Johnny Cash'd
Mason Ale Works

 

 

 

Picked up a single from Kings Beer & Wine 5-25-18 for $2.99. No canning date visible.

Beer poured black as night with a solid long lasting tan head.

Nose is very nice, fresh roasted coffee with vanilla and bourbon.

Taste has some nice elements including the bourbon and coffee up front with some vanilla splashed in.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, kind of thin for this big of beer.

Overall a solid effort at a very very reasonable price for a BBA brew. Glad i got to try it.

 

330 ml bottle into tulip glass, best before 2/31/2069. Pours slightly hazy ruby reddish copper color with a 2 finger fairly dense and rocky off white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of sour/tart/tangy cherries, fruit skin, raspberry, cranberry, vaginal secretions, blackberry, lemon, lime, green apple, red grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, caramel, brown sugar, and toasted bread; with lighter notes of pepper, leathery/musty funk, balsamic vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, apple, cherry, oak, and moderate dark/bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big sour/tart/tangy cherries, fruit skin, raspberry, cranberry, blackberry, lemon, lime, green apple, red grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, caramel, brown sugar, and toasted bread; with lighter notes of pepper, leathery/musty funk, balsamic vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness, fruit tang, and light yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of sour/tangy cherries, fruit skin, raspberry, cranberry, blackberry, lemon, lime, green apple, red grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, caramel, brown sugar, crease cheese, toasted bread, testicular equine essence, pepper, leathery/musty funk, balsamic vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast infection, apple, cherry, oak, and moderate dark/bready malt flavors; with a nice malt/tart/sourness balance. Lightly increasing pucker through the glass, but not overwhelming. Light-moderate increasing dryness from tart/sourness and tangy fruit. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy/acidic/tangy, and lightly tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 7%. Overall this is an excellent fruited dark sour ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, apple, cherry, oak, and moderate dark/bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink; despite the increasingly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish. Great balance of Brett/Bacteria, fruit, oak, and dark/bready malts. A bit heavy on the vinegar, but it's never bothered me before. Very close to the Flanders red style. A very enjoyable offering, and well made style example as expected.

L: Deep, dark black with a small brown head that left a whole lot of lacing.

S: It's ALL bourbon, baby. I got my nose in the glass trying to find something else, but the bourbon is honestly that strong. No complaints here.

T: Along with the bourbon, pick up vanilla, caramel malts, and maybe a tiny bit of coffee.

F : A bit heavy & boozy, lower carbonation, still a nice smooth aspect to it.

O: Nice barrel-aged offering, really priced pretty terrifically for what it is. Almost reminds me of Lagunitas Wiillettized Coffee Stout. Definitely interested to see what aging does to this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L: A deep dark brown/black with some chocolate-milk colored head. Head dissipates fairly quickly however. Looks delicious still.
S: Coffee and chocolate dominate, with secondary aromas of bourbon and vanilla.
T: Coffee, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon...it's all there. Hints of cinnamon. Well blended and delicious. The bourbon flavor is stronger here than in the aroma, and the bourbon-vanilla dominates. Would have liked to have the chocolate and coffee flavors stronger, but perhaps that is a personal preference.
F: Medium body, light on the carbonation. Works well with this beer.