Twelve
Oakshire Brewing

 

 

Clear dark brown-red with plenty of foam in the Maredsous goblet. The barrel flavor was a surprise, being in such small print on the label, but it's bold and boozy. I don't taste any oxidation, but each to his own. There's a lot of butterscotch and burnt sugar. Warm and sweet, almost maple syrupy.

Brewery says this was brewed in 2016 and aged in Bourbon barrels 19 months. Overall it's a very fine sipping brew, highly alcoholic in a nice way, and a strong blast of dessert. Luscious caramel with that kettle corn smack. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Elizabeth Station in Bellingham.

 

 

2019-01-05
22oz bottle served in a tulip.

Pours murky brownish with a small head. Smell is primarily dates. Some must and booze. Probably some oak.

Taste is mostly dates. Moderately sweet. Something woody for sure.

Mouthfeel is thick and smooth. Overall, not bad, not special.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a dark brownish orange with a thin, light khaki head that dissipates to patches with slight lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, oak, dried plums, dates and raisins, a little oxidised for some reason. Flavor is dry caramel malt, dates, toffee, dried plums, light bourbon and a touch of oak and cardboardy oxidation, mild hops in the woody, dark fruit finish. Medium bodied with light creaminess. A little closer to an English style barleywine with the deep dried fruit flavors, but a touch of hops in the finish. Oddly has oxidation flavors even though this a just released bottle; it's unusual for this to appear just from barrel aging, but seems possible. An aged tasting barleywine right from the start, and a nice malty one too. Nice anniversary ale.

22oz bottle that was $15.99. I like the Hellshire series so I bought this one. Dark brown color. Boozy aroma, Flavor is a touch oxidized I think, not any bourbon flavors that I can pick out.