Jazz Millions - Gin Barrel-Aged
Prairie Artisan Ales

thanks to drlovemd87 for kicking off his holiday party with a three liter of this bad boy. what a treat it is, although with its age, the hoppy side of it must have really fallen off. the spruce of the gin remains where the hops probably were, so it fills that role nicely, but i could only imagine this if the hops had held up! its got a lot of cool aromas, the gin for sure, but also a darker grain base with some red malt elements and a funky saison type yeast, maybe some lighter brett, and a wintery brightness that i really like. the flavors are a little subdued, and this got best mid bottle as it opened up and warmed up a bit. the spruce/juniper is definitely the most predominant flavor, but the malt comes through pretty well, and there is bitterness remaining from the hops, just not oils or flavors as much. cool beer, i love the weird yeasty funk and the contribution of the gin, but this was probably much more dynamic when it was fresh. a treat to drink a beer as hard to come by as this one though, and i wont soon forget the experience. mouthfeel was also awesome, with a ton of bubbles and super dry, a great medium for the flavors present. i didnt drink the dregs of this huge bottle, but i should have, probably got so weird.