Bourbon Barrel Aged Bernese Barleywine Ale
Thirsty Dog Brewing Company

It pours cooper with an off white head. Head retention is average. It has a thick chewy body with toffee, bread and bourbon. It has strong alcohol warming with very low dark fruits.

750 ml bottle into a snifter. Purchased 11/2018, don’t know if bottle is from 2017 or 2018. Had 5/8/20.

Pours a clear copper color, with a short, quick head and light foamy lacing. Aromas of bourbon, malt, strawberries, caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, oak, some plums, light char. Flavors of bourbon, caramel, malt, strawberries, brown sugar, oak, some plums. Smooth, a very good medium body, well carbonated.

The barrels are solid and carry the freight for this. Very good aromas and flavors with an overall lighter feel for the style. Very enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

Too hot. Maybe buy another to lay down for 1.5 years.

In the glass this displays a darker burnt copper-brown at the top, and a lighter ruby-copper at the bottom. This is possibly the clearest Barleywine I've seen, with a pillar of sparkling bubbles rising in the center, supporting a bubbly tan head that settles to a dense blanket leaving short, curvy mounds of lace.

Smell is intense of vanilla caramel brownie with rum and bourbon. Notes of red grape, peppery oak and toasted graham support.

Taste starts out with vanilla caramel again, while toffee, nougat and dark fruit come on in the middle, finishing spicy and very boozy of tongue numbing peppery oak and bourbon. This is like having a shot of bourbon with Heath bar and coconut already in your mouth.

Feel is silky yet smoothly carbonated with a crisp, semi-dry finish. But it's also quite hot, bringing the heat searingly through the nostrils upon exhale.

On tap at Blu Wolf Bistro in Rochester, NY.

This one pours a dark ruddy brown, with a small head, and no lacing.

Smells like stinging piney hops, dark breadiness, molasses, oak, and bourbon.

I wish there was a bit more barrel to this one, as it still feels kind of exceedingly hoppy. This is kind of additionally because I don't love hoppy barleywines, but that's just me. On the basis of it being a hoppy barleywine, it kind of works- the hop flavor is grassy, and tea-like, with just a hint of sweetness. There's lots of dark spicy breadiness here, with some very light caramel. There's a lot of oak, but not a ton of bourbon. Even a hint more sweetness would allow all of the flavors to round a bit better here.

This is medium bodied, fairly crisp, with a somewhat higher level of carbonation than I'd expect for a barleywine.

This is far from the best entry in Thirsty Dog's barrel aged program. It's ok, but doesn't do much for me.

 

 

 

 

The bourbon shines, but is not overbearing. It allows the sweet caramel, brown sugar, and fruits to come through. The time in the barrel also tamed the hops some. It isn't drinking like an English style, but there is just enough bitterness to balance the sweet flavors. Very nice.

 

Look - Medium brown/ copper
Smell - Strong bourbon notes with hints of caramel
Taste - Bourbon forward taste. Malty sweetness with medium to low hop bitterness
Feel - Full bodied and chewy
Overall - Fantastic beer. One the best barleywines I have ever had. Hope this one becomes a regular barrel aged beer.