Very Old 33
Voodoo Brewing Co.

Pitch black coloration, poured nearly still. A few lazy bubbles cling to the inside of the glass as the beer settles.

One of my favorite notes from the set - burnt caramel paves the way for baking cocoa, pipe tobacco, smoked vanilla, stewed raisin, and charred oak.

The palate is a barrel beast - arguably a bit too much so. The oaky astringency leads the pack, with notes of toasted malt, smoked chocolate, and a touch of toffee & medium roast coffee on the backend.

Medium body with a higher carb than expected. It’s soft and seltzery, while the finish has noticeable heat and a fair amount of residual bitterness. The length continues well into the next sip, but some of the less desirable components of the barrel are what lingers. Bear in mind this beer is approaching 4 years old, so for a beer that spent time resting in 33yr bourbon casks and has then continued to develop that much longer in the bottle, it could definitely be a toss up. Not to take anything away from this complex expression.

 

Over a viscous black used motor oil body, the fluffy dark mocha brown head retains well relative to the other four in the set.

Starting with characteristics of high percentage dark chocolate, this one is ashier than the rest of the set, yet in a way still not woody or smoky, with beautiful accents of black pepper.

This is unbelievably clean for being aged in such an old barrel. I was expecting earth, dirt, peat or some sort of oxidation, but it almost seems less expressive than those aged in younger barrels, perhaps thanks to the higher Old Fitzgerald quality?

The medium-full, nearly round body has a fluffy carbonation that comes to a chewy, powder dry finish

The only one in the set I found to be smoky, and only mildly so, was 16, which is a substantial sea change for Voodoo. This was a very refined and enjoyable set I wish I could have shared with more people. Alas, happy New Year to me (and the old lady)!