Cognac Barrel Aged The Jones Dog
Pipeworks Brewing Co.

Appearance - The beer poured a murky black color with a few tan bubbles clinging to the sides of the glass.

Smell - The chocolate is present, as was the sweetness of grapes.

Taste - This was an evening sipper. It was like a chocolate malt aged in cognac. It had a strong concord grape presence with hints of raisins, tobacco, and just a hint of spice.

Mouthfeel - The body was smooth like a milk stout with little carbonation.

Overall - This aged well. I wish I bought more.

 

22 ounce bottle into a snifter. Fall 2018 release, had 2/23/19.

Dark, thick looking and opaque, just a quick flash of head and some soapy lacing. Aromas of cognac, chocolate, dates, raisins, malt, vanilla, some oak, some grapes. Flavors of cognac, grapes, chocolate, malt, vanilla, raisins, cocoa, some dates, light oak. Smooth, a little creamy, a great full body, well carbonated.

The cognac barrels are great and while certainly prevalent, they’re not dominant. The vanilla also shows well. I found this incredibly enjoyable, glad I have another bottle.

 

 

Lifted from Chicago, & if there was ever a town that needed robbing, it’s Chicago (other than New York, & just because of the Yankees). 22 oz. bottle shared with the wife.

Black. After a few minutes, zero visual evidence of carbonation. The nose is lovely cognac, oak, sweetness.

The Jones Dog – Cognac Barrel Aged isn’t properly canine. Unlike most Joneses, the barrel here is faint, the oak timid, the malts washed out. There’s fruitiness that’s framed by a bit of astringency that I’m 100% sure is as out of place as an AK in Amber. Smooth, but half the bomber is almost – almost becoming a chore. I’ve never said that about any Pipeworks barrel-aged beer before. Don’t check the records.

Keeping up with the Jones this one is not; there seems to be something off here. Just decent, which given their track record, gives me six sads out of seven.

 

 

A very bright, fruited version of BA Jones Dog. The cognac barrel treatment dominates the whole show, with a moderate astringency that to me is more reminiscent of a calvados or apple brandy rather than cognac. Still some light chocolate notes near the finish.

 

2018 vintage, poured into a snifter on date of this review. Look is solidly opaque, thin to nearly no head, decent lacing on the glass. Smell is predominantly booze with notes of oak and dark fruits. Taste, when cold, brings forward more of the dark fruits and oak, with the cognac burn a little to the back, but as it warms the cognac seems to take over. Feel is a bit on the high side for carbonation for what I expect for a BA stout, even after airing for a bit. Overall this is a good beer, but it's not the top of the offerings from Pipeworks. The beer could have use either less time in the cognac barrels or more time in my cellar. I think cognac barrels have potential, more so than other varients using scotch or gin barrels, but this one needs a little more refinement to reach top tier status like Boss Ryeway (aged in Armagnac barrels).

The viscosity of the beer definitely isn't lost with the cognac barrels. Very hot.

Opened two months after purchase. Still very boozy and lacking refinement/balance. Cognac taste is predominant and does not seem like it was good quality cognac. Should have sat on it longer. But still a good barrel-aged beer.