Flying Buffalo - Bourbon Barrel-Aged - Spiced Strong Ale
Griffin Claw Brewing Company

 

16 ounce can into snifter, 2018 vintage. Pours nearly opaque dark brown/black color with a small fairly dense cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, maple syrup, cocoa, toffee, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of milk chocolate, molasses, licorice, raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, leather, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malts, spices, bourbon barrels, and fruity yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, maple syrup, cocoa, toffee, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of milk chocolate, molasses, licorice, raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, leather, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light herbal, grassy, peppery bitterness; and bourbon, oak, cinnamon spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, maple syrup, cocoa, toffee, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, dark/brown bread, molasses, licorice, dark fruit, leather, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, spices, bourbon barrels, and fruity yeast flavors; with a great malt/bitter/spiciness balance; and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/silky/bready, and lightly slick/sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Mild warmth of 12%, with minimal barrel booze lingering after the finish. Overall this is an awesome barrel aged spiced American strong ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, spices, bourbon barrels, and fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the mildly bitter/spicy/tannic/drying finish. Awesome balance of rich malts, spices, fruity yeast, bourbon barrel presence/integration. Great balance between wheatwine and imperial stout flavors. Not as roasty, and more spicy than Dark Passenger; but still a very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example as expected.