Oakd Bourbon Barrel Aged Festbier
Sibling Revelry Brewing

I was intrigued by this the first time I saw it. Poured from a pint can into a DFH tulip, it looks like an apple cider, the sweet non alc kind you find at fruit farms, with a nice light head and a cloudy yeasty thing going on at the bottom. Smell is what I associate with a sour with little barrel presence. The barrel comes forward more in the taste but not overpoweringly because it still retains a light demeanor which carries forward into the mouthfeel. But there's some light vanilla going on along with other pleasant complexity.

Maybe some festbier purists would consider this an abomination of the style but I think it works well in forming its own little niche of autumn pleasures.

 

16 ounce can, no date on that I could find. Served in a dimpled mug, the beer pours a slightly hazy dark gold color with about an inch off-white head. Head retention and lacing are both good. The brew smells mostly like toasted and bready malt, along with some vanilla, apple and toffee. I think the taste is pretty much like the aroma, but there's also some light herbalness noticeable too. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's smooth and easy to drink with a good amount of carbonation. The bourbon/barrel character in this is pretty light. It's there, but I wish this was aged for a bit longer. With that being said, I thought this was a nice enjoyable brew. $3.79 a single can.

16oz can poured into a tulip. Pours a glowing golden with a subtle haze to it; small white head that fades leaving okay retention and lacing. The aromas are malt forward. Lots of caramel along with some hints of toffee and vanilla. Some orange in the beginning. Some cherries. The bourbon is pretty subtle and mild. The flavors basically follow the nose. More caramel. Some bread, toast and grains. More hints of vanilla. Some cherries. Some mild coconut notes in the mix. Some oak notes. The bourbon is pretty subtle and mild in the flavor department as well, but it's noticeable in the finish. Solid malt backbone. Alcohol goes unnoticed. Mouthfeel is very nice. It's medium-bodied with active carbonation. It's sharp, crisp, smooth and easy to drink.

This is a pretty nice brew. It's clean and crisp. The bourbon barrel characteristics are subtle and mild, but that's a good thing considering that this isn't a big beer. It works for the style. The craftsmanship is on point. Everything works. It's enjoyable and fun to drink. Well done.