Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Cafe Brown
Saugatuck Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

2019 vintage. Bottled on 9/11/19. 12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Pours a dark brown with mahogany and auburn hues; small light khaki head that fades leaving solid retention and lacing. The aromas have some chocolate along with some hints of vanilla and coconut. Mild and subtle hints of coffee. The bourbon is balanced in the aroma department. The flavors basically follow the nose. More chocolate, vanilla and coconut. The coffee is balanced and blends well with everything. Some caramel, toffee and brown sugar in the mix. The bourbon is subtle but it's still pretty noticeable and accentuates everything. Nice malt backbone. Alcohol is well hidden. Mouthfeel is on the lighter side of full-bodied with moderate carbonation. It's slightly thin, smooth and dangerously drinkable.

This is a nice barrel-aged brew. Balance is the key with this one, but it's still bold. It's enjoyable and fun to drink. Well done. It might even be better than my "numerical score" might indicate.

Pours a dark brown with minimal head that disappears quickly. Boozy aroma but taste isn't overly boozy. Not bitter; IBUs 20. Smooth with Good mouth feel. Drinking this one gives a warm feeling in your stomach without having a strong alcohol presence.

12oz bottle. Poured out a semi-opaque, brown color with a small, tan head of foam. It smelled of bourbon, vanilla and coffee. Strong bourbon taste with vanilla, coffee and toasted caramel.

 

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 9/23/2019. Pours fairly crystal clear very dark ruby red/brown color with a small fairly dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk chocolate, cocoa, medium roast coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, bourbon, coconut, roasted nuts, toasted oak, biscuit, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Minimal booze in the aromas as it warms. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, vanilla, coffee, bourbon barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of big milk chocolate, cocoa, medium roast coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, bourbon, coconut, roasted nuts, toasted oak, biscuit, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Light herbal, grassy, roasted coffee bitterness; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk chocolate, cocoa, medium roast coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, bourbon, coconut, roasted nuts, toasted oak, biscuit, brown bread/crust, licorice, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, vanilla, coffee, bourbon barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/roast bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and lightly slick/sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mild increasing warmth of 9.8%, with minimal lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged flavored imperial brown. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, vanilla, coffee, bourbon barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to dip on for the big ABV, with the mildly bitter/spicy/tannic/drying finish. Fantastic soft/silky feel for the ABV, mellowly bitter/tannic. Perfectly balanced rich malts, vanilla, fruity/nutty coffee complexity, and bourbon barrel presence/integration; mild earthy hops and restrained fruity yeast. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding spot on style example as expected.