Dire Wolf - Apple Brandy Finished Bourbon Barrel
Wolf's Ridge Brewing

Finally, an opportunity to open up this bad boy. Pours dark brown to black, not too much head for me, lingering rim. Smells bourbony, apples and dark fruit with vanilla. Malty, sort of chocolatey. The taste follows. The apple finish is prevalent and fitting. I feel like it does have the pie spices the brewer describes. It also has a malty, chocolately, bitter coffee thing going on. It is thick and creamy with mild to moderate carbonation. Rather complex but not muddled, but yet another killer stout from this brewer.

22 ounce bottle, packaged on 09/20/21. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both pretty good. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like apple brandy, bourbon, vanilla, dark fruit, dark chocolate and roasted malt. For the most part I think the taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also some oak, burnt/charred malt, molasses and coffee flavors noticeable too. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's slick and creamy with a moderate amount of carbonation. I liked this barrel aged imperial stout a lot, a good variant of Wolf Ridge's popular Dire Wolf. Certainly worth trying if you get the chance!

 

22 oz bottle, born on 9/23/21, poured into a Wolf's Ridge Dire Wolf Teku glass at 55 degrees F:
L - dark dark brown with a hazelnut head that lingered
S - bourbon, coffee, apple
T - very nice blend of flavors, bourbon, coffee, molasses, brandy
F - thick mouthfeel with light carbonation
O - very good beer, great blend of flavors