Whiskey Barrel Bumbler - Christmas Reserve
Backwoods Brewing Company

Hazy dark orange beer with a film of lacing in the New Belgium snifter. Intriguing aroma as it warms-- baked apples, fruity hops, and faintly buttery. Oh, and alcohol fresh from the still.

There's a sourish note to start, which may be what happens when you mix hops with booze. The hops taste kind of stewed, and the woody barrel taste is something unusual as well. A little burnt butterscotch, persimmon, and applejack. Bitter aftertaste seems like the right reward.

A crazy oddity, but quite drinkable once you quit trying to figure it out. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Bottleworks in Seattle.

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a dark, hazy orange brown with a half finger white head that dissipates to a thick film, leaving light lacing. Aroma of tropical fruit, particularly pineapple, light orange citrus, whiskey, a hint of oak. Flavor is orange citrus and rind mild caramel malt, whiskey, earthy wood, sweet and citrus at first, finishes with lightly tart whiskey and orange juice. Medium bodied with light carbonation. Barrel aging IPAs is an odd idea and this is a bit of an idiosyncratic ale. I think I would like the base IPA, with its emphasis on orange citrus and tropical fruit notes, but the herbal quality of the hops are absent here, leaving just fruit notes, like a glass of orange juice with whisky in it. There is a light oaky, woody flavor which is nice, but not enough interesting malt flavor left to support it. I happily finished the bomber, but not sure if this worked out for the best. Interesting, but uneven. I want to try the base IPA now, however.