Abominable Winter Ale - Bourbon Barrel
Hopworks Brewery

Love their Abominable series and this one is very good. Pours a dark brown color with a minimal head that stays as a ring around the glass. The aroma is sweet toffee and caramel and a hint of alcohol. This is a very good sipping beer.
Earlier Rating: 12/12/2018 Total Score: 4.8
I had this beer at the Vancouver Brewery, and I love this beer, tried to buy a growler, but they said that they didn't sell growlers of that beer because it was a limited release, so bought a 22oz bottle. I'm going to save for special occasion. Complex flavor with just the right amount of hops and malt. This is their Abominable Ale aged in Bourbon barrels. This is the nectar of the gods, FANTASTIC!

L: Light brown, semi transparent body, one finger soapy head.
S: Bright. Orange peel and citrus, toffee, nutty and boozy notes.
T: Just as bright as the nose. A burst of citrus, mostly orange but a bit of subdued lemon as well. Toffee and caramel in the body, mingling with citrusy hop bitterness. Most of the barrel comes out in between the body and the finish. Lingering toffee and nuts on the finish, along with a citrus boozy pop.
F: Quite smooth, quite warm.
O: Not as barrel forward as expected, which might be a product of how intensively it’s incorporated in the BA beers I’ve been drinking. I appreciate the light touch, though; it doesn’t morph the base beer into a different style.

 

 

 

 

2022-01-01
16oz can served in a footed pilsner glass. Dated 08NOV21. Day 7 of Brewvana's 12 Beers of Christmas.

Pours a surprisingly clear caramel-amber color with a large head. Smell is a little tea, a little fruit, a little bourbon, a little honey. Bit of a smokey / oaky character, too.

Taste is tons of caramel, toffee, nuts, chocolate. Smoke might still be there, but the oak is missing for me now.

Mouthfeel is also a surprise -- it's light, smooth, slight creaminess. Overall, very good and very interesting.

 

16oz can. Bronze body, large off-white head. Big malty body; sharp turn of whiskey with a long flash of toffee and vanilla, some spice, moderately strong warmth and alcohol, full bodied.