Barrel Aged Gorm The Old
HammerHeart Brewing Company

one of the awesome things about rolling into hammerheart for some beers is that you are almost always sure to find something barrel aged and special! this is a cool edition of their beautiful old ale, the barrel really does add a lot. for one, this smells and tastes quite a bit stronger than i remember the original gorm being, not booze per se, but somewhat more obvious with it. there is a lot of oak to this, a hit of freshly lit cigarette, a long boiled grain richness with some european malt character, and a definite maturity that is really turning me on. the thing thats crazy here when i really start drinking this, is that its not as strong as a lot of beers out there in this style, in fact, its warm, but its mellow and even repeatable at this strength, which i think is a wonderful feature for a strong malty beer to have, like, most old ale is one and done am i right? well, this one demands more contemplation than i can get through with one i think. earthy wood, sweet maple, vanilla, english bready yeast and grain, copper and minerals, fresh figs, golden raisins, wet coconut flesh, dark leather chair, and roasted nuts. i think i am in love! the wood really elevates this one for me, super impressive. i reckon i now have to rank hammerheart among my favorite breweries in the country after this most recent visit. wow!

 

So I'm a big smoked beer lover, but my first 2 hammerheart experiences have left me a little underwhelmed. This is the third and final beer from them that I made a trade for. Here's to hoping the first 2 were just not my particular palate.

L - teku pour. Inky. Fairly heavy weight berr. Clear dark black, offwhite 2 finger head. Foamy lacing.

S - wtf. Again... Peaty and metallic.a little roasty but overall unimpressive.

T - okay... Caramel up front. Peat in the middle with loads of oak and vanilla carrying it. A salty-sweet finish rounds it out like the mix of a salted caramel or chocolate peanut butter.

M - fairly light bodied with high carbonation.

O - way, way better than my other 2 hammerheart experiences. Probably not enough to drive me to trade for them again though.

 

750 ml mini growler from the brewery. Poured into a Hammerheart tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a dark blackish brown. Moderate amount of bubbles and a slight finger of tan head that quickly fades away.

Smell: A smokey and nicely boozy aroma with a scent of bourbon, smoke, and chocolate. Big barrel presence with an upfront scent of bourbon whiskey, oak, wood, and vanilla. Malt scent of smoke, chocolate, caramel, toffee, biscuit, grains, and toast with yeast. Good hints of mesquite. A very nice aroma.

Taste: Like it smells, a smokey and boozy taste with notes of bourbon, smoke, and chocolate. Upfront barrel notes of bourbon whiskey, oak, vanilla, and wood. Malt notes of smoke, chocolate, caramel, toffee, grains, biscuit, and toast along with some yeast. Some good notes of mesquite. A really good taste.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Slick and fairly chewy. Moderate alcohol heat.

Overall: A really good Barrel Aged Old Ale. Big bourbon presence with some nice subtle notes of chocolate and mesquite.