My Only Friend Bourbon Barrel Aged
Ocelot Brewing Company

 

 

 

Awesome sweet bourbon
Caramel roasted malts milk chocolate.

Bourbon is present but I love it; not overly boozy and hot. Would love to get a bottle of this.

 

 

 

 

A: This poured an opaque black with a little dark tan head.
S: It smelled like chocolate covered graham crackers and roasted marshmallows, with some toasted coconut and sweet coffee and cream.
T: It tasted like chocolate covered graham crackers and roasted marshmallows, with smoky coffee and toasted coconut and oak. It had a clean mostly sweet aftertaste with a little alcohol warming.
M: It was thick with a little carbonation. Nice full body.
D: This was a great brew that was bold yet subtle, with a sweet yet well balanced scent and taste. The body was solid and the finish was smooth. It had some heat though, so it was better to sip. Age would probably help. Fresh is still great.

 

 

 

Large format bottle from June, 2016, poured into Ocelot glass.

L: Midnight black with a 3F light tan head that shows very strong retention, not much lacing on glass, but a thin cap and ring remain.

S: Roasted barley and caramel malt. Unsweetened dark chocolate. Bourbon barrel. Maybe a hint of coffee.

T: Roasted malts definitely lead the way, more barley than caramel. Bourbon barrel more assertive here. A bit of unsweetened dark chocolate. Not much if any heat.

F: Medium bodied, lightly carbonated. Construction is very solid, balance is very good as I believe this is intended to be a slightly bitter finishing stout. Obviously not crushable, but that's not why you buy and drink a barrel aged stout.

O: Good effort by this new brewery; has to be one of their first barrel aged efforts. Bourbon doesn't dominate, but stays in the picture. Glad to have these guys only 10 minutes from my house.

 

 

 

Near black body with a beige cap. Lots of oak and booze in the aroma. Aggressive bourbon character leads the way, followed by some chocolate and earthy tones. Pretty good. Could use some nuance and grace to counter the boozy assault.

The beer pours a tan head that dissipates quickly but leaves a ring around the inside of the glass. The beer itself is a nice black color but nothing really amazing; it looks good but gives off a thinness to the texture.

The smell is pretty good. It has a nice medium roasted note and a bitter chocolate to it. The bourbon note is strong and mixes well; it doesn't overwhelm and the sweetness balances out the bitter notes. There also seems to be a nice dark fruit note such as dates in the aroma.

The taste is also pretty good. It has the same bitterness in the taste. The only difference is the bourbon is more pronounced. After aging, the malt note is a bit more developed to give off the dark fruit note of dates.

The feel is good. It has a heavy body but a thinner feel from the barrel aging.

Overall, a very good beer and worth getting. It's a nicely balanced barrel aged beer. Go for it.