The Woodwork Series - American Oak
Revelation Cat Craft Brewing

The Woodwork Series - American OakThe Woodwork Series - American Oak
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From:
Revelation Cat Craft Brewing
 
Italy
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
11%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.88 | pDev: 11.08%
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
22
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 19, 2015
Added:
Jul 10, 2010
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Rated: 4.06 by MisterKilderkin from California

Jun 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by KAF from Iowa

Oct 15, 2014
Photo of wethorseblanket
Reviewed by wethorseblanket from California

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The fourth in the series poured at a recent tasting.

A: Pours a darkish orange with an off-white head leaving nice lace rings.

N: Citrus and floral notes followed by some sweetness.

T: Expecting lots of tanins from the American oak, but not so much. The sweetness is the strongest of the bunch. Sticky resiny notes.

M: Semi-moderate body and carbonation. The bitterest of the series.

O: Decent and interesting. Glad to have tried them together.
Jan 02, 2013
Photo of UCLABrewN84
Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California

3.92/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Thanks to wethorseblanket for sharing this one at my tasting.

Pours a hazy dark orange with a foamy tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Particles of sediment are seen suspended in the beer after the pour. Smell is of malt, citrus fruit, citrus zest, and wood. Taste is much the same with a citrus fruit flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.
Jan 01, 2013
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

3.58/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a hazy orange/amber color with an off-white head. Notes of stale sugar, candied orange peel, and some pine. There’s a lot of caramel and toffee, but only moderate oak and vanilla. The flavor is certainly very sweet, but still has some pine bitterness to it. A bit of oak flavor, light vanilla, and a hint of char. Plenty of caramel, toffee, and brown sugar. Sweet citrus hoppiness, a bit of lemon, and some floral notes to it as well. Light alcohol heat on the finish.
Aug 23, 2012
 
Rated: 3.25 by SalMineo from Massachusetts

Apr 30, 2012
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured into He'brew pint glass. Pours a dark red-orange amber with a one finger medium white head and lacing. Nice carbonation. Aroma of malt, vanilla, light fruit, hops and a hint of Belgian spicing. Starts with a woody malt, followed by dry, herbal and almost medicinal hops. Vinous dry, hoppy finish. Overall, very complex and tasty, but a bit too dry and ascerbic finish. Interesting.
Mar 06, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by jophish17 from Georgia

Dec 24, 2011
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

3.73/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
The Revelation Cat Woodwork Series. Let's line'm up and knock'm down. After starting with the base batch, I moved on, at random, to the American Oak.

Okay. The American-born oak wood adds some slight tannic astringency that carries to and past the finish, as well as a small, small hint of vanilla. Perhaps a bit more sweetness, but, then again, the base beer had a fair amount of sweetness to it anyway. All in all, not a major distinction here.
Sep 15, 2011
Photo of Jeffo
Reviewed by Jeffo from Netherlands

3.52/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Doopie and I lined all four of these up one evening. We started with the Base, then the French Oak, then this one, finishing with the Acasia. This was the best of the bunch.

From a 375ml into a snifter.
100% Munich Malts
100% Nelson Sauvin hops
IBU: 70
Aged 5 Days

APPEARANCE: Pours a small, medium-thin, off-white head with lousy retention. Head quickly recedes to a splotchy wisp and ring. Color is amber or burnt orange and slightly hazy. A ring remains until the end and leaves some dots of lacing down the glass. The legs show a little bit of improvement over the base.

SMELL: Similar to the base beer, with plenty of spicy yeast, green fruits and some white wine. Less boozy, however, with some floral notes, oak and vanilla from the barrel. A touch of toffee as well. Much more promising.

TASTE: Again, an improvement is gladly noted. Similar to the base with lots of spicy yeast notes and some green fruit again. A good dose of white wine and alcohol in there, but not as dominating as the previous versions. The barrel has also imparted some nice oak notes, vanilla, and flavors of toffee and floral hops make an appearance as well. Bold and lingering aftertaste is flavorful, with floral notes and oak, but is somewhat less boozy. Much more enjoyable to drink, and the barrel has actually done something here.

PALTE: Full body and quite thick on the palate, same as the base beer. Creamy smooth, goes down nice and smooth with a good deal of heat on the swallow and finishes slightly dry on the palate. I’d like the heat to be toned down, but this is still the best part of the beer.

