Only Void - Rye Whiskey Barrel-Aged
Tired Hands Brewing Company

 

 

This review is for the 2013 Rye Whiskey Only Void, the one with the puke green wax dip. Allowed to warm up to room temperature, and poured into the Only Void balloon glass, this beer looks as good as the Red Wine version did, since it wasn't over carbonated or infected. Black body topped with a creamy tan foam that didn't do much sticking around.

The aroma is softer than the Red Wine version, and certainly less fruity. The Rye Whiskey version shows a lot of spice, with notes of vanilla, cinnamon, oak, charred marshmallow, but then also has a little tangy whiff to it as well, with a quick hint of lime.

The body is closer to what the base beer showed; it is more full-bodied, chewy, and the carbonation helps to lift the sweetness. The taste carries all the flavors of the aroma, with a lot of rye, spice, green pepper, vanilla, lime, and some burnt caramel.

I thought this beer was just okay. There wasn't any one thing that stood out to me that made me want to drink more. The beer definitely picked up some flavor from the barrel, but it felt subdued. I was hoping for something more noteworthy. I wouldn't suggest that people go out of their way to try this beer, but it isn't a bad beer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottle shared by Lunch. Thanks Paul!

The beer is near black with an inch+ of dense, beige head. the aroma brings a potent dose of whiskey, followed by vanilla, bread, oak, chocolate. Again, big whiskey flavor, followed closely by rye bread and chocolates. Huge barrel characteristics. A bit tannic in the finish with lingering booze on the palate. Overall, a really solid beer.

 

Big thanks to my first steady trader, beerisheaven, for this bottle. I'd count up how many bottle we've swapped, but then I might think about the FedEx charges, & that just leads no place good. So I'll bask in the beer. I mean, not literally. 500ML bottle with some cool, trippy, artwork that has my inner sci-fi geek head-bobbing.

First, I have to penetrate the waxcrete, but luckily, I'm the Michael Weston of wax, & it's soon on the floor, in pieces. Pour is close to 100% dark, with a very bold head for such a big beer. Nose rates an 'interesting' on the scale, with lots of roast, raw chocolate, & a huge dose of vanilla. Just listing the ingredients isn't quite right; they combine to smell very good with an edge of uniqueness to it.

Only Void - Rye Whiskey: the taste, too, is borderline indescribable. Nothing stands up to shake your hand, the flavors are all melded & mellow, which is odd, considering how aggressive the nose was. Mild roast, chocolate, a wisp of campfire, subtle does of rye whiskey (really subtle), vanilla, Pepsi. Mouthfeel is on the over-robust side, not enough to be distracting, but toeing that line. Kind of wish now I'd split this with my wife. EDIT: nah. This is a very nice beer to sip over two hours or so.

A good beer that seems out of place in this loud, in-yo-face brewing world, this is the brew that stands silently in the corner.

 

 

 

From the bottle.

Appearance: Nice pitch black body with a medium-sized khaki head.

Nose: Huge creamy, sweet whiskey up front with a hint of chocolate and tons of coca-cola. There's a sharp funk in there that is weird but works. It smells great at first but as it warms it gets to be too much. Pure cloying cherry coke with a lot of whiskey character.

Taste: Creamy,chewy chocolate covered cherries, more coca-cola, a good bit of spicy/sour rye whiskey, and some roasted chocolate. It finishes with loads of sticky, sweet coke.

Mouthfeel: Pretty good all the way around just wishing there was a bit more body to it.

Overall: Really interesting and different imperial stout. The sweet soda notes can be a bit overwhelming, especially in the nose, but there's enough chocolate and fruit to balance it out in flavor. First of the Only Voids I've tried. Excited for the rest.