Bourbon McBride's Strong Ale
Stewart's Brewing Co.

A 650 mL bomber courtesy of Imstilltheman. Shared with janlud.

A: The old ale is a tawny color, a nice blend of brown/orange cider and faint red. A finger of head emerged and interrupted my pour. No lacing though.

S: The nose is soft on bourbon, showing off some vanilla and pepper (the ale could use a little more bourbon punch). Caramel maltiness is able to make its way through the light bourbon.

T: Drinking the ale, the subtle bourbon flavor really seeems to fit the ale. The vanilla bourbon flavors, while present, never take hold. They add dashes of flavor, including a peppery heat, without becoming too boozy. Brown sugar sweetness comes out of the heat, a dark sweetness. The more I drink it, the more I appreciate the bourbon flavor.

M: One must like bourbon to appreciate this beer. The old ale disappears behind the bourbon, content to hide.

D: The booziness is evident and overwhelming at times. The ale has held up nicely though, a bourbon sippers delight.

A gift from Imstilltheman....specifically because I like bourbon and oak.

Poured a very deep dark amber with a nice two finger off white head that melted to a white covering of slightly sticky bubbles.

Aromas of fresh cut oak...honest...really fresh and pugnant..wonderful..a little sugar...possibly dark brown sugar...and a hint of bourbon.

Taste is more bourbon than oak....which to me is a bit of a disappointment. I can't find the oak at all in the flavor which makes it appear a little thin. It's lots of bourbon...lots and lots....then some vanilla and some brown sugar followed with alcohol.

Mouthfeel was a little thin....the most disappointing part of this beer.

Aftertaste is of bourbon and alcohol but nothing cloying and as it dries, I want another sip.
***
Note...let it warm a bit. Mouthfeel thickens only slightly, but flavors blend and mellow erasing the strong alcohol and mellowing the entire experience, Wish I had more.

This review is for the bottled version. Let me just say if you like bourbon, you'll love this stuff. Sampled with some fellow beer lovers at a private store tasting.

It pours a hazy ruby-amber color with a thin head. Some light lacing only around the top.

Aroma is of bourbon...strong bourbon. Some lighter wood, caramel, vanilla, and toffee. No doubt this is a bourbon barrel aged beer.

The flavor follows the same course with the bourbon being the dominate player here. Again, there is some oak, caramel, vanilla, and some dark fruits. Boozy brew.

Mouthfeel is is good with decent carbonation for a barrel aged beer. Bit of bourbon burn upon swallowing. I will let my other bottles sit for a while before I open another one. Age should do this one some good.

On tap at General Lafayette '07 Winterfest. This rating was made over the several samples consumed. This is the '05 batch that was aged in bourbon barrels...
Appears a hazy, dark mahogany with a small, bubbly, light tan head. Spotty lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of bourbon up front, cocoa, oak, vanilla, caramel, maple, & light tobacco.
Taste is of brown sugar, bourbon, caramel, and a dose of yeast.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, sugary, slightly thin on the swallow, a bit of a boozie burn in there.
Overall, a nice beer that I look forward to checking out if Ric, John, & co. decide to release it again.
Can Stewart's make anything bad that's touched a bourbon barrel? I personally thanked John for all the good work with the bourbon barrel series. Great stuff, guys.