Traverse City Whiskey Barrel-Aged Porter
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THOROUGHLY enjoyed from the growler via Jungle Jim's Eastgate in a snifter.
This huge porter pours a rich opaque with a nice head of light brown foam that
subsides to a thick ring and thin layer with some nice light lacing. Nose of
rich bourbon, heavy vanilla, char, chocolate, dark fruit notes of cherries
and blackberries, chocolate, and dark coffee. Flavors hit it out of the park and
exceed the old ale with rich dark chocolate awash in boozy bourbon that is laden with
notes of oak and vanilla that fade into a back drop of of blackberries, blueberries, and
dark sweet cherry notes. Char touches the flavors overall with subtle cream and dark
roasted coffee flavors. Excellent mouth feel; full body, low carbonation, and a searing
booze heavy finish that is rich in bourbon and vanilla notes.

Overall; a SOLID performance from a great brewer!

Cheers

On tap at The Basin Pub in Bushnell's Basin, NY.

This one pours a pretty dark black, with a sticky brown head, and a good amount of lacing.

This smells pretty massively of big barrel booziness, with bitter whiskey, booze, oak, vanilla, and char, with roasty chocolate on the nose a little bit, too.

This has a really big roasty porter profile- I was worried from the nose that the barrel might completely overwhelm the base here. It doesn't, but it's trying it's absolutely best- it's a fight for sure. There's a good amount of vanilla and oak, and some slightly harsh whiskey character. There's some chocolate, and old coffee, too.

This isn't really thick, but it's not thin, either- it exists in some realm in between. There's a good amount of carbonation.

This is pretty solid- but the barrel definitely dominates a bit too much. This would be much better if the barrel was a bit more subdued and integrated.

 

What a delicious beer. Inky black, thick head and heavy lacing. Chocolate caramel raisin smell. The flavor is mostly chocolate and fig with some bourbon notes. This beer reminds me of a ba stout. Very enjoyable. Reminds me of dog fish heads palo santo marron, a wood aged imperial brown. I recommend highly for lovers of the ba dark style.

 

On tap. Served in a brandy snifter glass. Dark black body, one finger mocha head, great retention, bits of lacing. Smell is rich milk chocolate, cocoa, whiskey spirit, oak, light smoke. Flavour is similarly rich as the nose, excellent complexity, good meld of whiskey and chocolate. Mouthfeel is medium-fuller bodied, good carbonation, smooth finish. Excellent, fantastic barrel-aged beer.

 

On-draught at a bar in Brooklyn.

Low B (3.55) / GOOD

 

 

 

 

On tap at Ave Pub. Deep brown, thin mocha head, little lace. Plenty Whisky in the aroma and taste, deep roasted bitter chocolate, some licorice. Powerful flavors, but they come together well. Medium oily mouthfeel. Glad I got the chance to try this one.