Arbalest - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Stone Brewing

Bourbon barrel aged version, rich and robust, nice sticky amber body. Barrel aging adds a whole other level of complexity to this beer, smoke, nuts and maple syrup. Nicely done

 

lately stone being unique has seemed more gimmicky and half hearted than inspired and original, like they were out of good ideas and just spitballing. some of their latest beers have been pretty whack in my opinion. this one however, is different in an awesome way. not a lot of belgian pale beers see american bourbon barrels, so this is a neat combination that i havent spent a lot of time with. the base beer is nice, a little more color than i thought it might have, a gorgeous pale white head, and a lot of carbonation. smells equal parts bright spicy belgian yeast and sweet vanilla driven bourbon, hints of char and hops on the back end as well. its a great combination of flavors, the yeast cuts through the sweet and the boozy from the barrel, and its spice and slight bubblegum properties work really well. its a complex palate of flavors, but its not at all messy or sloppy, you can sort of figure out where each element comes from, and the sum is greater than the parts. its strength is well hidden, and finally, that overly bitter signature stone thing isnt there! i was pleased and relieved by that. overall a really solid and clever beer, hope to get a chance to have another one. on tap at federal bar and grill.

On tap at Pittsford Pub in Pittsford, NY.

This one pours a reddish-amber color, with a one inch head, and a good amount of foamy lacing.

Smells like Belgian yeast, some apple and pear, clove, and mild oak.

The barrel-aging here is fairly mild, I get more oak than bourbon. There's just a slight kick of bourbon near the end. Up front there's some stone fruity, yeasty sweetness, some mild hop bitterness, and some clove-esque flavors. It's not my favorite set of flavors- since I'm not a huge fan of this style. It does feel well done though. I do wish the barrel asserted itself a little stronger, maybe. More oak and some vanilla or coconut would be nice. Don't necessarily need more bourbon on it.

This is medium bodied, with a fairly crisp mouthfeel, and a higher level of carbonation.

Definitely an interesting beer here, glad I got to try it.

 

 

 

 

Very appley and pear Belgian yeast aroma.

Flavor reveals apple and muted citrus hops, with a woody, moderately bitter finish. Don't get much bourbon.

 

Served On-Tap

A – Pours a deep ruby amber, red almost, with a thin and bright white head, thin random lacing left behind.

S – Bitter, oaky, dry, notes of rose, yeast, cherry, vinegar, pepper, salty.

T – Yeasty, bourbon, oak, apple, vinegar, fruity, grassy, bitter and dry.

M – Medium bodied, long and astringent finish.

O – Nice beer but a little confusing, notes of yeast tried to balance with oak.

On tap at Clinton Hall in NYC, pours dark copper amber color with a foamy 1 finger tan head that faded slowly and left good spotty lacing. Didn't know what to expect, but it looked good.

Smells of yeast, green apple, toasted grains, pear and other fruit, citrus hops, light oak notes, bourbon, caramel and grass or dry hay. A lot of fruity notes that show off the hops, yeast and mix well with the oak.

Light heat, with similar flavors to the nose which includes yeast, bourbon, green apple, toasted grains, pear and other fruit, citrus hops, light oak notes, some more mild booze, caramel, grass, white wine, red wine or oak barrel tannins and tropical fruit. It's similar to a wild ale, but the barrel aging added nice balance and vanilla notes which calm down the fruity essence up front and do a nice job of leveling the beer out with good balance.

Medium bodied, it's fruity with a boozy punch and average carbonation, but it feels light and on the thin side considering that the bourbon and barrel aging are evident and a huge influence all along. A really, really good beer that's different and unique; glad I got to try this gem.

Had this at Tart at Heart festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 11, 2015.

There's a huge tobacco presence to this beer, both in smell and taste, but it's got an enjoyable fruit component like peach or apricot. Leathery is another good descriptor. It's a sharp contrast of fruit to barrel-aged qualities and they're more noticeable than most barrel-aged tart or sour beers, so this may throw some off. I happened to enjoy it though.

Enjoyed at Hunahpu's Day 2015 at Cigar City Brewery in Tampa