Edwin's 2009 Brandy Barrel-Aged Winterscotch Ale
Iron Springs Pub & Brewery

thin and flat looking, caramel and toast in the nose, flat, sour malt in the finish, slight oil on the palate, toast and sulfur in the finish

medium toast american oak chips aged for 11 months at 8% abv

straight wood and only five gallons in existence

sampled this at the bistro west coast barrel aged beer festival november 13, 2010

No picture yet again for this....Pours thick and syrupy. No head at all, and only the slightest bit of carbonation. Pours a cloudy rust-colored amber. Aromas are sharp. I get some sweet cherry and Flanders Red Ale notes right away. Very robust and luscious. Also some faint cinnamon notes. Nice, particularly considering how disappointing it is in appearance. The flavor is....weird. Almost too weird. Starts off very tart and fruity, and immediately moves into a kind of thin middle, replete with tons of barrel-charred notes. It's like the flavors are wrapped around the body of the beer. Strange. The middle gets funky, then careens into the finish, which has a bitterness I can't quite place but assume it must be from the barrel-aging. It's not hops, that's for sure. Stylistically I feel this misses the mark. If I use McEwan's as a reference point for a wee heavy, this isn't in the same category. Very disappointing given the price of approx. $8/bomber (only available as part of the Winter 4-pak at $35). Spend your money elsewhere.

What I like most: The wonderful, vibrant aromas.

What I like least: the strange flavors and poor pour.

Verdict: Certainly challenging to enjoy and not worth the price.