Vermouth Barrel Aged Rye Imperial Brown Ale
pFriem Family Brewers
- From:
- pFriem Family Brewers
- Oregon, United States
- Style:
- American Strong Ale
- ABV:
- 11.4%
- Score:
- +7 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 4.12 | pDev: 11.17%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 2
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- May 02, 2026
- Added:
- Dec 21, 2025
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
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-
Aged in sweet red vermouth barrels for almost a year, this Imperial Rye Brown Ale pours a dark walnut hue, bursting with herbaceous notes of rich toffee and dried fig. A bold sipper, best enjoyed with good company.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by slaintemhor from Oregon
4/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle. Colour is clear brown with a thin head. Nose is very plum like with notes of cassis and blueberry. Palate is boozy, dry and laced with herbs, astringence and underripe Brooks prunes. The mid palate and finish are especially dry as well as very tight.
May 02, 2026
Reviewed by vurt from Oregon
3.63/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.63/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
375 mL bottle purchased at Belmont Station in Portland, OR. No date stamp, but the label indicates a 2026 (!) vintage. Enjoyed in a Stone Oakquinox glass.
Look:
Deep reddish-brown with red-amber highlights. A modest disk of creamy tan foam fades gracefully to a heavy collar and thin skin. The beer coats the glass but leaves no lacing.
Smell:
Hmm. Buttery toffee, red wine, grape jelly, hints of citrus peel and bitter herbs.
Taste:
In a word: odd. There's a dry layer that's licorice and wine and rye spice. Underneath that is a sweet layer that's toffee and brown sugar and some fig and sweet grape character. The layers don't mingle much. The nose keeps insisting there are buttery notes, but I can't find them in the flavor (and I'm okay with that). The finish is red wine and chocolate with bitter undertones. Doesn't really seem like a brown ale until it warms. Then it drinks like a strong, malty brown ale that's somewhat vinous and rather pungently herbal.
Feel:
Medium-bodied with a texture that's mostly smooth but veers into astringency at the end. Finishes with a mildly numbing alcohol warmth.
Overall:
I'm not quite sure what to make of this one apart from an impression that the base beer is overwhelmed by the barrel. It has a set of sweet and round flavors and a parallel set of herbal and wine-like flavors. They don't fit together well. The beer is unique and interesting, but I don't think I understand what it's trying to do, or quite what the brewer was aiming for. I imagine someone more experienced with wine or cocktails would have an easier time approaching this one.
Dec 22, 2025Look:
Deep reddish-brown with red-amber highlights. A modest disk of creamy tan foam fades gracefully to a heavy collar and thin skin. The beer coats the glass but leaves no lacing.
Smell:
Hmm. Buttery toffee, red wine, grape jelly, hints of citrus peel and bitter herbs.
Taste:
In a word: odd. There's a dry layer that's licorice and wine and rye spice. Underneath that is a sweet layer that's toffee and brown sugar and some fig and sweet grape character. The layers don't mingle much. The nose keeps insisting there are buttery notes, but I can't find them in the flavor (and I'm okay with that). The finish is red wine and chocolate with bitter undertones. Doesn't really seem like a brown ale until it warms. Then it drinks like a strong, malty brown ale that's somewhat vinous and rather pungently herbal.
Feel:
Medium-bodied with a texture that's mostly smooth but veers into astringency at the end. Finishes with a mildly numbing alcohol warmth.
Overall:
I'm not quite sure what to make of this one apart from an impression that the base beer is overwhelmed by the barrel. It has a set of sweet and round flavors and a parallel set of herbal and wine-like flavors. They don't fit together well. The beer is unique and interesting, but I don't think I understand what it's trying to do, or quite what the brewer was aiming for. I imagine someone more experienced with wine or cocktails would have an easier time approaching this one.
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