Kentucky Honey Barrel Brown Ale
Alltech's Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.

 

 

I like it more than Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, and it has a higher ABV.

 

12-oz bottle into nonic pub glass

A - 2 fingers of medium tan over a deep mahogany body

S - honey sweetness, oak/wood/bourbon

T - honey sweetness, bourbon; lots of wood and bourbon in the finish

M - medium body high in prickly carbonation

O - I've had better bourbon barrel ales, but this is a decent brown nonetheless.

I know, I know, behind the times as usual, but such is the nature of The Bottle Backlog here at Chez Woody. I had purchased this at the FGBS when it was last released & set it aside in favor of everything else. I am starting to get caught up so beers that got shunted aside are beginning to come to the forefront.

From the bottle: "Ale brewed with Kentucky honey and ginger, aged in oak bourbon barrels"; "The Barrel-Aged Seasonal Series".

Once again, the excitement and anticipation was almost too much to bear, but I am a master of self-restraint & so I simply Pop!ped the cap and performed a gentle pour into the awaiting glass. Once this was accomplished, a vigorous in-glass swirl raised just over a finger of foamy, deep-tan/light-brown head with moderate retention. Color was Dark Brown to Very Dark Brown (SRM = > 27, < 34) with NE-quality clarity & cola highlights. Nose had the distinct coconut quality that seems to be a trademark of bourbon and there was a light spiciness, but I do not think that I would have readily identified it as ginger. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy, but getting there. I could really taste the bourbon in this beer, but it was marred by the spicy bite of the ginger, which seemed to clash and grind against the sweetness of both the bourbon & the honey. Finish was dry, but that was largely due to the almost overpowering spiciness. It seemed like a case of gilding the lily or too much of a good thing is too much. I would also have been hard-pressed to identify it as a Brown Ale. It has been retired, so perhaps they agree with my humble assessment.

 

 

 

A - golden mahogany
S - honey scents sure, but no ginger, not much bourbon either
T - same as smell, nothing to rave about, almost a little metallic. The flavors are not well blended, like they took their stock "bourbon barrel ale" and dropped in a different flavor packet.
M - rich and smooth
O - I don't know what it is about Alltech's brewing process or ingredients, but I can always immediately identify it (in a bad way for me). The beer is fine, drinkable, but I need to stop buying it thinking that I'll be getting something new and interesting.

 

 

Another very good Lexington offering I am really enjoying...

As a brown ale, it is certainly one of the better ones I have had. A reddish hue out of the bottle with tan head that has great staying power with decent lacing down the glass. The smell was mostly honey without any other notes I could pull out. What really surprised me was the feel - smooth, oh so smooth. So much so, it makes it dangerously drinkable which at 10% ABV could be a problem (though in a good way...) I really enjoyed the taste of honey without being overpowering. Overall, a very good brew from one of the brewers I admire.

Couldn't pass this up in the mix six section for around 2 bucks. Into a pint glass.
Fizzy mocha head slowly to nothing. A rather deep dark amber brown. Smell is some honey faint with roasted malts and caramel tones. Taste is mild bourbon, honey like sweetness and some roasted malt in the finish. Body is more on the lighter side but ABV can catch up with you in this brew.

Overall I don't see why this beer is rated so low its a rather smooth honey sweet brown ale "aged" in bourbon barrels. It may not be the best but it still taste rather good.

 

 

Poured from a 12 oz bottle,into a Funky Buddha snifter.

Thin khaki head that doesn't last long.Dark brown with ruby highlights.Very light carbonation.

On the nose I get sweet honey and roasted malts,backed by the slightest hint of bourbon.The absence of strong bourbon notes is a plus in my book.

On the palate I get dark roasted malts,sweet honey,and again just the slightest hint of bourbon...Once again a plus in my book..Maybe just a tad too sweet with the honey,but not enough to kill it.

The body is medium,with a smooth finish.

This isn't the best brown ale I ever tasted,but it certainly isn't the worst...Not sure why all the negative reviews.

I bought this bottle off the single shelf at Binnys. It poured a clear rich mahogany with no head and no lace. The scent had faint bourbon. The taste is white wine like and slight bourbon finish. The Mouthfeel is medium in body with smooth carbonation. Overall it's ok certainly worth a try.

L: deep brown with a thin tan head
S: sweet, honey and bourbon
T: malty, bourbon, smells better than it tastes
F: creamy, medium body, not a great finish, I get some off flavors
O: another disappointment from this brewery... I'm done with them