Grgich Cabernet Barrel Aged Wisdom (2025)
Barreled Souls Brewing Company

Pours a slightly murky dark brown that ends up clear as it warms, but if I get the light on it just right there's a pretty purplish tint. Quarter inch or so of tan foam that is short-lived and falls to a strong ring. Drippy temporary lacing that cascades slowly back into the viscous-looking liquid.

Not sure how well I can pick this apart - it smells pretty darned good! Sweet malts, dark fruits (cherries, figs, raisins), toffee/caramel/brown sugar, red wine must, a very faint peppery spiciness. Tobacco and slightly leathery note. Berries - red currants maybe? Light woody smell.

The taste just takes that smell up a ton of notches. The first thing I notice is the luxurious, decadent feel of the beer though. It's creamy and lucious, very slightly sticky and thick but not cloying. Smoothly integrated flavors - no rough edges here at all. The Cabernet treatment comes out in the aftertaste - clearly vinous with a slightly acidic tang. Before that there's a whole lotta other stuff...sweet, lightly roasted malts nearing brown bread territory but not quite there. Fruity - dark/sweet cherry, figs and raisins, I'll stick with the red currants as a berry-like component in addition to the wine grapes. A little brown sugar, caramel, toffee. More tannin than I thought at first - gives it a little drying character and a little "pucker". Mild woodiness, a good bit of vanilla, peppery spice.

Great feel - it's carrying a ton of flavor, it gets a wee bit sticky but it ends surprisingly clean. The wine barrel effect carries over into the aftertaste along with the peppery note - quite pleasant. It's also nicely warming.

What can be said - another stellar brew. I am not exactly sure what my expectations were, but this was a swerve. I didn't know how the wine barrel treatment would mesh with an old ale.