Oliver's Oak-Aged 3 Lions Ale
Pratt Street Ale House

 

Off cask at a pizzeria in Alexandria this beer was a rich amber color with some ruby highlights that appeared when held to light. The one finger of khaki-colored head retained itself well and left streaks of lacing as I enjoyed it. The aroma was a punchy mix of booze, fruity esters, vanilla, oak and some sweet breads. The flavors were complex and enjoyable. I tasted caramel malt, some toffee and oak then the softer elements of plum and vanilla. Boozy esters, bready malts and figs rounded out the offering giving it a very rich, full flavor profile. The mouthfeel was smooth and luscious, the body full/medium and the carbonation delicate.

Poured on tap at Meridian Pint DC into a snifter glass.

A light tan head with a dark brown body, with slightly red hued edges, kind of dull, with a soapy head that doesn't last very long. Body is also clear and leaves a small collar.

Closed nose on this, very mild sense of fizziness and gas and caramel stickiness.

Taste is sudsy, with mild chocolate and boozy malt backbone with this slight velvet texture. Still very fizzy with a small vanilla finish. Everything seems muted and downplayed over powered by carbon dioxide.

Overall it's got good qualities but they've been sledgehammered by this fizziness I can't get past. It couldn't have been from my food which I thought it was at first, but it all kept tasting the same throughout and finishing. Kind of disappointing.

I confirmed this was served on tap and not cask which I thought was odd. Guess I need to try the cask version.

Transcribed from undated notes. I know that it was from one of GEN Sutter Inn's Cask Nights, though.

This was presented to me off of a gravity pour with two fingers' worth of soapy, off-tan head with low retention. Color was a deep amber with ruby highlights and NE-quality clarity. Nose had a light oak-y presence, but in an overdone, overpowering way. Mouthfeel was silky with a definite oak presence on the tongue - at once woody with a mild coconut/vanilla flavor underlying. Finish was dry and lingering with that wood and vanilla flavor, undoubtedly the result of the oak aging. Another winner courtesy of Steve Jones.

Out of a firkin during the Pratt Street real ale festival today.

The beer pours a fairly dark amber color with OK head retention and lacing. This is very rich smelling beer, with lots of vanilla, cinnamon and warm bread on the nose. Flavors replicate the nose in this rather sweet English style ale, but with a hint of bitterness in the finish. There's also a bit of chocolate and caramel in this beer. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a fairly long, lingering finish. Drinkability is OK, but I get some heat from the alcohol in the finish.

This is a nice enough beer, though I'm not sure how often I'd want to have it. Maybe just a bit too much of a good thing...

A-Hazy brownish copper with a thin white head. Head recedes to a thin veil leaving decent lace.

S-Rich caramel malts with hints of toffee, oak and bourbon. Touch of dark cherry and plum in the background.

T-Rich caramel malts with toffee and oak up front. Bourbon like flavours come through and become more prevalent with warming. Light notes of oak, cherry and plum back up the initial dryness and helps it add some pleasant sweetness.

M-Medium body and somewhat rich yet still smooth, creamy and luscious.

D-So yummy! Nice oak dryness gives way to surprising fruity sweetness. Intriguing bourbon notes finishes this one off to make a mighty fine drinking brew.

Cask at the brewpub.

Pours a hazy brown color with a creamy one-finger white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of deep caramel malts with hints of toffee and lighter hints of oak and mildly tart fruits.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Smooth caramel malts with good amounts of toffee and mild amounts of butterscotch. Midway through the sip hints of very lightly tart fruits enter into things - figs with hints of cherries. The fruit flavors carry through to a solidly sweet ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with soft carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I didn't have a problem finishing the glass and could have another.

Overall I'd have to guess this was aged in wine barrels, and I'll add this to the list of tasty barrel-aged beers. Well worth a shot if you see it on.

Not too sure on the style, but ChurchKey had it classified this way, so I'll go with that. Poured a hazy chestnut brown. The nose had plenty of oak alongside some very sweet malt. Also there was toasted malt, caramel, toffee, and a bit of vanilla. Served on cask, so the mouthfeel was quite creamy and low in bubbles, as to be expected. High drinkability--this was the first beer I'd had from Pratt Street and I will definitely seek out more.