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Tax Holiday - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Taxman Brewing Co.
- From:
- Taxman Brewing Co.
- Indiana, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Ranked #66 - ABV:
- 10.2%
- Score:
- 89
Ranked #11,124 - Avg:
- 4.02 | pDev: 5.97%
- Reviews:
- 11
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 31, 2024
- Added:
- Jul 26, 2016
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 4
Unlock the Vault, our series committed to the careful, prolonged conditioning of barrel-aged ales. Take a Tax Holiday, our winter dark ale featuring aromatic buckwheat honey and malty hints of cherry and chocolate, accented by the smooth, warming notes of toffee and vanilla from bourbon barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by robwestcott:
Rated by robwestcott from Indiana
4.39/5 rDev +9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Jan 01, 2017
4.39/5 rDev +9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Jan 01, 2017
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania
4.1/5 rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.1/5 rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Canned on: 11-6-23
A - Dark burgundy cherry colored pour with dense caramel silky foam and lacing with light carbonation.
S - Sweet toffee malt, cherries, honey, and light chocolate nuances.
T - Toasted toffee malt base along with honey, cherries, some chocolate, and a definite Bourbon presence. Finishes on the sweeter side with some lingering cherry, Bourbon, chocolate.
M - Definite alcohol presence as it permeates up to the sinuses and warms the back of the throat. Texture is silky and there's a residual layer of sugary stickyness on the lips.
O - This is a really enjoyable sipper and nicely done.
Dec 03, 2023A - Dark burgundy cherry colored pour with dense caramel silky foam and lacing with light carbonation.
S - Sweet toffee malt, cherries, honey, and light chocolate nuances.
T - Toasted toffee malt base along with honey, cherries, some chocolate, and a definite Bourbon presence. Finishes on the sweeter side with some lingering cherry, Bourbon, chocolate.
M - Definite alcohol presence as it permeates up to the sinuses and warms the back of the throat. Texture is silky and there's a residual layer of sugary stickyness on the lips.
O - This is a really enjoyable sipper and nicely done.
Reviewed by stortore from Illinois
4.16/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.16/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 ounce can into a snifter. Canned 11/30/22, had 2/25/23.
Pours a mostly clear copper color, with a brief head and light foamy lacing. Aromas of banana at first, which fades, then bourbon, caramel, malt, spices, raisins, wheat, light vanilla and cherry. Has an herbal aroma. The flavors are somewhat the same: bourbon, caramel, malt, raisins, spices, some honey, light vanilla and wheat. Has a hoppy, herbal taste. Smooth, a very good medium body, appropriately carbonated.
Nicely balanced between the barrels and the base. It was quite herbal overall, especially in the flavor, which was a surprise. Very enjoyable.
Jul 05, 2023Pours a mostly clear copper color, with a brief head and light foamy lacing. Aromas of banana at first, which fades, then bourbon, caramel, malt, spices, raisins, wheat, light vanilla and cherry. Has an herbal aroma. The flavors are somewhat the same: bourbon, caramel, malt, raisins, spices, some honey, light vanilla and wheat. Has a hoppy, herbal taste. Smooth, a very good medium body, appropriately carbonated.
Nicely balanced between the barrels and the base. It was quite herbal overall, especially in the flavor, which was a surprise. Very enjoyable.
Reviewed by Rogerlb from California
4.06/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz can from Tavour (like many of us lately). Pours like a light stout or a dark lager. Translucent with slight head that dissipates fairly quickly. Aroma is raisin bread, sweet malt, chocolate cherries. Rich, good promise.
Taste tends to prunes, banana peel, vanilla (that's the bourbon I think), oak, cherries, that nutmeg "Belgian" tinge. Caramel in there with a hint of booze at the finish. A bit sweet. Honey is in here and present as a syrup layer but didn't make it too dry. (Late addition?) 10.2% barely evident but not entirely hidden. As user @UWDAWG notes, once you think of Cherry coke it's hard to untaste. More oak stick than soda, good strong ale not great.
Feb 22, 2023Taste tends to prunes, banana peel, vanilla (that's the bourbon I think), oak, cherries, that nutmeg "Belgian" tinge. Caramel in there with a hint of booze at the finish. A bit sweet. Honey is in here and present as a syrup layer but didn't make it too dry. (Late addition?) 10.2% barely evident but not entirely hidden. As user @UWDAWG notes, once you think of Cherry coke it's hard to untaste. More oak stick than soda, good strong ale not great.
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
3.85/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz can from Tavour. Medium brown body, spotty head, lazy carbonation. Sweet aroma, nutty, Belgian yeast, prunes. Boozy notes come forward in the taste, woody, nutty, sweet. Glowing warmth. Really nice.
