Tax Holiday - Port Barrel-Aged
Taxman Brewing Co.

 

L - 2-finger creamy yellow head atop a translucent, dark purple body

S - grape, red wine, a little vinegar.

T - follows the nose. Grape juice, wine, vinegar, stone fruit, plum, molasses candy, booze-filled chocolates. Low bitterness. Moderate-low sweetness. Moderate-high booziness.

F - medium body and carb.

O - weird.

 

Rootbeerish in color, sorry I had to. Smell is semi sweet and deep, licorice tones. Taste is very unique. Semi sweet and dry. Tart get licorice in the front, semi dark fruits in the middle along with noticeable heat yet soothing warmth and dark plum, cherries, molasses on the end. Closes fantastic. Great beer. More of the dessert beer for the finish and 10% ABV, but very enjoyable.

Pours a very dark plum that reveals transparency marred only by the darkness of the beer when held against the light - that is to say - it pours dark and clean and looks great. Head is two fingers of khaki foam, with a half finger lingering long after the pour. Aroma is plum, raisins, and a little boozy port even from a distance. Up to the nose, and the booze grows, alongside herbal and spicy hops and bready and nutty malts. Yeast adds a little twist to the end, but is dried out quickly. Flavor profile is raisins, plums, grapes and bready, nutty, caramely malts. Hops are light, but hit notes of spicy and faintly herbal. Alcohol blends in really well with the flavor profile, especially the initial sweetness, but does become a little more apparent on the dry back-end of the flavor profile. Finish is dry, with yeast, malts, and port on the tongue long after each sip. Mouth feel is velvety, but dries out as it warms up. It has a medium-thick consistency. Overall, big flavor, including port and additional sweet characteristics land this one good marks.

Served in a 15.5oz Spiegalau tulip from a 12oz can.

Welcome to my Happy Picking Up Where I Left Off During The Last New Beer Sundays (Week 726)! I have several more new CANs from Taxman BC, courtesy of @jkblr & this is my fourth & last 8=( on this auspicious ocCANsion.

From the CAN: "belgian-style dark ale brewed with buckwheat honey & aged in port barrels"; "Unlock THE VAULT, our barrel series committed to the careful, prolonged conditioning and blending of barrel-aged ales. Enjoy our rich and malty Christmas ale cellared in port wine barrels, culminating in the perfect blend of dark fruit and molasses notes. Enjoy immediately or store under lock and key."; "THE VAULT BARREL SERIES"; "Belgian Inspired [-] Ameri[CAN] Crafted"; "IBU{:] 32".

Oh, the very thought of buckwheat takes me back. My late maternal grandfather, whom I adored, was a big fan of buckwheat pancakes. I used to emulate him at every ChANce, including developing CANcer, I guess, but while PapPap coffee was good (a thimbleful of coffee, loads of evaporated milk & plenty of sugar), I was taken aback by the taste of buckwheat pancakes! I have since come around to them, but buckwheat is definitely an acquired taste. I CANnot say that I have had buckwheat honey, but now my CANiosity is piqued.

CANiosity may have killed my cat, but revelation is what brought her back! Mine beCAN with a Crack! of the vent followed by a slow, gentle Glug into the awaiting glass. A spritz across my fingertips indicated that it was both brimful & eager to be released back into the open. I was enamored of the nose as soon as it came out!

People often scoff at Port as an "old lady's wine", but sherry CAN be traced to the Jerez family of Spain & when done well, it is a unique experience. I was but a young lad of 20 y/o on my first overseas cruise to the Mediterranean, but I picked up quickly. I liked to not only partake of the local talent, but I would pay extra to have them as my tour guide, mentor in language acquisition & fellow imbiber. I had four years of MS/HS French, which gave me a basis in Latin. From there, I picked up Spanish & Italian & eventually became fluent in French for a while. I still find myself thinking/talking in languages other than English! Well, in Barcelona, despite it being my introduction to Belgian beer, specifically aged Chimay Rouge (red), wine was king. I could not afford great stuff, but my escort was understanding & we still got served some wonderful wines. I remember the first time that I tried Port. I was struck by its tawny color & remarked on it. The wood-barrel aging is what really makes it, though. I am unsure as to the wood, but I do not think that it is oak as it does not have that imprint in its flavor. Maybe, but you CAN't prove it by me.

