Old Bourbon Oak
Bull & Barrel Brew Pub

Old Bourbon OakOld Bourbon Oak
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From:
Bull & Barrel Brew Pub
 
New York, United States
Style:
Old Ale
ABV:
9.5%
Score:
89
Avg:
4.04 | pDev: 5.94%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
18
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 05, 2021
Added:
May 08, 2015
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  3
We aged this brew with bourbon soaked American Oak for over 2 months. The flavor of bourbon and a slight hint of wood blend well with this dark, rich, aromatic full bodied ale.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of GregBarleycorn13
Reviewed by GregBarleycorn13 from New York

3.6/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours a nice dark brown with little foam. Smells of the Bourbon barrel. Feel was light but par for an old ale, I'd say.
Taste was lacking ale-wise but the bourbon came through nicely. So so. I'd go elsewhere for a better Old Ale.
Will miss Bull and Barrel Brew Pub and Restaurant as it has closed up.
Jan 05, 2021
Photo of Shiredave
Reviewed by Shiredave from New York

4.22/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Deep, cherry wood brown with sparkles of garnet in the light. A tall, tan head of big bubble foam forms and falls quickly to a wispy film and a few specks of lace trails.

The aroma is all malt with big cherry and plum notes along with sweet toffee and baked apples. I get more fresh cut hardwood than charred bourbon cask and the higher alcohol whiffs detract a bit from the warm, richness of the nose.
As the can states this is " A limited winter release" so I assume this is a fresh can, though no date proves that assumption.

The flavors reflect the aromas and the Old Ale style - rich and fruity, malt forward in all the right ways, bold caramel and brown malt character with just enough hop bitterness to keep it from being heavy or cloying.
Sweet, ale-fruity flavors flood the palate and coat the tongue while some mild astringency actually seems to work with the mild hop bite to offer a hint of balance to the huge malt profile.

The smokey aspect comes through on the back end lending another level of complexity.
Body is full-ish but not heavy, inviting full swallows to savor.

The finish is again, mildly smokey and ok - oaky but surprisingly clean leaving a dryness that blends the wood, hops and dark grains on smoldering embers of alcohol.
This could use some age but even fresh is a great example of an Old Ale / Winter Warmer - without ( tytyty) any spices.
Nov 26, 2020
Photo of metter98
Reviewed by metter98 from New York

4.06/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
On-tap at Bull & Barrel Brew Pub, Brewster, NY

A: The beer is dark brown in color - when held up to the light it is clear dark red and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high beige head.
S: Moderate aromas of oaky vanilla are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell and has additional notes of bourbon. A touch of alcohol is perceptible.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I really liked the aromas and flavors of oaky vanilla in this beer.

Serving type: on-tap
Sep 27, 2019
 
Rated: 4.02 by smithj4 from New York

Sep 27, 2019
Photo of jrc1093
Reviewed by jrc1093 from Connecticut

3.67/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Canned in Winter 2018

Pours deep, cloudy brownish amber with an almost nitrogenated-looking two fingers of off-white foam; head recedes fairly quickly, but leaves a nice amount of thicker lacing to hang around awhile.

Aroma tons of vanilla, sweet bourbon, and butterscotch intermingle nicely upfront, with light oaky influence in the background; prominent but leveled comprehensive sweetness done very well here, with some good supporting barrel tones to keep things from getting out of hand.

Taste brings molasses, caramel, dark cherries, muscovado sugar, vanilla, and barrel all into the mix here and there; hints of oak and lightly smoked toffee hover intermittently.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with lighter carbonation and surprisingly thin considering the sweetness on the nose; no traces of booziness, and the faintest cloying stickiness near the finish; lighter for a 9% old ale, but very drinkable still.

Nice example of the style that manages its sweetness very well. Definitely a lighter old ale, but the flavors present cleanly enough to make this both easy to drink and enjoyable.
Jan 12, 2019
 
Rated: 3.95 by h4ger from Connecticut

Dec 07, 2018
Photo of Eamonn-Cummings3
Reviewed by Eamonn-Cummings3 from New York

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 22oz bottle into a speiglau barrel aged glass.

Look is a hazy dark amber with an off color white head.

Lots and lots of bourbon oak on the nose with a slight malt sweetness.

Body is a little thin, but the flavor is full like a malty bourbon blended with beer.

Decent sipper. Lots and lots to get into.
Aug 01, 2016
 
Rated: 4.4 by TheBeerdedCharmer from Pennsylvania

May 05, 2016
Photo of nanertak
Reviewed by nanertak from Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Poured 22oz into a tulip.

Clear amber, huge head that stuck around. Smells boozy, warm bourbon, dark fruit, heavy vanilla. Little thin on the palate. Taste mirrors the smell. Good beer.
Apr 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.59 by tobelerone from New Jersey

Mar 21, 2016
 
Rated: 4.04 by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

Dec 29, 2015
Photo of cavedave
Reviewed by cavedave from New York

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 4
Pours a lightly cloudy dark amber, with a massive beige head that retreats to lasting cap, leaving thick lace designs on glass.

Caramel, oak, vanilla, dates, and even a touch of floral make an exceptionally alluring aroma.

Very bright taste, with all the flavors of the aroma joined by some alcohol spice. End of sip is lingering sweet, alcohol spice, with a hint of bitter herb.

A bit too carb.'ed for style, quite a bit too thin for style, and a finish that would benefit by being cleaner.

Strange beer, really awesome smell and taste, but some carbonic bite to it, and definitely way too thin for a strong/old ale. That said, recommended.
Dec 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.93 by Daniellobo from District of Columbia

Oct 31, 2015
 
Rated: 4.3 by agreenman19 from Connecticut

Sep 25, 2015
 
Rated: 3.97 by benjerminw from Pennsylvania

Sep 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4.1 by osant37 from New York

Aug 09, 2015
Photo of AlpacaAlpaca
Reviewed by AlpacaAlpaca from New York

3.96/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3.75
Even though I was totally unimpressed by the Bull & Barrel's output and bud-light-bro-hangout-scene-rather-than-a-brewery vibe, I decided to give them another shot after seeing a bottle of this on a shelf. Plus, I believe I've had a precursor batch to this one, their "old ale", which was actually pretty decent.

It pours deep dark mahogany, with the orange-red undertones of a barleywine. The smell was sweetness up and down, with a little hint of bourbon under a heap of brown sugar. Thankfully, the taste was much better than that. The bourbon and the sweetness take equal shares of the profile, while nut, oak, and hints of vanilla add depth and complexity. The taste was absolutely delicious and on point, but it almost immediately fell apart from there. The mouthfeel was water. It felt thin and fleeting, and only a vague trace of the flavor lingered. It was like the beer up and ran away. With an ale of this type, you'd expect a thicker, more viscous feel, and a taste that lingered tantalizingly. Not the case. It's such a shame, because the actual flavor of the beer was excellent. I wanted to savor it.

Overall, a bit of a mess of a beer. It gets some things very right, and some things very very wrong. I hope the brewers refine their approach, because this could definitely be a world class beer.
Jul 29, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by fosters9 from New York

Jul 12, 2015
Old Bourbon Oak from Bull & Barrel Brew Pub
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 18 ratings