Winterfest (Barrel Aged)
Sockeye Grill & Brewery

neat to see a barrel aged beer in this style with such modest abv, its tasty stuff, nice for a chilly winter evening, and cool they had it on tap this weekend. its a littler darker i think than i remember the base beer being from last year, a deep chestnut reddish brown tone with a little polish on it and a short just off white head. it smells sweet to me, long boiled rich grain, toffee and brown sugar, just a little alcohol poking through it, a bready baked element, sort of bran-esque, very hearty to me, perhaps a little english type yeast aspect working here too. the flavor has some neat dried fruit tones, i pick up raisin and cherry and fig, and its also quite sweet, a mellow spice hint seems to be here too, sort of a clove thing, makes this kind of cozy whether it is actually spiced or not. its a bit heavy to drink with all the sweetness, but thats why i am so glad its not 10% abv too, i appreciate it being slightly lighter. i think the barrel adds some mellowing character but also so depth, more whiskey in the smell than the flavor, but the light oak is present throughout. a nice jazzed up version of the original, a beer that lends it self well to this kind of treatment. fantastic for holiday time, especially if you dont mind the sweetness.

As John noted, very whiskey forward, barrel aging dominates the aroma and taste. Dark brown, slightly hazy, thin wispy beige head. Aroma is mostly whiskey barrel, malts come through in the taste, nicely balanced. Another great winter sipper. Great job, Sockeye!

Appearance: A nice bubble show produces a frothy tan head that sits atop the chestnut colored liquid; great retention and lacing

Smell: Whiskey barrel forward with hints of caramel and pine underneath

Taste: There is a caramel tone on the front end, but it is as if all the sweetness has been removed and was shellacked by the oak and whiskey tones that start to dominate; piney hops make a somewhat feeble stand, in the middle, and then the whiskey and oak flavors return to wrap up the finish; tobacco flavors the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied; somewhat creamy, with moderate carbonation

Overall: I guess the base beer here just couldn't stand up to the barrel treatment though the beer still has a lot going for it; clearly an American Strong, though from the artwork I was expecting more of a barrel-aged winter warmer

Thanks, JohnGalt1, for the opportunity

 

 

rb

My 3rd or 4th can of this in the last couple of weeks, but this is the 1st one where I've had time to sit and enjoy it by myself. Payed a very pricey $15 for a 4-pack of 12oz cans... Enjoyed from my FW Reserve tulip... Pours a fairly clear deep amber/red... Light tan head rises up to about a 1/2" and dies back leaving decent enough lacing.

The nose is pretty whiskey forward... A little harsh IMO... Jack? Big boned malts makes me think toffee essence and dark dry toast.. Never ever smells sweet though, just a bunch of complex maltiness.

Flavor mirrors the aromas with a nutty/toasty element... Whiskey is pretty heavy on the finish, no joke, not just whisky essence, but honestly seems like a little bit of Tennessee may have made it into the can.. Dry... Perhaps some piney hops break through the barrel with warmth.

Medium body with plenty of small bubble carbonation..

Weird... I have had a hard time deciding whether I like it... I keep opening cans, so I guess that is a good sign.. The barrel is soooo heavy and the base beer is so dry for a winter ale... I honestly think a little more malt "sweetness" would do wonders to carry the malt complexities and help integrate the big barrel presence.

Nuff said .... This is a great beer.

4's across the board.