Feb 03, 2023Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois
4.15/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.15/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Dark brown body with a tan head, spotted lazy lacing. Aromas of bourbon, molasses, prune, date, vanillins, and honey with christmas baking spices. Taste adds dark cherry in the middle with the other dark fruits, vanilla, and honey are replaced with brown sugar, dark malts and a kiss of toffee. Feel has plenty from the barrel, spices and malts, frothy yet smooth and firm. Would love to try the non-ba version, obviously this would be ideal in December
Mar 26, 2022Reviewed by UWDAWG from Washington
4.12/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.12/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12 ounce can into a snifter.
Look- Sudsy medium tan head, dark brown, average head retention and lacing.
Smell- Bourbon, cherry, vanilla.
Taste- Cherry, subtle bourbon, sweet from front end to finish.
Feel- Between thin and medium body, mouth warming, mouth coating, below average carbonation, slightly creamy, smooth finish.
Overall- Tasty, reminds me of bourbon and Cherry Coke.
Jan 22, 2021Look- Sudsy medium tan head, dark brown, average head retention and lacing.
Smell- Bourbon, cherry, vanilla.
Taste- Cherry, subtle bourbon, sweet from front end to finish.
Feel- Between thin and medium body, mouth warming, mouth coating, below average carbonation, slightly creamy, smooth finish.
Overall- Tasty, reminds me of bourbon and Cherry Coke.
Reviewed by dd53grif from Michigan
3.99/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.99/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A Tavour treat. Pours a dark brown color with a minimal head that lasts quite a while. Aroma is alcohol, Dark fruit and roasted malts. Tastes of bourbon. Nice flavor. Good mouth feel.
Jan 18, 2021Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado
4/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Brownish mahogany body; clear; thick and frothy bone colored head. Nice smell combination of dark roasted malt and bourbon; toasted dark bread. Rich and creamy caramel flavor with a strong boozy quality; brown sugar; raw oak; phenolic. Heavy body; fairly smooth with residual sugars; alcohol warmth.
A very nicely done bourbon barrel aged beer. My humble opinion is the strong ale aspect was readily accomplished and the bourbon barrel aging, while strong, seems to mesh nicely with the base beer. Very good and definitely recommended.
Jul 15, 2020A very nicely done bourbon barrel aged beer. My humble opinion is the strong ale aspect was readily accomplished and the bourbon barrel aging, while strong, seems to mesh nicely with the base beer. Very good and definitely recommended.
Reviewed by BBThunderbolt from Kiribati
3.55/5 rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.55/5 rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Thanks to jkblr for this one from a recent trade. 12oz can (canned on 12/2/19) poured into 14oz teku. Poured a solid dark brown color with 1/3 inch of tan head that had low-moderate retention and very light lacing.
Bourbon and sweet vanilla had the front of the nose, with some solid grain and fruity yeast backing them up.
Things started out similar on the tongue, but the Belgian-y characteristics came through stronger to provide more personality. The bourbon was still present, but the grains and yeast took over, and added a nice balance to the alcohol, which had a slight burn on the back end.
The body was solid, without being too full, was smooth, and finished semi-sweet.
Drinkability was very good, I'd drink several more of these if I had 'em.
Overall, a solid, interesting and very enjoyable brew. certainly worth trying if you see it.
May 31, 2020Bourbon and sweet vanilla had the front of the nose, with some solid grain and fruity yeast backing them up.
Things started out similar on the tongue, but the Belgian-y characteristics came through stronger to provide more personality. The bourbon was still present, but the grains and yeast took over, and added a nice balance to the alcohol, which had a slight burn on the back end.
The body was solid, without being too full, was smooth, and finished semi-sweet.
Drinkability was very good, I'd drink several more of these if I had 'em.
Overall, a solid, interesting and very enjoyable brew. certainly worth trying if you see it.
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana
4.16/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.16/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12oz canned 12/02/19 (2 months ago) poured into tulip glass at just above fridge temp 10.0% ABV 32 IBU per can label. The beer pours slightly murky medium brown in color with some yeast particulate on a hard pour. The head is khaki colored, short lived and settles to a pencil thin ring leaving a few spots of lacing. The aroma is mild with dark fruits, brown sugar, vanilla and very slight bourbon barrel. The taste is semisweet honey & cherry over a nice darker (but not roasty) malt body before the drying bourbon barrel shows up as mostly oak & vanilla. Minimal bitterness, but balanced with the sweet having a slight advantage. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with just less than medium carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, very good. The base beer is definitely enhanced by the barrel here, even if the actual bourbon influence is minimal. Very, very tasty despite a mediocre appearance and nose.
Feb 09, 2020
Tax Holiday - Bourbon Barrel-Aged from Taxman Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
89 out of
100 with
28 ratings
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