Bourbon Barrel Aged Pay It Forward Cocoa Porter
West Sixth Brewing Company

 

Dark shade of brown with a bubbly tan head. Slight cocoa and bourbon on nose. More bourbon comes across on taste. It much else comes through on this.

750 ml bottle, purchased at the brewery this past November, no dating on the bottle that I noticed. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both decent enough. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like bourbon, vanilla, cacao, coffee and roasted malt. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some caramel and oaky flavors too. Good amount of barrel character in both the aroma and taste. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's a bit creamy and coating with a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was a good barrel aged porter, wouldn't mind trying this one again in the future!

 

Pours a dark, dark brown with a thin off-white head.

Aroma is bourbon, with a hint of dark fruit.

Taste is straight up bourbon, but well balanced. It's bourbony and boozy without being too bozzy. While the cacao may be lost, the bourbon flavour is spot on.

Overall, this is a delightful bourbon barrel ale. It strikes the perfect balance between bourbon and beer. I'm really impressed by what West Sixth is putting out in their bourbon barrel beers.

 

 

750 ml bottle into a snifter glass.
Deep brown with a nice two finger head.
Distinctive sweet cocoa smell. Taste follows the nose.
Rich and creamy, full body. I like it!

750 ml bottle
Served in a snifter

This beer pours black and is topped with a couple inches of mocha head that leaves spotty lacing.

I smell cocoa, dark chocolate and hints of coffee.

Even though I didn't smell the bourbon I can taste it via vanilla and caramel flavors. I get some dark chocolate and cocoa as well.

Medium bodied with a slightly chalky mouthfeel

This is a good beer. It has held up well to a couple years of aging.

 

Poured From a 750mL bomber into a 12oz snifter

Look: A rich, deep brown. A small (1/3in.), pale brown head formed, which slowly gave way to faint and frothy lacing.

Smell: Candied nut, bittersweet chocolate, cold-brew coffee. Clear traces of boozy bourbon goodness.

Taste: Sweet chocolaty-goodness! Definite traces of bourbon, molasses, candied nuts, and coffee. Faint hop traces reveal themselves as a coffee-like bitterness, which cuts through the thickness of the other flavors and brightens it up. It's this coffee like bitterness that takes this beer from just another barrel aged porter, to something truly wonderful. I feel like many times, barrel aged offerings are too rich and heavy. This one seems much lighter and more drinkable.

Feel: Syrupy, thick, and creamy

Overall: An incredibly pleasant beer to drink. Perfect after dinner with dessert, as dessert, or any time at all.

I will be aging my last bottle of this, and can't wait to experience it then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

had on tap at the brewery. Heavy bourbon and vanilla notes with sweet lactose, caramel, candied sugar, and coffee. Very well balanced, and not overdone in any way. For fans of BBA beers, this one is worth a visit.