Cellar Series: Odravein - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Põhjala Brewery & Tap Room

Drain-pour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a deep mahogany coloration with a small, fizzy head. Smells absolutely wonderfully of rich caramel malt. toffee and butterscotch, as well as lighter vanilla and bourbon-soaked oak, with just a hint of walnut. Taste is a perfect balance of quite rich caramel malt, toffee, butterscotch and much lighter, slightly bitter and resinous hops, as well as some vanilla, bourbon-soaked oak and hints of red berries and walnut. Finishes bittersweet, with a medium sweetness and some butterscotch, vanilla and oak lingering in the aftertaste. Full, sticky mouthfeel with a very rich body and light carbonation.

With its rather sweet, but also slightly bitter flavor profile, this seems to sit somewhere inbetween an English and American Barleywine and even though the English side is clearly dominant, I personally really love those bitter, resinous accents preventing this from becoming cloyingly sweet and clearly making it the best English Barleywine for my palate that I have ever had. There's also a very rich and warming Bourbon presence in the finish that never becomes too boozy though. Overall, a marvellously rich and superbly balanced Barleywine that's incredibly full-bodied, with a sticky mouthfeel that coats your tongue and an absolutely intoxicating aroma of toffee and butterscotch that continues on the tongue.

L: Cloudy, hazy brownish in color, brown head that dissipates rather quickly.
S: Whiskey, big bourbon, oak, vanilla, pack of peanut-mix (hazelnuts, walnuts, ..), chocolate, raisins, plums, dark rum.
Regarding the smell, this beer keeps on giving, especially if it warms up!
T: Bourbon, licorice, chocolate, molasses, hint of some really overripe black banana, strong malty/black bread after-taste.
F: Between high/medium body, abv shines through, low/mid carb, strange bitterness/astringency that kind of ruins the mouthfeel a bit for me.
O: This beer smells exceptional, tastes nice, albeit the mouthfeel isn't as good as the other aspects.

Pours a hazy rusty brown color with a small top off beige head that dissolves quickly.
Aroma is off caramel, marzipan, bourbon, molasses, raisins, figs, plums, vanilla and wood.
The taste is sweet with strong malty notes in the background. Dark and dried fruits allong with a nice bourbon sweetness. Background has a roasted malt character with caramel and toffee notes. The finish is slightly bitter and dry and leaves a long and strong aftertaste. An amazing ballance makes the sweet notes never to overwhelming. Mouthfeel is soft and creamy with a medium carbonation and a full body.
This was an amazing barley wine. Probably one of the better ones i have had.

 

Amaranth with ruby ​​reflections, ocher-colored foam with a fine texture. Perfume of molasses, vanilla, wood, whiskey. On the palate there is molasses, dates, ripe cherries, vanilla and notes of wood, a bitter finish and a very long trail of truly generous and warm bourbon. High ABV that does not bother and dries the sweet course of drinking well. Medium and round body with low carbonation.

 

Bottle at Las Buenas Pulgas, served in a snifter glass. Dark amber color, small beige head with medium retention that fades to a ring around the glass. Small compact lacing. Aroma of caramel, brown sugar, dried fruits, bourbon, vanilla, some chocolate and wood. Full body, creamy and sticky texture, good carbonation. Sweet finish. You can feel the alcohol, but not that much. Taste follows the aroma. Impressive.

 

A 330ml dark blue waxed bottle with a best before date of 23rd September 2022. Poured into a snifter glass.

Appearance: It was a slightly rusty orange brown colour with a half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving only sparse spotty lacing.

Aroma: Sweet, fruit cake, raisin, plum, fig, bourbon, caramel, toffee, and lemon cream.

Taste: Bourbon, wood, caramel, toffee, dark fruit, raisin, fig, cherry, dried fruit, with notes of sherry and piney hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.

Overall: Going on the aroma, I was worried this was going to be too sweet, but I was pleasantly surprised as the flavour was well balanced and the sweetness subdued. This is a really good and enjoyable sipper.

L: Very deep red/almost brown color, half finger beige head, nice thin lacing, light carbonation.

S: Bourbon, oak, chocolate, alcohol. Smells wonderful.

T: Bourbon, oak, alcohol, whisky-ish bitterness. Nice.

F: Medium bodied, smooth.

O: Good barleywine from Estonia.

 

 

Oooh that's one is a great one. Very nice bourbon character. It seems like its the same kind of bourbon barrels used in KBS. The malt base is very nice.
It's strong but not overly boozy.
Great stuff