Mezclar Barrel-Aged Cuvee
Fremont Brewing Company

Pours a dark reddish/brown with a large to medium tan head that is slightly foamy. Aroma is chocolate, caramel, dried fruit & sweetness. Taste is similar with a hint of bitterness. Easy sipping beer, almost too sweet. BOD 3-8-2023

Packaged 3/8/23, consumed 6/9/25
This pour is stout black with a very aggressive light brown head that left rings of lacing.
The taste is a tasty beer with stout overtones and a definite note of porter malts. It struck me as curious as I’d never been able to define the difference between a strong porter and a regular stout. But there are distinct flavors, and I could taste both in this.
The feel is lighter than expected, but that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment.

 

scored this on tap, so dope! a neat blend of different vintages of barrel aged dark star and a porter for this blend, which certainly lightens it some, adds unique malt layers, and brings the barrel aspect down a little bit from what i expect from the barrel aged dark star bottles. i found it subtle in some ways, a beer that benefits from sitting and warming up a bit, which is not uncommon in the big dark stuff like this, but this one especially. it also presented as a little old to me, some oxidation and some fade, not real rich, which actually increases drinkability, if such things matter to you in your barrel aged darks. not crazy viscous, black in the glass, average ring of tan bubbles by the time it gets to the table, but enough carbonation for what it is. the nose and taste are subtle at first, dark chocolate and just ground dark roasted coffee beans, light vanilla, more oak than whiskey, some milk chocolate and molasses too but i didnt find this real sweet, somewhat dusty, yeasty, and charred, but still mellow to me. i do get a hint of smoke as it warms, definite coffee, and a lot of complimentary depth swirling around, but its all quick, not as slow to unfurl and extended as expected, even the bourbon part is nonchalant in this. nice aftertaste but quite dry, good balance, really well restrained alcohol, and i think the porter they blended in adds a lot, id love to try that thread on its own. cool effort here, a totally different side of a beer i have long loved, appreciate having the good fortune to be able to drink it! not as epic as barrel aged dark star and its many versions, but its lovely.

definately outside that 120 day freshness range....

Pour opaque black with a massive oatmeal colored head. Smell has considerable oat, dark chocolate, bourbon and dark oak, with roasted malt, a hint of coffee grounds and english porter yeast. Taste has big baker's bittersweet chocolate and vanilla right away, before the bourbon barrel, oat, and roasted malt join in the spotlight, with whispers of dark fruit skins, tobacco and coffee grounds. Smooth and dry, malty, with a body that warms to the palate slowly, very soft with booze dialed in an impressive way

16 oz can for ~6$ (pretty great deal). Canned on 03/08/23 and consumed on 12/3/23.

A&S: Really good looking on the initial pour. Tan head that pours a finger and maintains in a ring. Very dark brown beer. The smell contains bourbon-heavy elements, dark cocoa, blackstrap molasses, and slight hints of vanilla.

T&M: The ABV is well hidden. The beer's barrel character is really good. Very similar to the smell. Not complex, but good. Not much evolution overwarming. The carbonation is surprisingly high for a BB-aged beer, but even so, it is a little too much carbonation for me.

Overall: Nothing crazy, but really solid. Great deal for the price. I would buy this again

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canned 3/8/23

This is the final beer of all of the BIF boxes woemad kindly sent to me. He warned that this one might need a bit of age to round out, but I was just feeling this tonight so I went for it. Plus I trust Fremont to properly execute a Strong Ale, so I’m sure it’ll be fine. Let’s crack it open and see what it has to offer

Pours a very dark brown with 3 fingers of frothy tan head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves decent lacing

It's definitely a bit jagged in the nose, but nothing that immediately turns me off. I'm picking up on aromas of spicy bourbon, earthy hops, cacao nib, sharp oak, acidic coffee, burnt caramel, light molasses, black cherry, and nutmeg

It feels a bit more put together in taste, but it's surprisingly thin. On the front end of the sip I'm tasting milk chocolate, earthy bourbon, toasted oak, black cherry, molasses, burnt caramel, charred coffee, and light cola. The swallow brings notes of earthy bourbon, nutmeg, molasses, black cherry, toasted oak, acidic coffee, molasses, brown sugar, and a touch of fusel alcohol

A medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a smooth beer. Finishes mostly dry with a slight boozy heat but is quite drinkable

This is certainly an interesting beer. I agree that some time could've helped it, but I could also see it going south over time given the thin structure of it

Poured from a 16 ounce can dated 3-8-23 into a snifter.

Look- Black, opaque, medium brown frothy head, above average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Bourbon, chocolate, molasses, plum, oak, cinnamon, cherry, between medium and high strength of scent.

Taste- Toasted barley, oak, molasses, bourbon, cinnamon, plum, cherry, medium strength of flavor.

Feel- Between medium and full body, slightly below average carbonation, moderately bitter, between moderate and high creaminess, moderately mouth warming.

Overall- Look was superb with deep black color and above average head retention and lacing. Bouquet was a pleasant mix of bourbon, chocolate, molasses, plum, oak and cherry. Flavor was good, but dominated too much by roasted/charred barley. Feel was a nice mix of mouth warming, bitter and creaminess with a substantial, but not quite full body. Overall this was an enjoyable beer, but more bourbon character and less roasted barley would have made a big difference for me.

Dark brown pour, clear yet opaque in the glass look; thick, tan head, dense and semi-creamy. Dark grain and mild wood char on the nose; cacao nibs; raisins. Balanced and sweet taste; mild and sweet chocolate; cocoa powder; light to medium sense of bitterness; bourbon-like undercurrent, low-key at first and builds in intensity at the finish; coconut sweetness. Heavy mouthfeel yet airy; light sponginess; sticky residual sugar feel; very light boozy dryness to offset the sweetness aspect.

This delightful barrel aged dark beer blend has a lot going for it. It's very sublime and easy drinking, especially for being a 10.1% ABV beer. The mouthfeel is the true surprise and a delightful one. A big beer with a soft heart.

Pouring temperature: 55 °F; canning info: PKGD 03/08/23
Source: local purchase (Coaltrain Fine Wine, Craft Beer & Spirits)

Canned on: 03-08-23
Many thanks to muchloveforhops3 for this can!

A - Dark brown pour with thick, dense, creamy caramel colored lacing with lots of legs on the sides of the glass.

S - Light cocoa and chocolate on the nose.

T - Lightly toasted cocoa, light oak, and lingering Bourbon/Whiskey and oak on the back side.

M - Big body that's silky smooth and light warming in the back of the throat on the way down.

O - Nicely balanced and an easy drinker that hides the ABV.

 

16 ounce can into a snifter. Canned 3/8/23, had 5/6/23.

Pours a dark brown, mostly opaque, with a half inch foamy head and light foamy lacing. Aromas of bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, malt, oak, light char. The flavors mostly mirror the nose: bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, malt, oak, some herbal hop bitterness. Smooth, a good but thinner fuller body, appropriately carbonated.

It’s fairly straightforward, but very good and distinct aromas and flavors. Certainly worth a purchase at a good price point.