Bourbon Barrel Hazelnut Porter
pFriem Family Brewers

Vintage 2024. Poured from a 375mL bottle into a snifter.

Van dyke body with a finger of wheat foam, receding to a lasting collar and delicate surface slick. Soapy lacing; decent retention.

Malt and barrel in equal measure in the nose - toffee, cocoa, brown bread, bourbon, vanilla, coffee, and torta di nocciole. Rich yet subdued.

Nutty, malty, and earthy presentation, largely following the nose - potent and tenebrous. Mild not-quite-grassy bitterness. Long dry finish with bourbon and baker's chocolate.

Creamy, medium-bodied, gently warming.

A wonderful contemplative experience, though it's perfect for sharing - not too sweet, nor too boozy, the base beer is elevated rather than obscured.

 

Appearance: Pours coffee colored with a one finger ecru head; good retention with clumpy lacing

Smell: Toasted malt, chocolate, toffee and a hint of hazelnut with strong Bourbon tones

Taste: Chocolate and toasted malt forward with hints of toffee and hazelnut emerging; with the swallow, a strong, boozy Bourbon flavor emerges, spicy rather than sweet, that dominates the finish

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate carbonation; considerable warmth in the gullet

Overall: I am curious about the barrels used here as beergoot referred to them as rye; that wouldn't surprise me at all as this has a spicy Rye character rather than a sweeter Bourbon element

 

Pours a clear, dark brown, appears opaque in the glass; thick head, densely spongy with a soft rockiness; partial sheets and rings of foam inside the glass. Nice scent; malted grains and mild toffee notes; caramel and light brown sugar; hazelnut bitterness. Fine taste; milk chocolate; oak barrel with bourbon elements; toffee. Heavy and smooth mouthfeel; silky; underlying boozy warmth.

While I poured the beer a tad cold, it's real character became apparent as it warmed. The flavor richens and deepens while the mouthfeel comes across fuller. A very fine barrel aged rye porter.

ABV: 9.7%; pouring temperature: 39.8 °F; bottling info: Vintage 2024; bottled on 08 28 24
Source: Tavour

Rich aroma of nuts and chocolate from an opaque very dark brown pour. Light head, some sticky lacing. Flavor is bourbon of course but falls short of dominating the taste. Catching a bit of hotness from the 9.7% ABV. Lot of things going on in the pour; all of them good. Savor the roasted hazelnuts alongside the oak.

Highly recommended.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque in the glass with a one finger dark head with great retention and solid lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, light caramel, bourbon and light hazelnut. Flavor follows, with dark toasted malt, bourbon, hazelnut and light toffee; nutty bourbon finish. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess. A great barreled porter with a sturdy malt body and lots of bourbon barrel character. The bourbon overwhelms the hazelnut for the most part, but the malt/bourbon balance is fine by itself; the light caramel and nuts add a light accent to the taste. A little alcohol heat, but the malt body supports it fine. Nicely done, as usual.