Cuvee De Boom
Boom Island Brewing Company

 

enormously impressive brew here, a belgian strong ale type aged seemingly forever in pinot noir barrels. shiny and golden, a tiny bit of red wine stain to it, still looking, viscous like honey. the aroma is insane, so much oak here its literally unbelievable. wine too, fruity and tannic and a little sweet with the grain sugars here too, this easily could have been fermented down over 12% abv or more if they were to dry it out. no real sign of the booze though, maybe a little warming zizzle to it, but not a hot mess at all. vanilla and honey abound in the flavor from the oak, no char at all here, more of that wet wood, maturity in a different sort of way here. some slight sharpness from the wine, and honestly a very simple base beer here, strong blonde type with a belgian yeast, nothing really crazy about it until the barrel, which really seems to do the vast majority of the flavoring here. must have been a freshly drained kind of deal. smooth without the carbonation and pretty sugary as it winds down, but this is a beer of incredible depth of flavor, insanely woody, and really very well refined. really high on boom island right now, and its these wood aged and strong beers that stand out the most for me. really yummy!

 

at the tap room, into a snifter with a half a finger white crown on top of a fairly clear bright pale gold. the nose is dominated by big sweet ripe white grapes including a little apple -- reminds of a German auslese. Wish that I got a little more yeast. Pretty sweet and sticky; close to cloying, but not quite. Hides the alcohol pretty well. Well made but too sweet for me enjoy in more than a very small dose.

Exceptional beer. Dry and refreshing, with a complex flavor profile. Very satisfying.