Barrel Aged Puzzler Belgian Black IPA
Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.
- From:
- Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.
- British Columbia, Canada
- Style:
- Black IPA
- ABV:
- 7.3%
- Score:
- 89
- Avg:
- 4.04 | pDev: 9.9%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 4
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Mar 21, 2020
- Added:
- Nov 07, 2014
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 3
SCORE
89
Very Good
89
Very Good
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by TooManyGlasses from Canada (AB)
4.03/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
2020 rerelease - Barrel Aged, just Phillips no Great Lakes collab. 22 ounce bomber.
Pours cola dark brown - clear - finger of creamy tan head.
The aroma has prominent floral herbaceous and piney hops, orange, chocolate, and a bit of an earthy floral coffee effect. Touch of bourbon as warmed.
Though there is some bitterness on the palate there is also a remarkably sweet boozy chocolate note, followed by flavours of pine, some sweetened roasty coffee - hops balance the bready spicy malt; bitterness surges at the swallow.
Medium mouthfeel - very smooth and drinkable with a creaminess that matches the bright carbonation. Hides the 7+% ABV well.
Very nice.
Mar 21, 2020Pours cola dark brown - clear - finger of creamy tan head.
The aroma has prominent floral herbaceous and piney hops, orange, chocolate, and a bit of an earthy floral coffee effect. Touch of bourbon as warmed.
Though there is some bitterness on the palate there is also a remarkably sweet boozy chocolate note, followed by flavours of pine, some sweetened roasty coffee - hops balance the bready spicy malt; bitterness surges at the swallow.
Medium mouthfeel - very smooth and drinkable with a creaminess that matches the bright carbonation. Hides the 7+% ABV well.
Very nice.
Reviewed by Trosevear from Canada (AB)
4.03/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L: Black with a slight amount of brown head that leaves a slight brown layer on the top of the beer.
S: Strong bourbon with a slight caramel to it.
T: Very strong bourbon taste with a nice balanced hop profile to it, and slight coriander taste as well.
F: Full body mouth feel, and leaves a nice taste in your mouth.
O: A very nice beer but you wouldn't be able to have more than one there a little potent.
Jan 15, 2016S: Strong bourbon with a slight caramel to it.
T: Very strong bourbon taste with a nice balanced hop profile to it, and slight coriander taste as well.
F: Full body mouth feel, and leaves a nice taste in your mouth.
O: A very nice beer but you wouldn't be able to have more than one there a little potent.
Reviewed by Hat_Fulla_Beer from Canada (AB)
3.94/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Day 23 of the Phillips Snowcase advent calendar for 2015. 341ml bottle poured into tulip.
Pours nearly black with ruby highlights and one slim finger of dark tan head that leaves ancient cliffside village lace as it recedes.
Smells of boozy barrel wood, soft vanilla extract, chocolate chip pancakes and piney hops.
Tastes of dark Belgian chocolate, dried vanilla, roasted caramel malt and more whiskey wood. Faint green hops.
Feels rich and creamy. Medium bodied with pleasant carbonation. Finishes not quite sweet with dark chocolate and green hop bitterness.
Verdict: Highly recommended. Barrel aging has improved this one.
Dec 24, 2015Pours nearly black with ruby highlights and one slim finger of dark tan head that leaves ancient cliffside village lace as it recedes.
Smells of boozy barrel wood, soft vanilla extract, chocolate chip pancakes and piney hops.
Tastes of dark Belgian chocolate, dried vanilla, roasted caramel malt and more whiskey wood. Faint green hops.
Feels rich and creamy. Medium bodied with pleasant carbonation. Finishes not quite sweet with dark chocolate and green hop bitterness.
Verdict: Highly recommended. Barrel aging has improved this one.
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)
3.98/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
341ml bottle, a rescue beer from a broken-down Snowcase pack at a Liquor Depot outlet whose door I happened to darken. This is the previous GLB/Phillips collaboration, barrel aged exclusively for the latter's, as noted, 2014 advent calendar.
This beer pours a clear, very dark brown cola colour, with three fingers of puffy, filmy, and rocky tan head, which leaves some splendid spider web lace around the glass as it is slowly leeched away.
It smells of sharply wooden whisky barrel, with some further warm vanilla, caramel-heavy corn whiskey notes, biscuity and roasted dark chocolate, faint earthy yeast, oily nuts, and musty weedy, leafy, and mildly piney hops. The taste is more overtly malty, the grainy, bready caramel character standing on its own, before the various Bourbon barrel essences come traipsing through the palate - edgy vanilla, tame pepper spice, and woody alcohol - all of which go a long way in mostly overshadowing the rest of the base 'Belgian' character, as well as the heretofore palpable hops.
The carbonation is present, but to no large or particularly fizzy degree, the body a sturdy medium weight, and actually fairly smooth, with a swelling creaminess as it warms - huh. It finishes on the sweet side, the put-upon yeast, hops and general roastiness no match for the lingering caramel, vanilla, and boozy stave character.
I think that I prefer this one to the original, which was all right on its own - the barrel does well for this offering, adding complexity, and yes, big whiskey flavours. If that's your thing (hey, it's now dark in the afternoon here, so y'all know where I stand), I suggest seeking this out.
Nov 07, 2014This beer pours a clear, very dark brown cola colour, with three fingers of puffy, filmy, and rocky tan head, which leaves some splendid spider web lace around the glass as it is slowly leeched away.
It smells of sharply wooden whisky barrel, with some further warm vanilla, caramel-heavy corn whiskey notes, biscuity and roasted dark chocolate, faint earthy yeast, oily nuts, and musty weedy, leafy, and mildly piney hops. The taste is more overtly malty, the grainy, bready caramel character standing on its own, before the various Bourbon barrel essences come traipsing through the palate - edgy vanilla, tame pepper spice, and woody alcohol - all of which go a long way in mostly overshadowing the rest of the base 'Belgian' character, as well as the heretofore palpable hops.
The carbonation is present, but to no large or particularly fizzy degree, the body a sturdy medium weight, and actually fairly smooth, with a swelling creaminess as it warms - huh. It finishes on the sweet side, the put-upon yeast, hops and general roastiness no match for the lingering caramel, vanilla, and boozy stave character.
I think that I prefer this one to the original, which was all right on its own - the barrel does well for this offering, adding complexity, and yes, big whiskey flavours. If that's your thing (hey, it's now dark in the afternoon here, so y'all know where I stand), I suggest seeking this out.
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