Smoking Wood - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
The Bruery

Smoking Wood - Bourbon Barrel-AgedSmoking Wood - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
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From:
The Bruery
 
California, United States
Style:
Smoked Beer
ABV:
13%
Score:
92
Avg:
4.11 | pDev: 11.19%
Reviews:
122
Ratings:
648
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 21, 2020
Added:
Mar 19, 2012
Wants:
  115
Gots:
  231
2014 Vintage is 14% ABV
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Jimmyd2
Reviewed by Jimmyd2 from California

4.46/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
This is a 2014 vintage bottle. The beer is black/opaque and the head is tan but dissipates. Aroma is distinctively roasty and smoky as the beer warms. My memory of this beer was that the flavor was overwhelmingly smoky (and not terribly pleasant). This iteration was great, the smoke mellowed and it had a pleasantly dry in the finish. Nice full body. This was a pleasant surprise. Wish I had another!
Oct 21, 2020
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.09/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
2015 vintage; drank 6/14/16 on draft @ Fischman's.

Brown/black appearance.

Dark tan head; nice lace.

Bacon, peat & milk chocolate notes in the nose.

Thick, smooth mouthfeel.

Milk chocolate & mild bacon flavors up front; faint peat notes on the finish. No booze heat.

Sweet, smoky & quite enjoyable.
Sep 29, 2019
Photo of macrosmatic
Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida

3.96/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Reviewed from (very) long-standing notes. Poured from the 750 mL bottle into a Cycle Brewing snifter glass. 2013 vintage bottle, consumed 2/8/16.

A: Pours a dark, dark brown, and opaque. Minimal if any visible carbonation. Forms a very thin tan head that fades quickly.

S: Smoke (hickory and bacon) and chocolate malts. The bourbon is present but in the background.

T: Chocolate and smoke, charcoal and oak. Bourbon, a bit vanilla, and some char. Toffee sweetness as an undertone.

M: Heavy-bodied and thick. The alcohol presence is restrained for something bourbon-barreled. Low carbonation sensation.

O: I feel like this would be, to me at least, a solid B+ to A- beer if not for the smoke. So if you like smoked beers this is probably really good. As I continue through the drink - I'm not sure if it's as it warms, or as I become accustomed to it - but the smoke fades a bit. Which lets the chocolate and bourbon pull through that much more. This is, likely quite easily, my favorite smoked beer ever. That isn't a high bar. But this is still good.
Personal note: I estimate a 3.6/5 scored to my personal preference.
Jul 27, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by bluehende from Delaware

Apr 07, 2019
 
Rated: 3.99 by Bammer21 from Illinois

Jan 16, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by Cpmitchno1 from Virginia

Oct 23, 2018
 
Rated: 3.43 by advanracing62 from Idaho

Feb 02, 2018
 
Rated: 3.98 by TheManiacalOne from Rhode Island

Dec 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by CPAles from Illinois

Dec 07, 2017
 
Rated: 3.95 by brocktune from Virginia

Sep 17, 2017
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.59/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Sometimes I hate this beer, sometimes it seems so appropriate by a fire. So polarizing, even within the same recipient, totally the kind of beer that depends on what else is going on environmentally. Pours black, thin 1/4" brown head. Aroma has smoke, bourbon, roast, vanilla, marshmallow, chocolate malt, coffee malt aromas. Actually complex, enjoyment often depends on what your smoke threshold is for the day.

Taste, sometimes all I get is smoke and heat from the high amount of alcohol. Sometimes it is complimentary amount of smoke (usually when I'm around a fire already) and you get all the aromas dancing about in the taste and mouthfeel, sometimes all that stuff absorbs and covers the alcohol quite nicely, making for a nice late night sipper. I definitely like this version more than the rye one. I also notice I tend to like these the older they are.

Its a good beer, I guess I gave it a middling score all things considered.
Sep 15, 2017
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

3.65/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
2014 vintage.

This one pours a very dark brown, with a very small head, and no lacing.

The aroma on this one really reminds of the back alley smoking area of a particular dive bar I went to in college- it's smokey, and ashy, and a bit dank (not in the juicy hops way, bruh). There's lots of sweet bourbon, and good bit of caramel too.

The taste shows the same- it's definitely too smoky. It's an interesting beer, and I generally like smoke, but it seems age has just turned this into a smoke bomb. There's a nice sweet caramelly base that's quite reminiscent of The Bruery's typical strong ale base. There's a lot of bourbon. The aging time has done the booze level well- it's 14% ABV, but there's really no booziness here at all.

This is kind of syrupy, with a lower level of carbonation.

This definitely isn't my favorite Bruery beer- but it was still tasty.
Sep 14, 2017
 
Rated: 3.22 by mattreitz49 from Florida

Apr 28, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by captainkrad from New Jersey

Feb 07, 2017
 
Rated: 3.96 by ygtbsm94 from Utah

Feb 02, 2017
Photo of Treyliff
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia

4.57/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
2014 Vintage
750ml bottle poured into Hoarders tulip

A- pours pitch black in color with a one-finger creamy dark tan head that has great retention before settling into a ring around the edge of the glass

S- plenty of smoky notes up front; opens with smoked peat, pork, and charred wood. Undertones of chocolate & caramel, as well as spicy rye. The bourbon barrel adds some earthy oak and highlights of bourbon & vanilla. Bacon closes out the nose

T- opens with layers of deep chocolate and caramel, immediately followed by a hit of smoke, opening up notes of smoked peat, charred wood & smoked pork. The barrel opens up mid-palate, adding noticeable bourbon, along with vanilla and wet oak. The finish gives some spicy rye and more smoke on the linger

M- thick and viscous body with moderate carbonation leads to a creamy mouthfeel that continues into a silky warming finish

O- absolutely delicious with just the right amount of abv heat after two years of settling. I can't ask for much more in a smoked beer.
Dec 23, 2016
 
Rated: 3.53 by Treycotton from Oklahoma

Dec 17, 2016
Photo of brewaddict
Reviewed by brewaddict from California

4.46/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Reviewed 2/13/16 from notes
No bottle date, but I purchased this as a 2012 direct from The Bruery.
L - Pours cola with a thin espresso head. Lots of lace.
S - There is smoky oak up front, bourbon, and vanilla sweetness. I'm going out on a limb and saying i smell a hint of soy. But not in a bad way at all. I think it's the combination of smoke and bourbon that gives a sweet and salty experience.
T - Taste is rich bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, and caramel sweetness followed by peat and oak smoke with a touch of bitterness. Oh and there is no taste of soy.
F - It's about right for a porter. Good mouth feel. A little heat with a dry finish.
O - I love a good campfire, cedar planked smoked salmon, and real smoked BBQ. So I'm no stranger to smoke. This beer is fantastic and the smoke is not overpowering. I wish I had more. Seems like the general trend is down on the smoking wood line from The Bruery. But if they bring this back, I would definitely buy more.
Dec 15, 2016
 
Rated: 4.49 by edthehead from Maryland

Nov 29, 2016
Photo of HopsForBrains
Rated by HopsForBrains from North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Way too sweet but really smooth.
Nov 14, 2016
Smoking Wood - Bourbon Barrel-Aged from The Bruery
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 648 ratings