River des Peres Row Crew Vol. 2 - Willet Bourbon Barrel-Aged Barleywine
2nd Shift Brewing

Dark brown in color with a murky complexion and no head. The aroma is packed with barley and sweet bourbon. I’m tasting exceptionally sweet barley and bourbon. The mouth is sticky and boozy.

 

Pours black with a cherry hue showing through the clear transparency when held directly against a light. Head is two fingers of off-white. Aroma is fig, toffee, caramel, and dark fruits. Minor barrel comes through, but does not tip the balance scales one way or the other. Earthy malts. Molasses starts to shine through as the beer warms. Flavor profile is fig, raisins, toffee, and dark fruits. It's heavy on the earth tones. Barrel adds a little dry heat here, which dries out the finish and brings a bit of balance to the initial sugary notes. Molasses becomes really sticky at the finish as the beer warms. Mouth feel is medium-thick in thickness. Texture is a constant light fuzz. Overall, a little bit dry, but otherwise really solid. Not sticky sweet like many barleywines.

Draft. Reviewed from notes.

poured from a 12oz can into a perennial snifter. pours a light, light brown to almost dark maroon with maroon-colored edges. not much foam but a few stone khaki patches here and there. bourbon, damp cardboard, dark fruits, light chocolate and caramel. as it hits room
temp it has a port wine like smell to it. taste follows with a dry, oaky finish. and very fruity too. a little too much for my liking but this is still decent with a medium-full mouthfeel. pretty good.

Sampling a cellar temp 12 oz can with a packaged on date stamp of 12//06/2023. received as part of a trade.
Pouring into my snifter the beer pours a dark mahogany color with beige colored dense head of about .5 cm . This foam fades pretty quickly to an edge layer. This leaves very scattered lacing when I sip the beer or swirl the glass.
Aroma is a bit of caramel and toffee with a good dose of sweet bourbon and some mild vanilla too. No hop character, and there is a little fusol booze scent too. Definitely picked up some barrel character on the nose.
First sip reveals a medium body with sticky texture and very fine tingly carbonation. Beer drinks very soft on the palate.
Flavor is similar to the nose with toffee and brown sugar, but I also get a bit of raisin before the bourbon takes over. Peppery booze hits on the finish and lingers with some bitterness also a little warmth. there is the barleywine!
This is pretty much what it advertises it self as, a bourbon barrel aged barleywine. Pretty nice, sipping brew on this Thursday evening, glad to have tried it and would drink it again.