Chinook - Barrel-Aged
Big Lake Brewing

 

 

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours slightly hazy deep ruby red/light copper color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky khaki head with awesome retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big raisin, plum, grapefruit, orange, lemon, peach, pear, red apple, citrus peel/zest, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, and brown bread; with light notes of coconut, cocoa, pepper, pine, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malts, citrus hops, fruity yeast, and bourbon barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of big raisin, plum, grapefruit, orange, lemon, peach, pear, red apple, citrus peel/zest, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, and brown bread; with light notes of coconut, cocoa, pepper, pine, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light pine, citrus peel/zest, herbal, floral, grassy bitterness; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of raisin, plum, grapefruit, orange, lemon, peach, pear, red apple, citrus peel/zest, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, brown bread, light coconut/pepper/pine, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, citrus hops, fruity yeast, and bourbon barrel flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and lightly sticky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Minimal warming alcohol for 8%, with zero barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged American strong ale! All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, citrus hops, fruity yeast, and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the ABV with the mildly bitter/tannic/drying finish. Reminds me of a less bitter/aggressive BBA Arrogant Bastard, but is richer on malts. Amazing balance of rich malts, citrusy Chinook hops, fruity yeast, and bourbon barrel integration. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.