Tripper Bocker - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Mikkeller ApS

 

 

This one pours a fairly dark brown color, with a small head, and not much lacing.

This smells like chocolate, caramel, oak spice, boozy bourbon, jammy raspberry, toffee, and some light roast.

I really enjoyed the base beer of this, and I'm not 100% sure that the barrel-aged version improves on it. It was such a unique and wonderful beer, and the barrel is strong, and takes away from that super bold raspberry character. The barrel adds a lot of warmth and spice, with lots of oak. The raspberry is slightly jammy, but comes across more as a fruit leather/dried fruit sort of flavor. The base is still great, with lots of bittersweet breadiness, caramel, and chocolate.

This is medium bodied, with a bit of a boozy finish, with a nice creaminess to it, especially as it warms a bit more.

I was really excited to have this one. It wasn't quite as good as the dynamite base beer, which is possibly the best beer I've had from Mikkeller SD. It's still a really interesting and unique beer to try here, and I'm glad I purchased it.

Pours a dark brown with a finger of khaki head.

Nose is oak barrel, mild brown sugar, mild caramel. Not quite dark like a stout, but some bready malt quality.

Taste is an initial punch of oak and bourbon, followed up quickly by mild raspberry. Not strong enough to be tart or jammy but impactful nonetheless. The barrel is pervasive throughout, but on the side is this quiet conversation being held by raspberry, dark bread and caramel. Toasty, mildly sweet, mildly bitter, all come together rather nicely.

Mouthfeel is fullbodied and smooth. Not heavy, nor sticky, or oily. Just fullbodied without over staying its welcome. Very mild carbonation.

Overall, an interesting idea for a brew. But damn, if it doesn't work well. And at 11% this doesn't pull punches. Great for a light meal it would seem.

Had on tap. Slate black with a khaki collar and lazy lacing. Smell and taste operate with the same base: charcoal, bourbon, charred wood, earth, chicory, moldy raspberry, with the smell having black strap molasses and a kiss of vanilla, where the taste has licorice, burnt toffee, and more general booziness. Conclusion: smells better than it tastes. Feel is charred, earthy, malty, drier, and boozy but not very thick and smooth. Like the taste, doesn't feel like it comes together fully.

From the bottle in a snifter. This unique triple bock pours a rich
coal black with a nice head of brown foam that settles to a thick ring,
thin wafting layer, and shows off some subtle lacing. Nose of raspberry,
chocolate, and mild mellow bourbon with touches of vanilla. Flavors
nail it with raspberry pie, dark breaded malts, bourbon, vanilla, oak on
the rear of the taste, and rich dark chocolate with brownie and fudge
notes dancing about warming booze. Very nice mouth feel; medium full to full
body, smooth, rich, medium light carbonation, and a nice lightly tart
raspberry and dark chocolate note laced with bourbon and finishing
medium dry from the tartness of the berry.

Overall----wow----and excellent hybrid brew.

Cheers