OVERALL: This is much, much better. While I still think that 5 days is far too short to barrel age something, in this case, the American oak barrel has managed to do its job despite the short time period. This is still too boozy to really be enjoyable, and is much closer to a Belgian Strong Pale than a DIPA, but I would say this is the best out of the four variants. If you must drink one of these, make it the American oaked version.
Aug 22, 2011
Photo of laituegonflable
Reviewed by laituegonflable from Australia

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pours a Hellish red-amber colour with some sparse sediment floating around. Head is overblown and massive but looks great, bubbled around the side and caving in here and there on the top where it should. Lace is left behind and resembles some mystical Mayan carving. Yeah, pretty damn fine if a little too much head.

Smells... really rather funky. Lots of barnyard sourness with a corporeal edge almost like urine but without the unpleasant alacrity. Acidic and pongy at times with a big whiff of washed rind cheese and crisp apples. Walnuts, even. Yeah, pretty interesting and nice.

Taste is interesting in that it isn't crazy intriguing like the nose. Quite a thick malty base with toffee edge that is present on the assault before giving way to the midway funk. Plenty of savoury notes, biscuity almost and a good belt of Belgian-style horsey funk. Doesn't overwhelm the palate though, just an odd, almost mouldy bitterness at the back providing the only polarising note, and even then I'm on its side. A good beer, worth championing.

Good, healthy body with a touch of dryness on the back but just nicely rounds off the funk and complements it well. A good texture.

Yeah, off in places but pleasant and well-handled. It takes a lot of skill to produce a beer that has so many potentially rank characters but ends up being this good.
Feb 09, 2011
Photo of lacqueredmouse
Reviewed by lacqueredmouse from Australia

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Purchased at Healthy Spirits in San Francisco, and lovingly carried back in my luggage to Australia to drink with @LaitueGonflable. This was #1 on my list of "beers I'd rather not break on my trip home".

Pours a lovely bright reddish orange colour, with a phenomenally frothy and boisterous head of off-white, that doesn't want to settle down. Crunchy lacing that forms in sudsy rings down the side of the glass. Weirdly, it collapsed from the outside in, leaving a little island of foam in the centre that looks like a dollop of ice cream in my beer. Looks really, really good.

Nose is... odd. It's an odd mix of vanilla, giving some bourbon barrel characters, and a buttery sweetness, mixed with a lingering shadow of sharp, bright piney hoppiness. Wood is all over it, in any case, be it pine-needle sharpness, or smooth melodic oak. A very interesting and surprisingly compelling mix.

Taste is where it starts getting weird, not just odd. Here, the big hoppy bitterness is present, but it really blends oddly with the sweetish vanilla oak characters, to create a dichotomous melange that jangles and fights with itself. A booziness is present here as well that would perhaps only be subtly noticeable if the whole blended a little better.

Feel is smooth a mellow from the oak conditioning, but a little prickly with booze as well. It's an interesting combination.

An absolutely fascinating beer, and one which I'm very pleased to have tried. I'm intrigued that they picked such a flavoursome and robust style for their Woodwork Series. It seems that it causes a good deal of conflict between the style and the barrel conditioning, but it sure makes for an interesting experience.

I only wish I had some of the rest of the series to enjoy as well.
Feb 05, 2011
Photo of flannelman808
Reviewed by flannelman808 from California

4.44/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A: ...A loud Pfssst CHHSSTAP upon opening... Yet no exploding foam. Carbonation is amazingly contained, that said it explodes into the Glass and forms some nice brussels lace going on. Light golden color with a fury of carbonation bubbles, head is off white and amazingly thick with amazing retention.

S: Sweet Apricot preserve and honey strike the nose, perhaps a hint of very sweet vanilla.

T: WOW!!! Amazingly citric! Juicy tart and lightly bitter apricot (nelson sauvin?). A mild pale oaky presence follows up along with some dry tangerine peel. The carbonation is very high which breaks the flavors into many small bits... but I think it works pretty darn well. Only flavor sines, the alcohol is rather hidden for me.This is fantastic beer and I will need to buy all of the series.
- upon further inspection indeed they used only one hop variety... Nelson Sauvin. It says so right on the paper casing. This is the best showcase of that hop I have ever had. WOW. Try this, better yet Don't.

