Bourbon Barrel Aged Mega Meow
Georgetown Brewing Company

very solid stuff here, i like that its still bitter, deeply roasted without being burnt, not sweet from too much crystal malt, too long a boil, or enough of the whiskey character to overwhelm the base beer, and i think overall this is excellent, i wish more of the creative and ambitious stuff from these guys came around, always seems to basic from them, so this was a cool one to find. pretty black brew, frothy headed with a tan tone to it, lots of bubbles from the tap, i like these being lively. maybe a faint trace of smoke to the nose, an almond element too, seems dry right away, earthy, ashy, mellow from the wood, a hint of vanilla too, oats likely too, starchy and richer like that, and then soft and round feeling when i get to drinking it, awesome texture with the little bubbles popping too. not tannins or anything from the wood, not boozy from the whiskey either, insanely smooth as these go, and not even all that alcoholic to me for what it is. i like the deeper dark grain character, not bitter but definitely not sweet, again earthen to me with an organic vibe. very flavorful and unique from the crowd of these, like the base beer seems slightly unconventional and the barrel proportions are cool, a lot of these taste similar to each other, especially at the high end, but this stands out to my palate. i will look forward to drinking this one again, really good!

Crowler from Uptown Market.

Black with dark brown highlights, this beer is capped with a light brown head with good retention and minimal lacing. The base stout is a spicy, anise-rich affair, with dark malts, malted milk balls, raisins, and a touch of pine hops. The anise note is really nice, complementing the milk chocolate. On top of all this is a boozy barrel expression, lending quite a bit of heat and a light coconut note. Mild vanilla to complement the anise. The palate opens medium full and with quite a bit of dark fruit and dark caramel character, a blend of brandied raisins, dried figs, dark caramel, mildly salted, a touch of burnt toffee and butterscotch. These are all sweet but appropriately so. Notes of anise, vanilla and booze are next. A little thin towards the finish, resulting in the booze being amplified. Chocolate, booze and anise linger in the finish. Medium in body and softly carbonated, this feels pretty good on the palate. Enjoyable stuff.