Barrel Aged American Dark Ale
pFriem Family Brewers

 

Deep, dark, mahogany brown pour, looks opaque in the glass; thick, dense and creamy light tan head, very long-lasting. Caramel and vanilla scents on the nose; light baker's chocolate. Amazing taste; rich dark chocolate flavor dancing with a mild bourbon touch and cinnamon; dark and dried pitted fruits. Immensely dense and luscious mouthfeel; rich and velvety on the palate; sticky; understated boozy warmth courses through the residual sugars.

I don't know if this is the same beer that was added to BA as 'Barrel Aged American Dark Strong', but the neck label and body label clearly state the name as 'Barrel Aged American Dark Ale'. And whatever one may want to call this beer, one thing is for sure: it is a killer example of dark barrel aged beer done right. Everything seems well-balanced. This is a beer to seek out and enjoy if you can still find it.

ABV: 11.8%; pouring temperature: 43.6 °F; bottling info: 09 09 23
Source: Tavour

375ml bottle

Pours a finger of light brown head into my snifter. Retention is average. Lacing is decent. Body is pitch black. Looks fine.

Nose is extremely rich - molasses, cocoa. Soy sauce is lower than normal for a BA beer. Slightly astringent. Smells good for what it is.

Yeah I mean this drinks like a massive desert beer, but it does that well. Flavor has huge cocoa, fudge, molasses, hazelnuts.

Carbonation is quite soft. Body is insanely thick, with a lingering stickiness. Very sweet, balanced by a relatively bold bite of alcohol and bitterness. I wouldn’t mind a more attenuated beer, but I guess that comes with the territory, without the alcohol bite this would be too rich. Overall still an appropriate mouthfeel.

It’s a slow drinker. Enjoyable, but that booze does get intense as it warms.

This is sweeter and hotter than any BA beer I’ve had in some time. While I don’t drink a lot, they usually don’t hit this hard. Somehow those two characteristics balance each other, and you’re left with a really big, really bold beer.