Bourbon Barrel Ale
Bluegrass Brewing Co. - East St. Matthew's

 

 

 

Bottled 8/14
Dark saturated amber, rising carb trails visible. Initial burst of tan foam that subsides quickly. Bright clarity.

Aroma is more than a little off, metallic and astringent with a watered down whiskey note.

Taste is sharp and astringent also, oddly watery and tart. Seems like an infection took hold here. Watered down whiskey is present with little to no oak or barrel character. Yuck. This is terrible and didn't hold up well, less than a year old bottle.

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 8/2014. Pours slightly hazy deep orange/copper color with a 1 finger dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings around the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toast, vanilla, bourbon, oak, pear, apple, and oak/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance of dark/bready malt, bourbon barrel, and light-moderate fruity yeast notes; with solid strength. Taste of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toast, vanilla, bourbon, oak, pear, apple, and oak/toasted earthiness. Light bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, toast, vanilla, bourbon, oak, light pear/apple, and oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Good complexity and robustness of dark/bready malt, bourbon barrel, and light-moderate fruity yeast notes; with a good malt/barrel balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, fairly crisp, and lightly creamy/bready mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with only a light warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is a nice barrel aged strong ale. All around good robustness and balance of dark/bready malt, bourbon barrel, and light-moderate fruity yeast flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink for the ABV. A nicely enjoyable offering.

LOOK: Pours a light brown color with a quickly dissipating head. Has a chill haze but is free from sediment.

SMELL: Strong aroma of caramelized malt, brown sugar and bourbon. Light and basic, but very appealing as well.

TASTE: Flavor is richly malty and sweet, balancing earthy hop character is a bit spicy, blending into a slight bourbon and oak flavor that lingers into the finish,

FEEL: Medium bodied and well carbonated. The beer drinks very well and honestly is one of the smoothest bourbon ales I've had.

OVERALL: If the bourbon is made on site, I would love to get one of these barrels. Very smooth balanced flavor with a oak-y dryness that makes it fantastic.

A little raisin-y, overall not horrible. I think I was looking for a hint of smoke.

It's okay. Zero aroma (was expecting bourbon). Watery. Maybe it's the keg?

 

This drinks and smells much like a boiler maker, as the bourbon is dominate and seems to leave the beer behind.

The nose is mostly whiskey with an alcohol supremacy and very little barrel.

The flavor, for the most part, is like the nose, as the flavor of whiskey overtakes the beer. More Makers than Woodford, the flavor takes on little of the barrel but all of the bourbon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a medium caramel copper with a frothy cream head that slowly dissipates, leaving modest lacing.

Aroma is dominated by caramel, with notes of vanilla and oak adding depth.

Flavor reveals deep caramelization, accompanied by toasted malt, vanilla, and bourbon. Bourbon rules the day, but the toasted, nutty malt counters nicely.

Body is slightly full, with carbonation a touch on the low side. The alcohol seems to hide fairly well.

Very bourbon dominant, but not cloying thanks to the toasted malt backbone. Like a good bourbon, the heat sneaks up on you, warming with comfort as opposed to a burn.