Mexican Brunch - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Kane Brewing Company

This is a blind review. I have no clue to the beer name, company, or style as I write. This is put into the beer listing after the fact. I will also edit this, and put it on UT.

This beer is poured from a bottle.

One thing I will add after the fact: I assumed the heat was from the higher alcohol content, I totally did not get the peppers in the beer. It may not help that I do eat a lot of spicy foods on a daily basis. I also missed the maple and coffee, but can get them now that I know they are there. What I have after this note is written before the reveal. Take that into account.

This beer pours pitch black. No light comes through when I hold it to the light. Thick looking beer with a 1 finger tan head. The head dissipated rapidly to form a nice ring around the glass. No lacing on the glass. This is some kind of stout, and guessing by the poor head retention, an imperial stout. 4.5
Aroma This has to be some kind of BA imperial stout. The aroma screams it. I am getting so much plum from it. I also get tons of chocolate, raisin and fig. Hints of caramel also show up to tickle my nose. 4.5
Taste - Well, my first sip I was thinking I was confused, because it wasn't drinking Imperial, but it did kick in on the 2nd. I get so much dark fruit - raisin, plum, fig. I get some smooth chocolate here. I also get caramel notes. I am thinking this might be barrel aged. It just seems like it could be. 4.5
Body - When I had my first taste, and was confused, it was because the body, while full and boozy, does seem light to me. Now this is to not say it's a full beer, it is full. This beer does tell me it's high octane, but I don't know how high writing this. It's a sipper for sure. 4
Overall - I do enjoy beers in the stout camp, and this is in that camp. I am not sure it's barrel aged as I write this, but I do know this is a delicious beer, and I'm glad I tried it. 4.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours night black with a solid dark brown head, revealing a spongy texture, which slowly receeds to a coating lacing atop the glass.

Smells of cinnamon milk chocolate, espresso beans and of warming spices, coming from the Bourbon barrel.

Drinks with a slightly creamy silkness and just a light carbonation spark during the finish, creating a nice refreshment without concealing the heavier body of this.

Tastes of milk chocolate, lighter earth from the coffee and cinnamon, creating a rather sweet first impression, gently enhanced by the warming barrel. Turns even sweeter then with rock sugar and slightly enhancing bitter chocolate, peaking with just a faint spicy Bourbon presence. Finishes with an interplay of sweet maple syrup and dry, roasty coffee among maintaining cinnamon and a light heat impact from the oak barrel.

Solid adjunct leaden Ba Porter, ranging on the sweeter side of things. The barrel in this is pretty faint, adding just a note of sweet spices and a warm hint, with a mouthfeel which does not entirely convince, due too its thinner nature.

 

Decanted from a 16.9 oz (500 ml), waxed and capped bottle into a muffin top taster pint; released in 2019. Have to thank my friends Elina and Bob for obtaining this for me.
A: Pours a very dark brown to black color with mahogany highlights, a one finger, light brown head, solid, solid more than rim retention, but mostly parameniscal lacing.
S: Aromas of milk chocolate, cinnamon, pumpernickel, and walnuts. Definitely a subtle bourbon note.
T: Sweet. Flavors follow the nose, but with the addition of maple, cinnamon, licorice, and chili notes. Very, very much over-balanced bitterness.
M: Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth and creamy.
O: Although a porter, reminiscent of a sundae stout. Obviously the two styles have a common origin and constitute somewhat of a spectrum. Wanted to try this for years, but was holding on to it for an opportunity to relax and really savor it. A really delicious, barrel aged, American Imperial Porter.