Anniversary 11
River North Brewery

 

Wow, is this beer boozy. Being quadruple barrel aged, it’s almost more bourbon and whiskey than beer! Pours dark brownish/black. Slight head, mild lacing. Smell is just so much barrel, roasted dark malt undercurrent. I’ll be honest, I’ve been nursing this beer for a few hours, and the barrel is still burning my nostrils when I inhale it before sipping. Taste has much more depth and is probably the best and most surprising characteristic of the beer, as you would think a beer so barrel forward would be a one note song. Obviously, the bourbon and whiskey barrels impart the most prevalent flavor, but I get strong dark malt, chocolate, and dark fruit notes. Big bodied, bold, and slightly thick/syrupy with a mouth watering finish. The most important word about this one for the feel is HOT: The booze brings a big burn, so it’s not a surprise that eventually i’m feeling an inner warmth and ears are hot. Awesome beer. I wouldn’t have minded having a second to age to see how it softened/rounded out, but having this fresh isn’t a bad thing either.