Esther's Li'l Secret - Bourbon Barrel-Aged (2018)
Warped Wing Brewing Company

This is a fantastic seasonal brew from Warped Wing Brewery in Dayton, OH. Don’t think that this is like the Esthers Lil Secret in the can.... it’s so much better!

From the growler via Growler Stop in Newtown and enjoyed in a snifter.
This pricey but fantastic beast pours a muddy blackish brown with a
nice head of dissipating tan foam that settles to a thick ring with nice
light lacing. Nose of bourbon, vanilla, chocolate fudge, and astringent
booze. Flavors pack a wallop with rich bourbon over a double fudge
brownie with vanilla and char touched marshmallow with a touch
of coffee and a touch of cherry without being overpowering.
Excellent mouth feel; full body, light carbonation, and a rich
and warming malt forward finish.

Excellence overall!

Cheers

12.7 ounce wax capped bottle, Vintage 2018, thanks to my buddy Denis for picking this up for me at the recent release at the brewery 2 or 3 weeks ago. Served in a Warped Wing snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with almost an inch tan head. Head retention is decent enough, and there's a lot of lacing. The brew smells like bourbon, vanilla, roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate and cherries. Taste is pretty much just like the aroma, but there's also a bit of caramel noticeable. The bourbon/vanilla is a big part of this brew, but it's not overpowering. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's slick and smooth with a moderate amount of carbonation. Easy enough to drink, too. I have to say that I liked this a lot more than the base version of this beer. The barrel really helped in this case, not sure why but for whatever reason there was a noticeable improvement. Definitely worth getting a bottle or two!