Bourbon Barrel-Aged Manhattan Shine
Brewery Ommegang

Aroma is bourbon, malts and cherries/mild sweetness. The flavor is malts, fruit/cherries, caramel sweetness in the middle and a warming bourbon alcohol finish.

Muddy brown color. Only a bit light shines through the glass. The head is surprisingly small considering the foam slowly emerging from the bottle. Only an occasional spot remains on the glass.

Rich smell of semi-sweet cheries and higher alcohol. Very close to a fruited Quadrupel.

Surprisingly high carbonation which is necessary to cut cream-like body. Lots of alcohol heat up front and in the finish. Tastes like a cherry brandy. The bourbon barrel-aging is notable. The main taste is of darker malts but the aftertaste becomes sweeter with alcohol remaining the dominant flavor experience.

 

 

its so weird to see ommegang playing in a space like this, and i know they have been for awhile now, but its still odd to me, like a label that says flavorings on it, caramel color added, thats not the ommegang i know, that ommegang would just use fruit and grain, so these are a little heartbreaking, even if big business and tight margins and buyouts and such necessitate it, it still kind of makes me sad, take a step back, and none of that is to say this isnt tasty, because it is, but its a little less of an artform than it could be, i mean, you really need to add caramel color to an amber ale? come on. this also isnt really belgian to me at all, despite the description here saying its a belgian style amber, this doesnt show like that to me, not really fermentation forward, if it is belgian yeast, its a mostly covered over by the barrel character and the added fruit, but thats not really a criticism of this, while i think more of those esters would play well on this theme, this isnt really missing anything for the concept to be effective, i get the orange and cherry in the nose and taste, even a luxardo level high end cherry decadence in this, and the whiskey is quite prominent to my senses as well. somewhat dense and matte, not a lot of head from the tap but fine carbonation for what it is, a little unexciting and unexcited in the glass. aroma and flavor are nice though, i like the malt build on this, some sweetness, some hearty bready character, raisin and fig notes setting up the cherry really well. some oak tannins adding a light perceived tang to cut through the sweetness this has, maple and molasses there, but it also works real well with the orange essence thats in this, some light acidity there so very compatible and it helps it finish. nice oak and even charcoal to this, a cool low end in the absence of darker grain, and indeed a strong amber feels like a nice call for a base beer. my mind can even get subtle hints of aromatic bitters to this, and i think it approximates the cocktail rather well, dont mind the sweetness in that context, and with the exposed alcohol here, it was always going to be a small doses thing. some oils on the palate, a fiery whiskey exhale, notes of vanilla and caramel and toffee, lots of wet wood and even some late spice there too, anise and clove maybe, very barrel forward, the nice cherry there at the end, cherry liqueur. i know this isnt quite what it could be, not as ingredient driven and maybe honest and artsy as the old ommegang would have delivered, but its hard to argue with the flavor, this is very good, no doubt, and on the surface, there is no issue, but its hard to see this brewery adding color to things i guess, for me, i dont know, am i holding onto something that i shouldnt be? fun stuff, drinks like a cocktail.

 

This is an after dinner dessert beer. Heavy, malty, with a bourbon finish. A good nightcap.

Garnet with a good khaki head, not much in the way of retention, thin rings of lace
Boozy, cherry and orange, some bourbon, caramel malt aroma
Oak, well bourbon, combo of bready and caramel malt, some Luden's cough drop cherry and candied orange
Heavy, sticky, low carbonation, surprisingly not hot despite how boozy it is
Not a fan. Really shows how much the bitters and vermouth make a Manhattan.

Pours murky, dark copper brown. One inch of light beige head forms a fine foam and leaves no lacing on a Pretentious Glass Company Pub Pint.

The aroma has strong bourbon up front, with orange and cherry being noticeable, yet minor. Figs and dates become obvious only after they are first noticed. The oak is strong and grows with warmth.

The flavor has strong malt with toasted edges. Bourbon is very much apparent, while cherry is light and orange is an afterthought that comes across similar to Cointreau. Mild sweetness works with faint bitterness. The finish is long and boozy.

It has a full body and smooth/soft texture. Carbonation is light while the alcohol is as high as expected, including light heat.

This is a good beer to enjoy with a book, and most certainly would be better as a fireside nightcap. In some ways, it has similarities to English Barley Wine, however, it by no means should be mistaken for that style.

 

Cloudy brown with a medium-sized, tan head. Aroma of caramel malt, bourbon, and cherry. Definitely resembles the namesake cocktail. The taste is malty, rich, and moderately sweet.

Look: It pours cloudy brown with a tan head. Head retention is low.

Smell: It is strongly malty with sweetness up front. There are some caramel notes with a touch of chocolate. There are also some raisin elements in support.

Taste: It is strongly malty with caramel and chocolate. In addition there are light roasted elements. I also has some raisin flavors with whiskey and a touch of wood.

Feel: It has a medium full body with an aftertaste that is as sweet as it is bitter. It also has great alcohol warming.

Overall: A complex beer with plenty of malt flavors.

Poured from bottle, the body is an opaque brown with short lived head. Very light lacing.

Aroma is a nice mix of bourbon barrel with notes of orange and cherry.

Taste follows nose but the flavors are deeper, more complex. A malty presence keeps everything balanced. The substantial ABV is not masked but held in check: ever present, but not hot.

Mouthfeel is good. Substantial but not heavy. Carbonation good.

 

Dark reddish/brown liquid with a short off-white head. Sticky foam cloud lace on the glass. Smell is quite bourbon dominant . A sweet blend of black cherry and orange. More resemblance to a strong quad than an amber ale. This one's a keeper. Truly is a cross of a beer and a cocktail.

 

 

Poured a dense, muddy brown body with quick-dying head and no lace. The aroma is mostly like booze and wood along with some dark fruit notes. Smooth, heavy body, beer has a strong density without being too sticky thanks to the woody smoothness and the beer has notes that come across like boozy vanilla and dark fruits like dark cherry and raisin.