4 Calling Birds - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
The Bruery

4 Calling Birds - Bourbon Barrel-Aged4 Calling Birds - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
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From:
The Bruery
 
California, United States
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
ABV:
14.8%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.07 | pDev: 10.57%
Reviews:
37
Ratings:
196
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 02, 2024
Added:
Dec 26, 2012
Wants:
  27
Gots:
  76
4 Calling Birds was our 2011 winter ale - a spiced strong dark ale. We took inspiration from the traditional winter warmer for our fourth verse, integrating gingerbread spices into a robust dark ale. Notes of licorice & banana bread mingle with dark fruit, molasses and bitter chocolate for a perfect cold weather sipper!

This is the Bourbon Barrel Aged version of last years holiday seasonal! Spending a year in rich oak barrels, the beer has picked up incredibly deep and luxurious notes from the oak and bourbon, but has maintained it's original charm.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by NickMunford:
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Rated by NickMunford from Wyoming

4/5  rDev -1.7%

Oct 10, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.07 by oberon from North Carolina

Jan 02, 2024
 
Rated: 3.39 by RochefortChris from North Carolina

Dec 23, 2023
 
Rated: 3.8 by KAP1356 from Pennsylvania

Dec 29, 2022
Photo of Treyliff
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2020 Vintage
374ml bottle poured into a tulip

A- pours dark brown in color with a one-finger foamy light khaki head that reduces to a ring around the glass

S- plenty of barrel to be found on the nose with oak, bourbon and vanilla popping through. Some spice notes of ginger, maybe even clove & nutmeg, along with fruit cake, banana bread, caramel, brown sugar, stewed cinnamon apples, raisins. It gets more complex as it warms

T- sweet and malty up front with notes of chocolate and caramel, quickly followed by some Christmas spice; ginger & nutmeg. Mid-palate brings out the barrel with some oak tannins, barrel juice and caramel. The finish gives notes of cinnamon apples, stewed raisins and Belgian candi sugar. Lingers of bourbon barrel

M- medium body with moderate carbonation produces a prickly mouthfeel that turns slightly creamy into a warming finish

O- complex yet remarkably balanced
Dec 18, 2022
 
Rated: 3.65 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

Sep 13, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by Stengelfoot from California

Dec 17, 2021
Photo of SHODriver
Reviewed by SHODriver from North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A: Poured into a snifter to a deep brown beer which is essentially black. The beer is topped by a dense and rocky finger of tan head which fades quickly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing.
S: Smells of dark fruits with some hints of spices along with some oak, vanilla, and caramel from the barrel
T: Taste is dark fruits and candi sugar up front along with some peppery spice. there's some oak, vanilla and caramel along with a touch of char. On the swallow there's more dark fruits and some brown sugar to molasses notes along with more oak, vanilla and caramel.
M: This beer has a body which is on the heavy side but not overly so while being slightly slick on the palate. Carbonation is on the low end but it is adequate for the size of the beer while the beer has a drying finish due to the ABV.
O: Overall this is a well executed BA belgian dark beer. Really nice flavors and complexity and it held up quite well to the test of time. Definitely happy to have snagged this one in a cellar sale.
Feb 14, 2021
 
Rated: 4.14 by jbdpsu82 from Pennsylvania

Jan 05, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by michiganmatt from California

Dec 31, 2020
 
Rated: 4.27 by Cpmitchno1 from Virginia

Dec 05, 2019
Photo of macrosmatic
Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida

3.66/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to eyebereej for sending this bottle! Reviewed from (very) long-standing notes. Poured from the 750mL bottle into an El Catador Barrel-Aged glass.

A: Dark brown, but distinctly brown. Very hazy, nearing opaque. A low level of visible carbonation and a minimal light brown head that fades quickly.

S: Bourbon, raisins, and apples. Chocolate and caramel malts, vanilla and oak tannins. Light Christmas spices – nutmeg, allspice – but unlike most all Christmas beers, they are all integrated into the aroma of the beer, instead of like snorting a Santa’s Nutsack candle.

