Maple Brown Ale - WhistlePig Barrel-Aged
Lawson's Finest Liquids

A: opaque; cola brown in color with mahogany highlights; with a fairly aggressive pour, less than a 1 finger tan head that receded quickly to a moderate, tight collar; no lacing;

S: roasted grain, maple, and vanilla;

T: follows the nose through the middle; finish is predominantly whiskey; moderate bitterness at the end;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish; alcohol is very noticeable, but not inappropriately hot;

O: more straight up whiskey character than in most barrel aged beers that I've had;

 

 

 

Poured from a 16 oz can into a tulip glass; born on 11/03/22. Pours dark, reddish brown with one fingers worth of head that rapidly recedes. Overpowering smell of bourbon masks any other discernable scents. Equally overpowering taste of bourbon but does give way to notes of chocolate, coffee, and maple syrup. A bit on the thin side and bit too boozy for my tastes but well made.

 

 

 

 

Canned on 11/13/20; consumed on 4/1/21

Pours a murky, rusted brown body capped with a half-finger of creamy, pale beige foam; sub-par head retention fades to a few spotty islands of paper-thin cap, a brooding, silky collar, and some broad though short-lived webs of lacing around the walls of the glass.

Aroma brings soft maple upfront, establishing a baseline sweetness as oaky perfume and touches of lavender meet molasses, toffee, and a building rye spice into the middle of the bouquet; a mild barrel booziness counters oaky vanilla on the back end while plum, fig, bourbon, and black bread close.

Taste offers silky maple syrup contrasting burnt toffee and malty roast as touches of cardamom and nutmeg bring a distinguishing spice/earthy character to the mid-palate; the development of deepening, dusty rye spice cuts into peppery barrel while more nondescript and bittersweet, charry malts close with a bakers chocolate lingering.

Mouthfeel shows a medium body with a slight hint of rounded carbonation phasing into a robust yet velvety grit evolving over the mid-palate; a subsequent slickness melds into a boozy twang as a charry linger and steady warming progresses past the finish.

Rye barrel comes through impressively, serving as a guiding force for the spicy, semi-eclectic character washing over this brown ale; a definitive sipper almost paradoxically marrying a lithe body with a robust, barrel-forward bittersweetness.

 

Dark brown appearance with a short lived tan head that recedes quickly, but provides some nice lacing. Nice bold rye whiskey throughout, maple, brown sugar, molasses, milk chocolate. Thick body, medium carbonation, boozy but enjoyable.

 

 

L -- Deep amber-brown in the glass with a finger of off-white head produced with medium pour. Some retention and lacing.
S -- molasses, barley malt, whiskey, oak barrel, dark chocolate, hint of dried dark fruit. Smells pretty much like a stout
T -- The maple is much more noticeable here. Works well alongside the onslaught of whiskey barrel character and just general booziness given the 12.5% ABV. Could be a little more complex
F -- medium plus mouth feel medium minus carb. Could be a bit thicker for the ABV
O -- not the most memorable brown ale, but still a good Vermont winter sipper

83/100

16 oz. can.
Canned 11/13/20.

Vigorous pour yields a 3/4 inch light tan head over a translucent brown body. Head dissipates down to a ring (in 5-10 minutes) which stays put. Nose of maple, dark malt, and a bit of rye whiskey. Taste mirrors nose fairly close with the maple throughout, then meeting up with the rye barrel near the finish. There are nuanced barrel aromas and flavors (oak, vanilla, caramel) coming forward a bit as time goes by. Also, as it warms, the whiskey's heat cannot be denied. Nice feel and overall, a great Imperial Brown and just in time for the holidays!
Cheers!!!

Nice take on a brown ale. Somewhat lighter in color than many.
The whiskey barrel flavor comes through strongly. But overall, somewhat weaker or more watery than I would have expected.