Bois - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
The Bruery

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very reddish orange, with little light transmission in the glass and a thin khaki head that dissipates to nothing with slight lacing. Aroma of dry caramel malt, dates, woody oak and dried plums. Flavor is sweet caramel malt, Port, aged woody and woody oak, raisins, bourbon and dried plums. A light woody astringency in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Another of the cellar over-aged bottles has surfaced. I did not have very high expectations, but this has aged quite well for 13 years. There is an unexpected fortified wine flavor that is a major taste component. I wish I had tasted the original, because I'm not getting any of the biscuity malt I'd expect from an old ale and I think it would have been even more appealing with that malt flavor. Plenty of woody and dried fruit notes from the bourbon barrels. A rather sweet, woody and fruity aged ale that has stood up to time very nicely, although I suspect I would have liked the younger version better. Alcohol deceivingly well covered. Another surprisingly enjoyable very aged ale from the basement.

Just had a vintage bottle of this from my cellar after all this time. Faded a bit, but still deep flavor and carbonated, with no spew of foam. Some sherried notes, but no off-putting or sour notes. The bourbon has mellowed and become more integrated, but still a huge beer, if smoother.

 

 

750mL into a tulip. Pours a nearly carbonation-free deep mahogany with zero head.

Aroma is big and sticky-sweet. Caramel, toffee, brown sugar, booze. Vanilla and subtle spice. Rum-soaked black cherries, figs, dates.

Taste is likewise sweet and complex. Molasses, rum, caramel, vanilla, dark sticky stone fruits. Brown sugar, vanilla.

Mouthfeel is heavy and chewy, coating. Lingering aftertaste, warming as it goes down.

Overall a very tasty, complex dessert beer. About what I expected, and similar to other Bruery anniversary old ales. Delicious.

 

Type: 750-ml. bottle
Reviewed as: Old Ale
Glass: Ball 16-oz. mason jar
Price: $15.00
From: From a Facebook San Diego beer trading group
Purchased: Dec. 3, 2020
Consumed: Dec. 31, 2020
Misc.: Bottled on April 4, 2003; Gold waxed neck

Picked this out on a Facebook San Diego beer trading group from a guy that was trying to get rid of a bunch of stuff. Ended up paying $40 for five 22-oz. barrel-aged beers, including this for just $15. Online description read “Bois is our fifth anniversary ale, loosely brewed in the English-style Old Ale tradition using our house Belgian yeast strain and then blended using the solera method. A portion of each of our anniversary ales is saved in our barrels and blended in with the next year's production, providing more complexity and depth of character that comes with age. Layered with complex flavors of dark fruit, vanilla, oak, and burnt sugar, Bois is a robust ale, surely the perfect beer to mark this major milestone.” Seems like a great way to finish my New Year’s Eve night.

Poured a dark-to-very dark brown color with two fingers of khaki-tan frothy head. Pretty calm setting underneath with just a few noticeable bubbles. Below average watery lacing. Minimal retention. (Sight - 3.00)

Smelled chewy toffee, caramel, butterscotch, toasted oak, leathery tobacco, smooth bourbon, dark fruit, vanilla, toasted oak, chocolate, brown sugar, sugary maple, molasses and hints of port wine. Much of the same from the bottle. (Smell - 4.25)

Tasted about as good as the nose. In order got chewy toffee, caramel, butterscotch, boozy bourbon, toasted oak, leathery tobacco, date, fig, raisin, vanilla, toasted oak, brown sugar, sugary maple, sticky molasses and toasted brown bread. Didn’t quite taste 15 pct. ABV. (Taste - 4.50)

Full body. Sticky texture. Soft carbonation. Long, smooth finish. (Feel - 4.75)

Really liked this one, which isn’t surprising considering it was from The Bruery. Underrated it slightly overall, but excellent. (Overall - 4.25)

4.33 | 96 | A

Really mellow with bourbon sweetness, Vanilla, butterscotch, and little sourness at the back balancing things out. Definitely a solo sipping dessert beer at heart, though. Overall, great beer that is dangerously smooth considering the abv.

 

 

 

2013 bottle

Poured from a wax topped bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: A cloudy viscous caramel/mahogany brown pour. Thin fizzy white head... modest ring of lacing.

S: Rich and sweet. Caramel, sugars, dark fruit, and toffee. Vanilla and booze.

T.F: Just like it smells. Rich and sweet up front. Loads of molasses and toffee... boozy and warming. Fig and raisin. Nice vanilla and bourbon from the barrel. Compliments the big sweet beer nicely. Thick and sticky on the tongue. Better as it warms.

O: A fantastic big, boozy, barrel aged Old Ale. 6 years in and this was still amazing.

 

Served in a snifter glass from the bottle.

Appearance: Semi cloudy color with deep mahogany with medium to heavy bubbles creating an off-white head rising to just about half a finger's length off the body.

Smell: Deep deep whiskey scent, it definitely improves as the beer warms up.

Taste: Complex toffee with hints of malt which offset it with a punch off light bitterness. A touch sweet but the bourbon used to age this beer is on another level. Personally I'm in lust.

Mouth: This is one sticky beer and with it's sweet finish you can put it down for a very very long time and the finish just lingers.

Overall: This brew design is nothing different but it is definitely a gem. It is a touch more complex than it's brethren and honestly it is very hard to keep the glass down. Grab again and again if you see it.

 

Sweet toffee/caramel, dark fruit, coconut, bourbon, alcohol. Some alcohol heat even after 5 years, but relatively smooth for 15% ABV. Flavors slightly muddled. Probably a little past its prime but still excellent. Definitely good to share as a whole bottle gets a bit diabeetus heavy by the end.

 

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a Spieglau BA glass.

Look is a hazy opaque brown with barely a sliver of head.

Aroma is sweet malt with a lot of oxidized dark fruits.

Absolutely amazing! I can't believe this beer is five years old. Incredibly amazing. Goes down super well. Nice snow day sipper.