Evening Bell - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Kane Brewing Company

Pours jet black with a dark tan head. Nose is heavy on the booze and sweet. Taste is bourbon (although not overwhelming), caramel and vanilla. Just a small amount of warmth from the ABV.

Drank from a 1 pint 0.9 fl oz (500ml) white wax dipped bottle purchased at Kane Brewing Company, Ocean, NJ
2024 Vintage
Served in a tulip

The beer poured a viscous, near pitch black. A thin, caramel colored film and some large bubbles topped the body but they quickly dissolved. The resulting liquid looked shimmery, oily and rather foreboding in the glass.

The aroma was outstanding. Bourbon notes dominated. Really fragrant and sweet. Boozy but definitely not as hot as I anticipated given the ABV. Fresh vanilla bean came through big time. Loads of brown sugar too. Dark fruit notes were also quite apparent. Plums and raisins stood out most. I definitely could have mistaken this beer for being aged in both port and bourbon barrels. Bit of bakers chocolate as well. All in all, super smooth, rounded and complex.

The flavor profile was very similar to the nose and just as impressive. There was an intense bourbon barrel presence from the get go. Loads of vanilla too. The vanilla was so punchy that this almost tasted like a vanilla-infused beer. Sweet brown sugar notes also came through strong. Big caramel malt presence up front. Intense dark fruit notes were apparent in the center. Raisins, plums and figs specifically. Like the nose, the beer definitely had a noticeable port wine-like quality to it. All in all, quite sweet and boozy but never excessively so. More bourbon barrel and alcohol heat on the back end and in the finish.

The mouthfeel was super dense and creamy. Full bodied and shockingly viscous for the style. Heavy whipping cream came to mind. The liquid contained a super fine, tongue blanketing effervescence that fluffed up beautifully. By the drink’s end, the sugars in the beer left a slightly sticky film on my lips.

Kane Brewing’s imperial porters are usually quite enjoyable but often lacking in body. This beer, however, was spectacular in every way imaginable. I could think of no better way to “ring in” the new year than with the bourbon barrel-aged variant of Morning Bell.

 

**
04/26/22

2019 Bottle to snifter in celebration of new home purchase.

super fudgy and smooth. light coffee and roasted malt notes. bourbon is continually lingering in all phases but not overpowering.

very nice. much more complex than the normal evening bell, plus I think the age helps in that regard.

**
01/20/24

**

 

 

 

 

 

2018 Bottle poured into a teku glass

color is midnight black with cola brown foam

smell is caramel, vanilla and light coconut all drenched in bourbon

taste follows the nose with the vanilla standing out..bourbon presence is very noticeable but not dominating, slight alcohol burn

mouthfeel is sweet and creamy and somewhat thick for a porter

medium carbonation

this is a very well done BA Porter!

 

 

 

 

Stark deep black with a fluffy mocha dome settling to a thin but persistent blanket leaving some fluid, small spots of lace.

Smell is very bourbon forward, spicy and peppery, with some wet, vanilla-esque oak and supporting notes of peanut wafer and dense chocolate cupcake.

Bourbon is still present in flavor, but less intense than the aroma, allowing room for flavors of vanilla frosting, maple-soaked toasted coconut flakes, Dr. Pepper, and faint brownie batter. As it warms, a deep, dark roast fleetingly emerges in the exhale. It's overall sweet.

The slick, medium-light body has a crisp, bubbly fizz, slightly stinging heat, and finishes stickily semi-dry.

This is drastically different from both its base, as well as the Morning Bell variant--bourbon barrel aging really instigates a starkly contrasting transformation to Evening Bell that is a little too overboard for me. It's still great drinking, but a bit too intense.