Red Wine Barrel Aged Pentuple
Hoppin' Frog Brewery

Clear, mahogany color. Thin, off-white head. Caramel malt, wood, and dried fruits are in the aroma. Malty, sweet but well-balanced. Light notes of wine in the aftertaste.

250ml can from Tavour. Foggy amber pour, ring of off-white head. Grape-y aroma. Taste is malty, red wine and a nice hefty warmth. Malty, raisin aftertaste.

Doing the series of these. I like this one. The first thought is sticky sweet dark fruit juice. It’s still the same flavors and characteristics of the style I expect, but the hard red grape and woodsy character of the wine barrels bring a tasty pleasant difference. Alcohol is assertive but not as much as expected.

Best by 11/21/33

Continuing on with the series of barrel aged Pentuple variants, we have the red wine version. Both the brandy and bourbon barrel versions were good, but the OG still stands on top for me. That being said, I have a good feeling about this one. Let’s crack it open and find out what it has to offer

Pours an opaque orange brown with a finger of creamy light beige head that slowly fades to a ring and leaves minimal lacing

The nose is sweet as expected, but there’s a wonderful complexity to it. I’m picking up on aromas of red grape, burnt sugar, toasted oak, baked apple, jammy blackberry, sweet honey, pecan, baklava, overripe banana, and dark bread

The sweetness comes more from the fruity notes in taste but I’m still loving it, plus there’s a gentle tartness to it as well. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting tannic red wine, baked apple, sweet honey, poached pear, smooth oak, caramel, golden raisin, dark toast, overripe banana, and light orange marmalade. The swallow brings notes of overripe banana, baked apple, tannic red wine, jammy blackberry, orange marmalade, smooth oak, burnt sugar, toasted pecan, light honey, and golden raisin

A medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a slick beer. Finishes bone dry with a bit of heat but it’s hardly indicative of the 15.4% abv

This is easily the best variant of the ones I’ve had, and just about as good as the base beer. Looks like the sotol vsriant is the last one

Seemingly mildly hazy from a distance, up close and under light it's clear and faintly sparkling copper to garnet red under a short khaki foam head.

This features rounding notes, like butter or banana esters from the base Belgian yeast--finally revealing themselves!--though a little tannin and heat contrast.

The body is smoother and fuller than the brandy variant, allowing toffee, nougat and even pecan pie to express.

This is really going down the gullet with the most ease that any Pentuple ever has, while also having such a wonderfully complementing barrel profile that it's just delectable. Considering the horsepower of this thing, this is one hell of an expert execution.