Gin Barrel Ace
Hopworks Brewery

Had a sample at the brew pub in Vancouver, this is not the same type of gin-barrel aged beers I've had before. This one has more sweetness and just a hint of the gin. I really don't like gin, so this was a surprise for me. I could drink this beer regularly. Rated 9-19-2020

 

love gin barrel stuff, so this was a no brainer, especially at under six bucks a pint can. enjoyed immediately following the base beer, which was also new to me, and like it, this one tasted slightly faded and oxidized despite being so recently canned, just about a month ago. this looks a shade darker to me than the original, and still has that same sturdy malt backbone, also a little hazy with a short lived off white head. it smells even more alcoholic, with the gin rising right to the front and marrying its botanical intensity in with the northwestern hop profile, juniper meets spruce, clean orange and lemon meet bitter grapefruit, and there is a menthol herbaceous property to it as well, quite pungent in the nose really, and unique. not overly woody when i taste it, but the oak that is here brings up the malt quite a bit, and this seems balanced in an old school way as a result. i like the way the botanicals in the gin mesh with the hops, very cohesive and distinctive and good, but the beer overall is just a touch sloppy to me, boozy, weighty, malty, just a little less refined than i was hoping for. still, really cool flavors in here and something fun to share around the table. i could also see this base beer working in a tequila barrel, a little spiciness or even like the smoke of mezcal would be cool with this malt and hop intersection...

16oz can from Homebrewstuff. Medium amber, almost clear, small bubbly head. At first the aroma almost recalls rum, but then the juniper herbal notes waft in, giving it a light floral edge. Taste also starts with some rich caramel malts, mildly sweet and the woody, herbal layers adding a mild astringency. Gin is subtle, then more prominent on the palate long after the mouthful is swallowed. Latent warmth too. Pretty damn smooth.