pretty good beer.
Sep 05, 2015
Photo of spoony
Reviewed by spoony from Colorado

4.07/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
From a 650 ml bottle (2014 edition) to a tulip. Reviewed from notes dated October 13, 2014.

A-A slightly aggressive pour produces about a finger of nearly white head. The foam drops quickly and leaves a bit of lacing at first. The beer is orange hued honey in color, and mostly clear and still.

S-The aroma is heavy on the sweet, sugary malt flavors. Some caramel and syrupy notes form the base, and a good dose of fruity, dessert-wine flavors sit on top. I really pick up the white wine barrel and the sherry.

T-The taste is pretty similar to the smell. It is fruity and sweet, with lots of chardonnay coming through. The sherry sweetness kicks in on the finish too. I did not pick up much from the whiskey barrel, but I didn't miss it too much. Flavors include a bit of citrus, some green apple, white grape, and a bit of spice on the finish.

M-The carbonation is pretty tame, but has a decent volume on my palate. The body is medium to heavy.

O-River North really seems to impart the barrel flavors into their beers and this beer is no exception. The chardonnay and sherry barrels make for a nice pairing. The beer tends toward sweetness, so if that is your thing, you'll enjoy it. Alcohol is pretty well hidden, but you know this is a bigger beer after a few sips. A nice effort.
Nov 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by pagesofphotographs from Colorado

Nov 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.7 by CraftFan5 from New Jersey

Nov 03, 2014
Photo of floridadrift
Reviewed by floridadrift from Florida

4/5  rDev +4.4%
A: Amber

T: Boozy and bitter from the Chardonnay barrels, whiskey is there a little more than the sherry is.

M: Light and very drinkable for the puny booze beer drinker

O: It was like 14.99, thats worth it. I have one aging, so we'll see whats up in a year or two.
Oct 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by DahWag from Colorado

Oct 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Mineo from New York

Sep 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by kylemckinnis from Colorado

Aug 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by BeerBucks from New York

Aug 12, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by mtbdonn from Colorado

Aug 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by braugon from Connecticut

Aug 04, 2014
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.89/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
like so many of the barrel aged rive north beers, this one is appropriately enormous, suitable for an anniversary beer for sure. but also like most of their beers that have seen wood, its amazingly well concealed alcohol strength is not the focus. i love the use of sherry barrel on this, its a small part of the three barrel blend, but its fruitiness and sweetness both cooperates with and stands up against the more heavy whiskey characters. smells so rich and layered, elegant even for a strong ale (the abv isnt listed, but i would guess near 10% abv). i wish more of the nuance from the nose came through in the taste. its not as separated, but more jumbled together. sweet at first, woody and even musty in the finish, belgian yeast still evident. its fluffy on the palate with both a large body and generous carbonation. the alcohol is minimally hot, but ill bet a year or so in the cellar would really develop it. probably worth what they ask for it, and definitely worth picking up if you are keen on uncommon barrels. not much sherry stuff out there...
Jul 18, 2014
Photo of cpetrone84
Reviewed by cpetrone84 from Pennsylvania

3.34/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Pour is hazy dark golden amber with a small amount of white head. Nose sports some light white white notes, a hint of wood, a decent bit of candied sugar, notes of a tangy yeast, and a touch of booze. Taste is also a bit sweet, more of the whiskey barrel and boozy flavors come through in this. Still candied sugar and notes of a tangy Belgian yeast. A bit boozy in the finish with some lingering sugars. Medium body, moderate carbonation and fairly clean finish.
Jul 17, 2014
Barrel Reserve 2014 from River North Brewery
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 14 ratings