Quatro Rosas Fuerte
Saucony Creek Brewing Company + Gastropub

 

750 ml bottle, corked and caged. numbered 81/153

poured very dark brown, almost black, nice head. nice pleasant aroma of caramel, vanilla, raisin, a little char. similar flavors - complex, it's not harsh bourbon - mellow and soft. fuller mouthfeel, smooth.

Saucony Creek Brewing Co. "X Reserve Quatro Rosas Fuerte"
750 ml brown glass bottle, corked and caged. "Bottled 5/25/16" and sampled on 6/26/16
$25 at the brewpub

A steady pour brings up a finger thick head of superbly creamy tan foam over an opaque brown-black body. The head retention is possibly the best I've ever seen, and the lacing is quite good as well.

It comes across in the nose with what appears like chocolate at first whiff while still cold, but opens up to include golden caramel, toffee, toasted coconut, and soft smoke.

In the mouth it's supple and smooth with a medium body and fine-bubbled median carbonation that lends a gentle caress to the tongue before the alcohol hits with a touch of heat.

A lot of times with Bourbon barrel aged beers the Bourbon component is either too little or too much, and that's certainly not the case here. The other flaw can be that it's a little too harsh, but this is like velvet in both flavor and feel. It's rich without being too rich, and includes notes of Bourbon, toffee, dark fruit (fig, raisin, some mild red berry), coconut, oak, milk chocolate, golden caramel, darker brown caramel, some leafy hops, and a spritz of alcohol. Not a lot of bitterness is needed to balance it as the alcohol does step in, and it finishes dry and woody with pleasant notes of lingering Bourbon.

One of the best beers I've ever had without question, although I'll admit to having a bent towards malty beers and bourbon barrel aged beers. Absolutely worth seeking out!