2020
River's Edge Brewing Co

16 ounce prowler into tulip glass, filled on 12/1/2019. Pours fairly crystal clear deep golden amber color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big lemon, orange, peach, pear, mango, melon, apricot, red apple, banana, peppercorn, clove, citrus peel/rind, coconut, bourbon, toasted oak, pine, honey, cracker, white bread dough, and lightly toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of oaken vanilla, caramel, toffee, bubblegum, nuttiness, herbal, grass, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, pawpaw, coconut, pale malts, and bourbon barrel notes; with big strength. Taste of big lemon, orange, peach, pear, mango, melon, apricot, red apple, banana, peppercorn, clove, citrus peel/rind, coconut, bourbon, toasted oak, pine, honey, cracker, white bread dough, and lightly toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of oaken vanilla, caramel, toffee, bubblegum, nuttiness, herbal, grass, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate herbal, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness; and yeast/bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of lemon, orange, peach, pear, mango, melon, apricot, red apple, banana, peppercorn, clove, citrus peel/rind, coconut, bourbon, toasted oak, pine, honey, cracker, white bread dough, biscuit, vanilla, caramel, toffee, bubblegum, nuttiness, herbal, grass, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, pawpaw, coconut, pale malts, and bourbon barrel flavors; with an awesome malt/bitter/spiciness balance; and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitter/tannic/spiciness. Medium-plus carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/grainy, and sticky/resinous/rindy/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 10.5% and lingering barrel booze. Overall this is an excellent barrel aged Belgian strong pale ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, pawpaw, coconut, pale malts, and bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the modestly bitter/spicy/tannic/drying finish. Not overly bitter/spicy/tannic. Great balance of Belgian yeast, fruit, coconut, bourbon barrels, and pale malt/sugar flavors; with nice earthy hop presence/balance. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and impressive style example as expected of the brewery. No complaints.