M: Sits low in the mouth.

D: High for the style and abv it would be a 5 except if you have the ability to actually drink it slow and let it warm... you will want to slow it down after a bit at an exponential rate.
Jan 14, 2011
Photo of bbeane
Reviewed by bbeane from Pennsylvania

3.91/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A- Poured into a snifter... starts with a huge bone white head with nice retention and leaving a great coating of webby lacing. Beer is a cloudy amber color with light activity

S- Smells malty, bit of sour grapefruity aroma, and very faint smell of wood

T- Very good... Starts with a hint of malt before being overtaken by hops. Its not a overpowering hoppiness, yet very tasty and defined. No alcohol presense despite the high abv

M- Medium body with light/medium carbonation... leaves a nice hop aftertaste lingering in your mouth

D- Very tasty and easy to drink. Not sure, but I think I remember this one being a bit pricey, so take that as you may... If it were still available, I'd buy it again

CHEERS!!
Jan 13, 2011
Photo of Slatetank
Reviewed by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
a big thanks to tenderbranson69 for sharing this with me -poured from the gueuze 12.7oz into two small duvel tulips.

A slightly dark amber color like peach skin w/ hazed clarity and full 3 fingers of fluffy foam which is light beige and condenses to 1/8 of an inch. The bead is tight and lots of lace clings in a spiral pattern. The aroma of fruit esters provides a slight grape-like scent, green and mild notes of subtle woody resinous odors. The IPA has a subtle amount of alcohol in the nose w/ a slight floral note. The feel is fairly astringent and has a resinous almost tannic texture w/ moderate acidity and slight toasted tinge w/ gentle malt sweetness.

The taste is fruity with mild tropical flavor and has a mild vinous twang w/ bitter herbal aspects w/ woody toastiness in tow. The flavor of the hops provide a pine accent and mild green grape characteristic of Nelson Sauvin. the tanginess is mild though and there is a lot of bitter notes w/ gently sweet malt in the finish. I really enjoyed this beer, nice use of the oak and nelson, I think it is noticeable, yet adds to the flavor overall. The alcohol while noticeable is very mild in the flavor I consider this a high quality IPA, it is definitely one to share, though.
Nov 03, 2010
Photo of siradmiralnelson
Reviewed by siradmiralnelson from Iowa

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Poured from bottle into Tulip.

A. Decent lacing. Nice bright orange color. 3 finger head. Thick lacing.

S. Smells like oak. Has a interesting wine quality about it. Not overly hoppy but some bitterness comes out. Has a little alcohol aroma.

T. Taste has the bitterness of an IPA. Definitely get the wine quality in the taste as well. Really all about the oak in terms of flavor. Sweet, bitter, and sour all in one. Very complex and uqnique.

M. Medium bodied. Medium carbonation. Finishes pretty dry, again like a wine.

D. Drikable. Unqiue to say the least. I think this experiment has taken beer to another level. Very interesting how the wood from a barrel can impart so many different flavors.
Oct 16, 2010
Photo of megahurts4
Reviewed by megahurts4 from Louisiana

4.27/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Revelation Cat The Woodwork Series: American Oak

Appearance: Red-orange, huge head, and some lacing.

Smell: Oak, honey sweetness, and slight yeast.

Taste: Oak, malts, dark fruits, spices, and a slight alcohol tinge.

Mouthfeel: Medium and lots of carbonation.

Overall:
Wow! The oak really shines through. A very nice array of flavor awaits you with this brew.
Oct 10, 2010
Photo of mynie
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland

4.4/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Bought this from John's Grocery, upon recommendation from one of the big drunk guys who always seems to hanging out in the beer room and may or may not actually work at the store. I like cats and I like demonic stuff and well when both of them come from Belgium it's pretty much a guaranteed win.

It's a spectacular presentation. I'm a sucker for superfluous packaging--big tin DVD cases, digipaks, and paper-wrapped beers all kick a bunch of ass. And the pour lives up to the bottle, the head is like a nightmare, only the good kind of nightmare where maybe you're getting chased by a demon but that demon is sexy.