T: Bourbon and vanilla again. Chocolate and a modest toast to the malt body. Spiced rummy raisins, cinnamon apples, light cloves. Some caramel and more Belgian yeast. Bourbon and chocolate and spices last in the hang.

M: An average body - maybe a little lighter than expected but acceptable. The alcohol presence is certainly noticeable but not obnoxious - the bourbon flavors are obvious without having too much burn. Low carbonation sensation.

O: Not my favorite, but I think that the bourbon barrel did help it. There’s a little acetone/paint thinner aspect in the booziness that detract some. I will say that I wouldn’t have guessed this even close to the listed ABV, so maybe some of that can be forgiven. There’s just nothing particularly appealing about this beer, though there's no off-flavors or anything. The Belgian esters are present though not huge. There’s just not much to hang your hat on. Quintessentially forgettable, I suppose.
Mar 21, 2019
Photo of rudzud
Reviewed by rudzud from Massachusetts

2.77/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5
Split with JLindros.

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a nice dark brown almost black with no real head but a thin halo.

S - Aromas of sour soy sauce teriyaki....like I left food in a garbage disposal and didn't run it for a month.

T - Taste is similar to the nose with soy sauce loads of dark fruits. Light barrel notes and bourbon.

M - Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated, sticky.

O - Overall this was a very disappointing beer. Somehow worse than the base.

Serving Type: bottle
Nov 30, 2018
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

2.78/5  rDev -31.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Split with rudzud, don't expect much from this beer

No head really, decent legs, very dark molasses brown beer a little clear

Nose starts like it could have potential, mild bourbony notes, vanilla oak, then just sadness, a sour soy sauce teriyaki but gives soy sauce and teriyaki a bad name, spices boiled with trash and loads of mulling spices, and rotten raisins, burnt raisin and alcohol

Taste sweet syrupy mess molasses, bad spices, soy sauce and sweet potato like, some fig date like dark fruits and syrupy, a bit of mulling spices, gingerbread and banana bread notes, a bit of bitterness and burnt spices, flash of alcohol as well, with more mild raisins and brandy winey like, very syrupy and messy, a touch of bourbon and caramel, hint of vanilla barrel, not great, but not too bad

Mouth is syrupy messy, mild hot alcohol and very little carbonation
Nov 30, 2018
Photo of Furlinator
Rated by Furlinator from California

4.24/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
On tap at the Terreux tasting room on 12/04/17.
Dec 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.91 by hopkrid from Florida

Sep 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by shoegueuze from California

Aug 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4.09 by 2GOOFY from California

Apr 17, 2016
 
Rated: 4.24 by PhineasMcClintock from Massachusetts

Apr 16, 2016
Photo of ThickNStout
Reviewed by ThickNStout from Georgia

4.17/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
750mL bottle acquired through The Bruery's Society. No bottling date but this was a holiday 2012 release. Served in a Bruery snifter.

Pours a murky dark chocolate brown with raisin highlights and about a finger of quickly dissipating manilla froth. A razor thin rail persists without managing to impart any lacing.

Sweet, beckoning bourbon aroma right up front followed by holiday gingerbready spicing, dark fruit, vanilla, caramel and toffee.

Tastes of softly flavorful bourbon, booze soaked raisin bread, wet oak, vague spice, fudge, vanilla, singed caramel and a little soy sauce, all wrapped up with a touch of booze heat. The barrel character has pleasant smoothing and sweetening effects on the spiced BSDA base. Quite tasty.

Fairly heavy body with fast fading carbonation. Aftertaste is reminiscent of bourbon doused spiced fruitcake.

I was slightly underwhelmed by the standard 4 Calling Birds but as with all of the barrel aged variants of the 12 Days series the base is taken to new heights by the sweet complexity added during its time in a barrel. I'm glad The Bruery occasionally releases small allotments of these older holiday beers so I can try them.
Mar 19, 2016
4 Calling Birds - Bourbon Barrel-Aged from The Bruery
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 196 ratings