Old Rag Mountain Ale (Oak Barrel Conditioned)
Shenandoah Brewing Co.

12oz brown bottle with no freshness date and a neck sticker stating Oak Barrel Conditioned. Pours a murky very dark brown - almost black with a 1 finger head, OK longevity and good lace. Smells of rich malt. Earthy with hints of whisky, maple and chocolate. I get a wiff of soy sauce too, almost SA Triple Bock like but sweeter. Sweet malt up front followed by the chocolate, whiskey, coffee and maple. Leaves a nice roasted bitterness in the aftertaste. Very complex but smooth and creamy. A very nice beer. A step up from the regular Old Rag Ale. If you get the chance, get 2 of these and stash one away.

Thanks to AKSmokedPorter for trade.

"Oak barrel conditioned" neck sticker surprised me.

Pours a dark mahogany opaque with a settled khaki cap.

Deep scents of peat, baker's chocolate and biscuity flour.

First swigs: Expansive palate pleaser of baker's chocolate, some Dr. Pepper and a generous peat. Some saltiness blends in with a cocoa. Just a touch of the wood barrel.

Feel is brisk and medium bodied. The finish is a lingering rootbeer. Interesting enough. Thanks AKSmokedPorter for the bottle.

Last swigs:

"Oak Barrel Conditioned", says a sticker on the bottleneck.
Dense, muddy brown body, some crimson shining in crevices at the foot and sides, under a big, creamy cocoa head....creaminess evidenced first in the nose, light, sweet, caramel and nuts, toffee, and licorice, a bit o' pepper, on the side. Nice.
On the palate, rich and smooth, but a bit of the alcohol speaks up through the woody character, gives a feel of charcoal and whiskey. Notes of vanilla, dark fruit, sweet and malty, but maily mellow, perhaps an effect of the wood. Slick and boozy. Gentle and sophisticate, but loaded with flavor, full-bodied, with a long, lovely finish, softly fading, but leaving an indelible impression.
A fruitier Scotch than I'm used to, maybe, but definite unique, a keeper for sure.

Much thanks to AKSmokedPorter!

Aged in whisky casks.....Murky dark brown color, with hints of ruby along the edge. Sweet earthy oak smell. Lots of eathy rich tastes matched with the whisky casks, made for an incredible smooth taste. Lots of roasted malt taste, very smooth sweet finish coates the tongue. Syrupy thick feel. Candy like taste lingers on your tongue...alcohol warms your belly. One the more memorable beers from the 2002 GABF.

Shenandoah brews this ale in 2 fashions. Some of it is bottled as-is; they also take some of it and age it in whiskey casks for a bit, then bottle it. This sample is of the latter cask/bottled edition. Poured a bright copper color, with a hint of haze due to a little yeast in the bottle, and a thin, fine head and ok lace. Some sweetness in the nose, but has a big-time whiskey aroma. Mouthfeel was medium overall... Taste had more of the malt sweetness and some peaty/smoky hints, but was overpowered by the cask-conditioned notes. The oaky/whiskey aspect is dominant here. It's an interesting flavor, but I wouldn't drink a lot of this.

overall: 3.85
appearance: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | mouthfeel: 4 | drinkability: 3.5

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