Back to the beer. I got just over two fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, deep-tan/light-brown head from my efforts. I watched in rapt earnest as it slowly fell, leaving beautiful lacing behind. Color was a rich Coppery-Brown (SRM = > 17, < 22) with NE-quality clarity. The low Winter sun gleamed through it, giving it the sense of burnished copper rope, much akin to an old flame's hair color! 8=O Nose was VERY vinous & instantly took me back to those cafes just off of the main drag where we sipped on Port & I CANtemplated a seagoing life in which I never returned home. If you have never tried Port, do so before approaching this beer. It will increase your appreciation of it mightily. Mmm. Mouthfeel was medium, a little thin for this style, but I'll let that slide. The taste was intensely grape-y & vinous, but SO evocative of Port! I instantly regretted not having sharp cheese & crackers to acCANpony this gem. 8=( The buckwheat honey added another dimension, one of earthy nuttiness & a sharp treacle-like quality. You may scoff & say that it would be tough to parse these flavors, but I'm telling you, once you've had either/both of them, they leave an indelible mark in your sensory perception! Goldang, but this was goooodd! I mean, trample over people to get at some at a release party good! This was def one for sharesies, though. It started slowly, coming down the tracks as it gathered steam, but once it broached that first hill, it came on like a runaway locomotive! 10%?!? Are yinz serious?!? In a CAN?!? Pack the cooler with this & TenFidy, honey, we're going to the beach, never to be heard from again! Wow! Finish was absolutely bone-dry. Very vinous, loads of wood, slightly tart/sour from the buckwheat. Phew! Is it just my heart that is getting ready to jump outta my chest or yers, also? No playin' around here, kids. This is what gets you where you're going … in no time flat! Whew!

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a slightly hazy, medium to dark reddish orange with a fine, one finger, light khaki head with great retention and thick lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, fresh and dried plums, hints of orange, vanilla and tutti-fruity; inviting. Flavor is dry caramel malt, fresh and dried plums, raisins, mild citrus, vanilla and oak. A little port wine character shows up in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. This has much of the exact character of the base Tax Holiday, but with a mild, but clear Port wine note and some oaky vanilla from the barrel. This version looks and feels a little creamier and shows some integration from the barreling process. The Port wine barrel treatment adds some nice flavors and fits with the base Belgian dark ale. The base is a little brighter, but this has a little more complexity due to the barrels. Nicely done.

Appearance is transparent dark chestnut with a moderate tan head that recedes fairly quickly to a thin stable ring that leaves patchy lacing. Aroma is subdued but has elements of dark fruit, malt, and spices. Taste is malt, caramel, dark fruit, and a hint of port barrel on the finish. Very good beer.

 

12oz canned 11/8/18 (40 days ago) poured into a snifter at just above fridge temp 10% ABV 32 IBU. The beer pours bright medium brown in color with sticky very light brown head. The head settles to a thin ring and leaves partial lacing. The aroma is molasses and very faint chocolate. The taste is rich malt, raisin and red wine on entry with oak, vanilla and port on the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a dry finish. There is no noticeable bitterness with the port barrel providing the drying balance. There is no alcohol presence in the aroma or taste even as it approaches room temperature. Overall, outstanding. This is a fantastic beer. Recommended.

Had on tap. The port really brings out the underlying dark fruits in this one. Sugar plums, red grape, dried fig, among others. Molasses, rye, leather, christmas spices, dark chocolate, oak and of course the port round out. Booze is well hidden. Carbonation is at a nice level and help flavors and creamy body.