Brewer’s Reserve Barley Wine Ale
Blackfoot River Brewing Company

Thanks to Exiled for sharing this bottle. 2010 vintage, bottle 326 of 400.

The beer pours an amber color with a white head. The aroma is full of barrel-aged notes, with a lot of bourbon, vanilla and molasses/brown sugar notes. The flavor is more of the same. The bourbon and brown sugar notes really come through nicely, as does a hint of vanilla, oak and alcohol. I also get a little bit of toasted malt, as well as some sweetness from the malt. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Glad I got to try this one.

 

 

Appearance was of a golden dark honey amber. Good lookin' barleywine.

The nose is of oaky woodiness, bourbon, toffee, and vanilla. Delightful.

Lots of caramel, bourbon, and malt right to the face. Almost sense some port flavor in the back. Good malt sweetness than less hop bitterness. Just what I was looking for. ABV is well integrated into this offering.

This leaves a good feeling in the mouth. You can pick up a bit of the abv at the end and leaves you feeling warm and happy. Great bourbon presence at the finish.

Pretty solid body and balance. I could get through a whole bottle by myself. This one should be amazing in a few years. I'm stoked to have an extra bottle to hold on to for the future. I look forward to next years release already. Blackfoot is doing some great things right now.

Bourbon Barrel Aged Bottle Conditioned This beer has undergone a second fermentation in the bottle resulting in a fine yeast layer at the bottom -- please handle gently prior to pouring. Best aged at cellar temperature for at least one year. Serve in a snifter to fully appreciate flavor and aroma. Enjoy!

100 IBUs, OG=1.100, 2009 Batch #100

I was lucky enough to score one of these in a GREAT trade with GeezLynn.. Thanks Geoff.. Muchas Gracias for the legwork you did for me and the Boise peeps. Shared this Friday night with the usual suspects.

Clear deep orange ... pretty lite tan head... descent retention and lace.

Toasty malt.. lite caramel.. some vanilla and a heavy bourbon overtone... some background citrus hops..

Not as bitter as I was hoping for at the beginning, but the caramel and toasty malts come out swinging and provide the delivery for some pretty pronounced bourbon... cherry and vanilla play well mid palate and finishes a bit boozy.. I like bourbon, so this isn't really a problem for me, but at least one RB guy thought it was too much.

Medium body for the style.. and could use a bit more body... good carbonation. The bottle says age for a year for best results.. I was very stoked to be able to provide my buddies with another Montana rarity. Thanks again Geoff. That said, if you are reading this review and have an extra bottle, I will trade heavy to get another bottle to lay down for that suggested year... No Joke :-)

4/4/4.5/4/4.5