Masterson's Barrel Aged Irish Red
Wormtown Brewery

 

"Our Irish Red Ale aged on Masterson's rye whisky barrels for 4 months." On tap at Peppercorns.

served in a pint glass with a big creamy 1.5 finger slightly rosy head that fades fairly slowly with a bit of lacing, super murky orange reddish mahogany brown color. Head is nice but color not so much.

Nose is brings tons of whisky barrel, buttery oak like nobody's business, little toasty oak and hint vanilla, with some whisky notes. Under that somewhere is a toasty reddish malt, faint caramel, little grainy and a bit fruity probably from the yeast. Very faint hint of a grassy spicy hop.

Taste again brings the big barrel flavors. Big buttery oak, toasty oak that even brings a little coconut and light honey comb flavors. Nice whisky flavor, not really a bourbon or scotch, more like a grain whisky with hint of rye. Malts underneath bring juicy toasty reddish malts, faint caramel and sweetness. Again faint grainy flavor too, as well as light fruity ester quality thanks to probably an Irish yeast. Hops are barely detectable, just a touch of a fruity grassy hop profile with mild bitterness, which some of that even seems to come from a hint of rye. Finish is a little sticky syrupy and mild sweet, light caramel and reddish malt flavors, a bit more bitterness bit still mild grassy hop flavor, and plenty more oak barrel but less buttery note and more toasty and dusty oak, just a touch of rye and grain like whisky. Slight spicy hops build a little the more I drink.

Mouth is med bodied, nice fluffy carb.

Overall quite nice, nice Irish red ale barely holding its own with decent malts but very light on the hops, but the whisky barrel really dominates. For a big whisky and oak fan this is great, but it your not looking for huge barrel character this is probably not your cup of beer.