Brandi To The Main Stage
Odd Side Ales

 

Why this is tagged as a barleywine when the label says it's an imperial amber is beyond me. It's obviously brewed more than once. This listing needs to be updated. Moving along...

VISUAL: Bright ruby brown color with no particulates, a large amount of thick brown foam that quickly collapses. Light lacing.

AROMA: Alcoholic aromas, biscuit and oak.

TASTE: Intensely sweet. Gentle lingering sourness. Cloying sweet linger.

MOUTHFEEL: Medium body, alcohol, some tingling carbonation, and slightly mouthwatering.

Tasted in a Rastal Teku from a 750 ml bottle on October 29, 2018. An Imperial amber ale brewed with cherries then aged in Brandy barrels. Notes of toffee, caramel and fig balanced with a malty sweetness compliment ripe cherries. Full in body with a sweet dry finish.

I'm a sucker for brandy-barrel ageing, so I'm predisposed to enjoying this; it doesn't disappoint. The bottle describes it as an amber base rather than an American barleywine, and I'm inclined to agree. The base beer is somewhat nondescript, with good malt flavors and low hop character. It's hard to tell whether the base has much fruit character, due to the addition of Michigan cherries, which definitely show up--more prominently on the palate than the nose, though. And finally, there is definite barrel character, with a nice oakiness and additional brandy fruit beyond the cherries. Really enjoyable; I just missed the opportunity to try it on draft, but I'm glad I sprang for two bottles instead of one without trying it first.

750 ml bottle into snifter; no bottle dating, but was just released. Pours slightly hazy very dark ruby red/brown color with a 1 finger dense and rocky cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of lightly tart cherries, skin, raisin, plum, fig, date, berry, apricot, red apple, red grape/wine, citrus zest, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, brown bread, and biscuit; with light notes of nuttiness, chocolate, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malts, cherries, and brandy barrel notes; with good strength. Taste of lightly tart cherries, skin, raisin, plum, fig, date, berry, apricot, red apple, red grape/wine, citrus zest, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, brown bread, and biscuit; with light notes of nuttiness, chocolate, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/grassy bitterness, brandy/oak tannin spiciness; and light fruit tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of cherries, skin, raisin, plum, fig, date, berry, apricot, red apple, red grape/wine, citrus zest, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, brown bread, biscuit, light nuttiness/chocolate, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a white. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, cherries, and brandy barrel flavors; with a great malt/bitterness and brandy/oak spiciness balance; with zero cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and brandy/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a smooth, creamy/bready/grainy, fairly sticky/tannic, and slightly tangy/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Lightly increasing warmth of 11.5%, with mild barrel booze lingering after the finish. Overall this is an excellent barrel aged fruited barleywine. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, cherries, and brandy barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV. Very unique, never had anything quite like it before. They label it as imperial amber ale, as it doesn't quite fit a true barleywine style with the roasted notes. Very rich/complex malts; with great cherry presence, and brandy barrel integration/balance. A very enjoyable and well made offering.