Smells sour. Tastes, at first, much duller than you expect. But just because it ain't a hop-or-yeast bomb doesn't mean it doesn't pack a ton of complexity. And that don't mean it doesn't contain a mighty wallop of either hops or yeast, neither. Cus it does. They just don't kick you in the eye like you're expecting them to.

Now, some of this mutedness is due to the beer being a tad bit overcarbonated, but for the most part it's intentional. At first everything is real strong and all you taste is a general bitter dullness. But as your palette adjusts and the beer warms, the yeast begins to dominate. It's fruity, but not quite juicy. More like a Dubbel than a Trippel.

And then there comes the hops. And then the wood. It's like your drinking a barrel of wonderful weeds. The wood is straight American barbecue, much more hickory-tasting than oaky. The overall effect is something like a tough, burnt, smokeless rauchbier, if you can wrap your head around that.

Amazing.
Sep 22, 2010
Photo of glid02
Reviewed by glid02 from Georgia

4.17/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Bottle purchased from Green's on Ponce in Atlanta.

As with the other two in this series I tasted it pours a slightly hazy copper color with a huge off-white head. The head eventually settles into a thin layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of smooth pale and caramel malts with good amounts of earthy and pine hop aromas. The American oak brings out more of the finer hop flavors while subverting the brighter aromas characteristic of the Nelson hop.

Tastes similar to how it smells. A combination of pale and caramel malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by solid amounts of oak flavors. The oak influence fades a bit midway through the sip allowing earthy and mild pine hop flavors to take over, carrying through to a solidly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a smooth thickness with grainy carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I finished my glass without any problems and could have another.

Overall the American oak is the oak most commonly seen in beers that I've had and it's nice to identify it as such. Bold wooden flavors that thicken up the aroma and mouthfeel from the base beer - worth a shot.
Aug 01, 2010
Photo of FeDUBBELFIST
Reviewed by FeDUBBELFIST from Pennsylvania

3.79/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
375 mL green gueuze bottle to oversized wine glass. Each bottle from the Woodwork Series is identical, regardless of the version. The barrel type is indicated only on the bottle wrap, which is ticked off from the list of the base beer, the 3 barrel types and the blended version. I couldn't find the base beer, and I made my own blend at the end of the tasting. $13/bottle.

[Notes from a tasting including the French Oak, the American Oak & Acacia]

A: A 4 finger light brown head is both foamy and creamy. The retention is incredible and the head lasts considerably longer than the other versions. The body is amber-orange with deep red tints, hazy with about 65% opacity. Lacing is beyond excellent, sticking on all sides of the glass in torn sheets.

S: Alex Liberati designed this series of brews to highlight the affects of each wood species, so I think it was a good decision to keep the ingredients as simplified as possible. There is one malt variety (Munich), one hop variety (Nelson Sauvin) and De Proefs house yeast strain (Proef 8801). It's no surprise then that the nose is very similar across the different versions. Maltier than most American DIPAs with aromas of toasted grain, caramel, honey and toffee. The hop intensity is either lacking or is being overpowered by the oak character, the latter being the more likely case. Vinous with a fruity, wine-like quality. The American Oak barrel imparts a less intense woodiness than its French brethren, albeit crisper and cleaner.

T: In my opinion, the American Oak version has the best flavor of the bunch. Seven days in the A.O. barrel doesn't capture the same oaky, tannic astringency as the F.O., and flavor-wise, this works to this beers advantage. The flavor profile and distribution is more democratic: The Nelson hops are noticeably fruiter, the yeast is eathier and the dryness is dialed back, allowing an increase in hop bitterness. Alcohol is noticeable, but for 11% ABV, it is incredibly well-masked.

M: The carbonation is softer and the texture is creamier in the American Oak version. This causes the A.O to have a less significant mouthfeel than the F.O., probably because the dryness doesn't come through to the same degree. It does, however, allow some room for the hop bitterness to come through. Nonetheless, 110 IBUs is still unfathomable.

D: The drinkability is only average, maybe a little above. But it doesn't need to be any better than that. The purpose is to try to distinguish the subtle differences in the woods through sampling, not to endlessly drink the base beer. This beer was produced for contemplation, with experimentation in mind and ultimately providing a wonderful opportunity for a few people to take part in it. Thank you for the study.
Jul 18, 2010
The Woodwork Series - American Oak from Revelation Cat Craft Brewing
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 22 ratings