Rye Barrel Aged Scottie Knows
Ascension Brewing Company

750 ml bottle into snifter, bottled in 9/2016. Pours fairly crystal clear deep ruby red/brown color with a thin off white head with decent retention, that reduces to a ring of lace pretty quickly. Minimal spotty lacing the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big raisin, plum, cherry, fig, pear, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, rye whiskey, toasted oak, and brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, chocolate, cocoa, herbal, grass, leather, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, and rye whiskey barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of big raisin, plum, cherry, fig, pear, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, rye whiskey, toasted oak, and brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, chocolate, cocoa, herbal, grass, leather, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Mild herbal bitterness and rye whiskey/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruit, cherry, pear, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, rye whiskey, toasted oak, brown bread, light chocolate/cocoa, herbal, grass, leather, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, and rye whiskey barrel flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness and rye whiskey/oak spiciness balance; with zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth and creamy/silky mouthfeel that is nice. Minimal sticky hop, chalky roast, oak tannins, or dryness. Minimal warming alcohol for 10.5%, with zero barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an excellent BBA scotch ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, and rye whiskey barrel flavors; extremely smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, even with the mild carbonation. The body was a bit thin, but the silky barrel character made up for it. Really well balanced between fruity yeast and malt complexity. Outstanding barrel presence and integration; never boozy, tannic, or drying . A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.

This seriously tasted like drinking a glass of scotch; delicious. Only complaint I have was the mouthfeel was a little thin. Still highly recommend this one, considering it was $16 for a 750ml of 10%+ beer.