Barrel Works Cognac
Basqueland Brewing Project

Copenhagen 2/7 2022. 66 cl bottle from Kihoskh, Sønder Boulevard, Kbh. V. Simple pink label with Basqueland’s logo in gold.

Pours opaque dark brown with a small light beige head. Disappears fairly fast leaving only a flimsy patch behind. No lacing.

Aroma is intense with a sweet, sugary and malty odor mingling with dark alcohol. Dark, roasted malts, toffee, brown sugar. Cognac giving a ominous boozy undertone.

Low carbonation. Thick, oily, soft, almost flat texture.

Flavor is intense with a strong sweetness followed by a moderately strong earthy bitterness. Aftertaste sweet with a searing undertone. Lingering. Finish is boozy and dry.

Quite the dark boozer.

Pours a pitch-black coloration with a small, creamy, mocha-colored head. Smells of slightly roasted, caramel malt and distinct dark/red fruit notes of raisin, plum, fig and redcurrant, as well as strong dark chocolate and hints of spice and oak. Taste is a great balance of slightly roasted and caramelly malt, strong dark, bitter chocolate and dark/red fruit, with notes of raisin, plum, fig, redcurrant and cherry, lighter brown sugar and spice, with notes of vanilla, cinnamon and licorice, as well as hints of musty oak. Finishes semi-sweet, with some dark/red fruit, chocolate and spice lingering in the aftertaste. Full mouthfeel with a rich body and light/medium carbonation.

I'm a little torn about this one, to be honest. While the Cognac barrels come through wonderfully here, imbuing the beer with distinct notes of dark fruit and red berries, as well as some spice and hints oak, it's almost feels a little too intense, being a bit too sweet and boozy for my personal taste, while I'm really not a big fan of that brown, muscovado sugar note. Still the rich dark and bitter chocolate and spice goes some way to balance out those sweeter notes. although I would have wished for a little more roast here. Sometimes, less is more, and while this certainly makes for a rather rich and somewhat complex brew with a distinct barrel character, I would have wished for slightly more subtle balance here. Found it difficult to finish the bottle because of that sugary sweetness.

 

De Labirratorium. En copa Basqueland. Estudiando y jugando a Fortnite. Con papas fritas de Cristalera. Perfil a sirope de arce con suave madera bastante conseguido y adictivo, y fácil de beber a pesar del abv aunque se termina subiendo bastante la cabeza y da la sensación de que se podría conseguir lo mismo con menos abv