Dubbel Giggidy - Old Forester Barrel-Aged
Noon Whistle Brewing Co.

Tasted in a snifter from draft at the Noon Whistle Brewing tap room on April 20, 2018. ​This beer is big and complex with some fruity esters from the Belgium yeast. We kicked those flavors up a notch by aging it in Old Forester bourbon barrels, providing vanilla upfront and oak throughout with dark fruit and plum notes, finishing dry with subtle spice from the yeast.

Draft taster snifter, deep copper, small off-white head, moderate lacing. Nose brings a blend of bourbon and Belgian spice notes with wood. Taste boozy, dried fruit, clove, some tannin, sweetness. Medium heavy body and average carbonation.

750 ml bottle into a goblet. Had 1/6/18, bottled maybe 3-5 days before.

Pours a cloudy dark amber, with a half inch head and no real lacing. Aromas of grapes, malt, bourbon, vanilla, light oak, some wine. The taste opens up a bit and is more malt forward, then bourbon, grapes, figs, plums, some wine, raisins, oak, light alcohol. Smooth, a very good lighter body for the style, well carbonated.

Great flavor from the barrels and a nice balance between the bourbon and the base beer. The base is good, and true to the style. Very enjoyable. A good effort on a style that doesn’t get BBA very often.

Pours from the bottle a bit muddled, a caramel brown but murky and with only a light amount of head that quickly dissipates. The aroma is cacophonous but intriguing: bubble gum, sage, caramel, lemon, cherry. The flavors on the palate are slightly more composed and restrained, but not by much. Candy-coated. The Old Forester barrels contribute some nice oakiness and a greater booze than expected for 9.1%. Heavy, syrupy and full-bodied. I like this for an experimental offering outside of Noon Whistle's wheelhouse, but it's not something I would go back to regularly.