3870 - Barrel-Aged
RAR Brewing (Real Ale Revival)

 

 

 

 

 

Draft pour into a snifter.

Syrup like dark brown with very little head. Leaves a bit of oily residue on the glass.
The full nose is delicious. Coconut and vanilla at the top with oak barrel, molasses and a small amount of alcohol.
Like the nose, there is a lot flavor to sift through. Bourbon and vanilla, sweet molasses and dark fruit there is a touch of oak hidden as well. Definitely malty. The alcohol is there but it's not overpowering.
Body is on the high side of medium with enough carbonation to give some crisp bite before finishing soft with a little viscosity.
I haven't had too many of this style but it seems to fit.
Great dessert brew.

This was poured into a tulip. The appearance was a dark brown close to black color with a quickly dissipating one finger white foamy head. Light lacing quickly sliding into the beer. The smell started off with the sweet Belgian sugars up front. Dark and milk chocolate do come through ever so slightly. Some vanilla. The taste had the sweetness in front in the flavor, but then came across with a slight dry woody to vanilla sort of balancing edge to it. I liked it, just seemed a bit different. Sweet Belgian sugar aftertaste and a quick sweet wet finish. On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with a nice sessionable to sipping quality about it. Carbonation feels good, not too light, not too heavy, just good. Overall, as a Belgian Strong Dark ale, it definitely works and would love to have again!

 

 

 

 

16oz can, sample from the brewery.

Thin lacing on top of a dark brown hued brew with ruby highlights. Fruit esters, bandaids, taffy, banana peels, caramel, and bread in the nose. Beer drops a malt bomb on the palate, bready with treacle, dried hay, brown bread, & caramel. Warming and estery but never hot. Creamy, slick and almost a bit syrupy. Pulling wood tannin finishes this beer off with a breath of alcohol. Good drinking, great use of the Belgian yeast and barrel aging here.