Say N'More
Forked River Brewing Company

500 mL bottle from the brewery; served slightly chilled.

Pours a deep-hued, murky burgundy-brown colour, producing a half-finger of loose, bubbly, off white-tinged head. It fades rapidly over the next minute or two, eventually being replaced with a wide, frothy collar and a few patches of foam on the surface. Fruity notes of fig, prune and raisin come through on the nose, with sour cherry and some lightly funky tartness. I'm not getting much bourbon, but notes of woody oak and vanilla start to crop up as the glass warms up a bit.

Interesting flavour; the barrel comes through a lot more noticeably here than in the aroma. The front end blends together fruity flavours of plum and raisin with notes of molasses and toffee; however, these are all swiftly obliterated by what comes next. Charred oak and bourbon are dominant toward the finish, without much of anything else going on. The aftertaste is slightly warming, and leaves behind a highly astringent, wood-tannin-heavy vibe that I don't especially enjoy. Despite the hint of tartness/funk on the nose, I am not really getting anything like that in the flavour profile. Medium in body, with moderate carbonation levels that result in a somewhat prickly feel; it's a little too lively at first, but softens with time and starts to feel more like what I'd prefer from a BBA old ale.

Final Grade: 3.74, a B. Forked River's Say N'More isn't bad, but I'll forego the winking, nudging and insinuation and just say it bluntly - I think there's some room for improvement. Something about the astringency in the finish really clashes with the rest of the profile, and it makes this beer a little harder to enjoy than it otherwise would be. I'm not sure what would help - it seems to me that the barrels are just running roughshod over the base old ale, so a heftier malt bill would probably help considerably. Not my thing, but if it sounds interesting to you then give 'er a go because it's still a decent strong ale.