Existent - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Stillwater Artisanal Ales

 

 

 

 

12oz bottle. Pours black with a light mocha head. This stays rich and sudsy, leaving back a smattering of spotty lacing behind. The aroma smells of oak, dark vinous fruit and spice. Smoky roast and cocoa sit underneath. The taste is dark fruit, acrid roast, some sweet Bourbon char and a strong spiciness that lingers in a burnt and oaky finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a soft yet firm creaminess that expands out into the mouth. There is some light warmth here but it doesn't inhibit the overall feel here. As far as BA Saisons go, this was pretty solid. The barrel added some flavor here but really didn't interfere at all with the base. Worth a look.

 

 

 

 

 

A - Same as existent. Towering khaki head with moderately loose bubbles.  Great retention and stellar lace. Deep mahogany body.

S - A medley of tart grape, deep oak, vinegar brined vegetables, and dry barn aromas.

T - Dry raw wood up front into crisp bourbon: a kiss of smoke, oak, burnt caramel, and vanilla.  Surprisingly little booze.  Soft, semisweet finish.

M - Medium/light body with nice carbonation.

O - The profile grew on me over time.  One of the better raw bourbon flavors I've had in a beer, but not much else.

Pours dark brown in color with a small head. Has a nice combination of fruit and pepper along with some hints of chocolate, lots of roasted malt, and a touch of oak. Not really that much whiskey or vanilla. Maybe a touch of tartness. Light raisin and plum tartness on the flavor with wood, roast, and a bit of black pepper. Light vanilla with some sweet malt and sugar to balance it out.

Shared a bottle of this with Jdense during the Belgian fest at Max's.

The beer pours a blackish brown color with good head retention and lacing. Nose is intriguing, as I pick up malt balls, Belgian spice and vanilla. In combination, it was a bit unusual, though still attractive I thought. The flavor profile replicates the nose, though I'm picking up some bourbon on the palate that I didn't notice in the aroma profile. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with the alcohol well disguised and well integraged into the flavor profile.

An interesting beer, no doubt, though I'm not sure the barrel aging really improves this beer all that much.

 

A: Poured a brown color with great carbonation leaving a huge frothy cap. Bubbles remain halfway through the glass.

S: Lighter bourbon, oak and some light spice

T: Starts with a warming bourbon booziness, oak, underlying vanilla round it out with a light lingering bitterness and spice on the back courtesy of cocoa, hops and maybe some rye

M: Medium body but also thin and perhaps a tad bit overcarbonated, dry and lighter than I expected

O: A beer I was happy to try courtesy of Thorpe429

 

bottle poured into tulip

Pours an opaque chestnut brown, nearly black. Thick, frothy beige head rests on top, retaining really well and leaving some patchy lacing on the glass.

Kind of a mix between a saison and a dryer stout in the nose. Hints of spice and light hops mixed with vanilla and chocolate. A little oaky and warm.

Nutty and slightly funky up front with a touch of spice. Light hop presence on the tongue. Touches of dark chocolate and leafyness, some hints of vanilla and oak from the barrel. Not too boozy, a soft warmth wraps around the palate. Decent malt character with slight sweetness and bread crust. Finishes a little warm and dry.

Fuller medium body, well carbonated, creamy and slick on the tongue. An interesting beer from Stillwater - I think this definitely improved the base beer, which I wasn't really crazy about. Most of these barrel aged beers from them have been really tasty, I'm looking forward to more.

 

 

Bottle, pours a dark, dark burgundy with a beige head. Nose is soft and pleasant, vanilla, cinnamon, a touch of bourbon. Very soft feel in the mouth, grainy and earthy, I can see the sharp quality of rye there, with a splash of vanilla and bourbon along the finish. Soft and balanced, sweet and earthy, a unique grainy edge, very nice.