Johann Speaks Easy
Aslin Beer Company

Poured from a 16 oz into a snifter.
L - Pours a hazy orange with minimal white head.
S - Smells of mezcal.
T - Tastes of orange peel.
F - Medium body and lightly carbonated.
O - Really interesting beer. Seems almost like a barleywine.

This is such a unique beer, hence the high score. This is a bourbon barrel aged DIPA with Toasted Coconut. Don't be scared by the IPA in the description, because it is closer to an American Barleywine. The coconut adds a depth to the beer that really rounds out the overall flavor. Notes of vanilla, oak, coconut, and fruit, fruit & more fruit.

 

Description from the brewery: This will be a series of beers where we barrel-age the base Johann beer and add adjuncts to create a speakeasy cocktail experience. The first of the series is a Bourbon Barrel-Aged Double IPA with toasted coconut. The result is beer is a pillow-soft mouthfeel, an intense tropical fruit character (mango, clementine, peach, & apricot) from our DIPA, which mingles with the vanilla, caramel, & oak notes of the bourbon barrel. After six months we added the toasted coconut to add a mellow caramelized sweet & toasted coconut profile, to round the beer out, and add to the tropical notes of the beer.

500 mL bottle obtained at silent release at Aslin. I am not a fan of aged IPAs, so let's see if Aslin can change my mind.

L: 3F head with good retention, leaving a fair amount of lacing and a lasting cap and ring. Beer is a slightly hazy bronze with visible carbonation bubbles on edges.

S: Most noticeable is the bourbon barrel and the tropical fruits of the base Johann DIPA. A bit of vanilla. Don't really get coconut in the nose.

T: OK, you DO get the toasted coconut here, along with deep, soft tropical fruit flavors and the barrel, with a bit of vanilla. Tastes like a more highly concentrated version of Johann if that makes any sense, but more smooth rather than intense. Finish is neutral to very slightly sweet.

F: Medium body shading towards fuller. Moderate carbonation. Construction and balance are absolutely superb and this is a joy to drink.

O: Aslin, you magnificent bastards! You've done it. This is an absolutely outstanding beer.