BBA George Brothers
Ascension Brewing Company

500 ml bottle into snifter, bottled in 9/2016. Pours nearly opaque dark brown color with a small fairly dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings around the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big raisin, plum, fig, date, cherry, apricot, apple, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, bourbon, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, and brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malt, bourbon barrel, and fruity yeast notes; with great strength. Some light booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Taste of huge raisin, plum, fig, date, cherry, apricot, apple, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, bourbon, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, and brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light herbal/roast bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruit, cherry, apricot, apple, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, bourbon, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, brown bread, light coconut/chocolate, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malt, bourbon barrel, and fruity yeast flavors; with a great malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Slightly drying from bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness as well. Light carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy, and slightly slick/chalky/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden; a small pleasant warmth, with slight barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an awesome barrel aged old ale! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malt, bourbon barrel, and fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV. Very well rounded yeast/malt complexities. A little more heavy on the barrel presence than I’d prefer; but it never feels overly boozy, tannic, or drying. A really delicious and impressive offering.