Morning Wood
Funky Buddha Brewery

 

 

2017 vintage

Beer 1400!!! I purposely saved this one for this landmark review since I reviewed the base version and the imperial version a few weeks back. This has been a long time want of mine, and luckily I was able to get the whole series at once. This bourbon barrel-aged variant has been sitting at the highest rated Imperial Porter for a long time on BA, and #38 overall. Let’s see if it lives up to the hype

Pours a very dark brown with a finger of creamy dark tan head that fades to a ring and leaves minimal lacing

The bourbon is definitely present in the nose, making the whole thing quite a bit sweeter but still really good. I’m picking up on aromas of sweet bourbon, charred oak, salty bacon, medium roast coffee, milk chocolate, maple syrup, burnt caramel, and light brown sugar

It’s an absolute smack in the face of every single element in taste, wow. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting smoky bacon, milk chocolate, maple candy, sweetened coffee, sweet bourbon, raisin, toasted oak, creamy vanilla, and caramel. The swallow brings notes of salty bacon, charred oak, dark chocolate, medium roast coffee, burnt caramel, brown sugar, maple syrup, smoked malt, and vanilla

A medium full body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a smooth and silky beer. Finishes mostly dry with a warming alcohol presence

Man, it’s been so much fun trying my way through this series. This one is the clear winner. I hope I get a chance to try them all fresh one day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22oz bomber bottle. most likely a 2019 bomber based on the listed abv of 11% on the bottle, but was told this was a 2018 vintage of Morning Wood.

Poured into Durobar Charente glass.

Appearance: black bodied beer with dense and thick off white to light brown head that is uneven with lots of large soapy looking bubbles. Light lacing. good staying power. Thick ring remains around the outside of the glass as the head eventually dies down.

Smell: Big maple and oatmeal with a hint of cinnamon, smokey bacon and a hint of coffee. Hints of chocolate, oak, and bourbon.

Taste: Immediately big maple syrup flavored oatmeal just like what was found in the nose. Bacon and meaty smoke integrated nicely with a gentle ashy barrel char in the middle that is quite enjoyable. Hint of Dad's brand root beer candies and cola. Finish has lots of rich bourbon notes and chocolate notes. This is complex, superbly balanced, and flat out really really tasty. Easily exceeds my expectations for sure.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with low and adequate carbonation levels. Slightly silky and creamy bodied porter. Very smooth and not any booze at all.

Overall: Finally! Pretty excited to get to tick this barrel aged porter thanks to TATURBO. This beer is rich without being overly sweet. The barrel notes are spot on and it really is hard to find anything wrong in this beer. Just the right amount of maple which is a flavor that is easy to overdo. The balance is also quite impressive as well. Put this beer on your must try list if you haven't. Breakfast flavors galore with a splash of bourbon and oak. What's not to like? The barrel aging definitely improves maple bacon coffee porter which is a hard feat to achieve. Nice work here from Funky Buddha for sure.

Damn, the minute I opened this I was punched in the face with maple - it is clear that age has not diminished the maple presence at all ... In terms of appearance it pours a shiny black color. A lovely velvety head forms on the beer with solid head retention. It is pretty viscous. Back to the aroma - it is dominated by the maple syrup with underlying notes of smoky bacon, oak, bourbon, and chocolate. All of those aromas are quite strong - so I am not really getting much in the way of coffee.

Taste follows the nose and is very much dominated by the maple syrup flavor, but the surprising part is that it is not at all as sweet as I remember from having this in the past. There is much more roasted malt, chocolate, smoked malts with some slight meaty notes, and the bourbon barrel comes through more strongly. Some slight roasty bitterness comes through on the back end. Feel is thick, full bodied and luscious. Moderate carbonation. Sort of drier on the finish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at Castaways for the tap takeover. Dark brown pour with a kaki head. Loads of maple and bourbon aromas. The taste follows suit with pronounced black coffee and dark roasted malts. Hints of oak. Good body and mouthfeel.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes Maple please. This thing is something I would pour over pancakes.
Strong maple with a bit of coffee and hint of barrel.
If you enjoy maple beers this one is right up there.

Not a huge FB fan. This was decent but a little thing

 

Bottle courtesy of Scottsbeer out of Flo-rida.
L: black with moderate brown head.
S: coffee, Malt, brown sugar, chocolate, maple. (Fresh Maple bar smell dominates).
T: roasty coffee, chocolate malt, maple/brown sugar, Slight smoke and/or bitterness. No bacon specifically.
F: medium.
Overall: Very good porter. Hard to distinguish between this and a stout. Maple sweetness and coffee dominate. Reminds me of beers I recently had... mornin’ delight, kbbs, cbs, and that’s a pretty high compliment considering their ratings. Clearly world-class barrel aging going on.

 

 

 

 

 

I got this in a trade, and the date is smudged off :-(

Appearance: Poured 1/4th of a glass every time so not too much head. Pitch black of course. Some lacing.

Aroma: Impressive -- maple, coffee, and smoke all shine through.

Flavor: Overall sweet almost like a milk stout. Maple syrup throughout, strong coffee throughout as well. Milk chocolate. The barrels come through if you pay attention. There's a slight smokiness on the back end, which is such a great addition. There is absolutely no heat. The advertised flavors do not lie... however I don't get much more than that. Not a bad thing but perhaps was hoping for more.

Palate/Finish: Medium but oily and sticky. Very smooth, no carb. I do wish this was thicker, but I also realize that this is a porter so I won't knock it too much. Finishes with more coffee and sticky maple.

Overall: This is a very good beer and it deserves some accolade. I was hoping for something to 'chew' on, but at the same time, the style *is* porter, and I do admire that. The alcohol is completely hidden, and the maple/coffee flavors shine so well in the flavor and in the aroma. This is what impressed me most. On the other hand, it's not the most complex imperial porter I've had, and it's a little lactos-y. Overall, I'm gonna say this is an A beer, but not an A+.

 

 

Jet black body topped with a thick and creamy, tan colored head. Alluring aroma of milk chocolate, cocoa and vanilla; faint, boozy scent. Decadently rich, sweet flavors; milk chocolate and maple syrup; vanilla; whiskey. Heavy, silky smooth body; velvety and chewy; dull, prominent sweetness to the mouthfeel; twinge of alcohol warmth.

A heady, extremely tasteful and lip smacking bit of rich porter flavor. World class all the way...