Echos
Fox Farm Brewery

 

Courtesy of @roguer from BIF '25, can dated 12/4/24, batch 3:

Pours black with hues of amber in the light. Head is on the thinner side and dissipates rather quickly leaving small cobwebs of lacing. Smells of faint cola and islay whiskey (think peat, smoke, iodine, bandaids). Taste is bourbon, cola, hint of honey, charcoal and some smokiness. Higher carbonation than I would have expected and thin in body, although in-line with the style. Finish is reminiscent of a smoky-cokey cocktail (Lagavulin 16 & Coke) if you ever had one with some welcomed bitterness. Drinks very easy for an 11%'er.

Batch 1 (bottled in 2021)

Loads of gorgeous head sits on top of a dark, dark beer with hints of red around the very bottom of the glass. Plenty of lacing. Very nice looking beer. Aroma has some cocoa notes, and a light malty sweetness.

Taste has some light roast and a nice subtle sweetness balancing it out. The flavors are subtle, but quite nice. This hides the alcohol incredibly well (blind, I'd guess ~6% vs. the actual of 11%). Mouthfeel is close to perfect. Creamy and full bodied, with nitro vibes.

Overall, this is very good.

Pours a dark cola brown “in the air” then settles in the glass black with a creamy tan head that leaves a surprising amount of lacing given the 11% ABV. Absolutely gorgeous Baltic Porter.

The nose features a glorious amount of cocoa, with some roasty malts, a bit of honey sweetness, and a subtle barrel note tossed in for good measure. Wow.

The taste likewise is led by that cocoa note, but this beer pays its bills with that balance between the honey, roasty malts, and little bit of barrel flavor at the back of the palate. This is WAAAAAY too drinkable for a beer this big.

The mouthfeel is actually drying, and substantial enough to carry the weight of this beer. This is an astounding Baltic Porter, one I would try again and again.

Single received from @Roguer in barleywine/stout BIF #1; Batch 2
12oz can poured into a Monkless tulip

P deep mahogany w/ a small light tan head that recedes quickly to a ring
N smells good, med-bold aroma of honey and chocolate; hints of booze in there too; inviting
T a little more delicate than as I was anticipating; grainy malts, toffee, vanilla, a touch of bite from the booze/barrel, and light honey to round things out; lightly bitter barrel character lingers in the aftertaste; honey becomes more pronounced as it warms and profile becomes more rounded; more toastiness and nutty notes; pleasant for sure
Mf med to med-full bodied w/ med carb
O a nicely done barrel-aged Baltic; the profile is a little more subdued than expected, but all the elements are there; an enjoyable brew and a good first impression of the brewery

Review date: 12.09.23
Can date: 08.17.22

 

 

 

 

Sits garnet-hued black in the glass with a finger of tan head that quickly dissipates into a wisp and crown.

Roasty aroma with hints of umami, leather and bread crust. Would not guess it’s bourbon barrel aged.

The barrel does show up front in the taste with a flash of light sweetness and kiss of alcohol before reverting to the same elements from the nose. A little cardboard in the finish.

Medium bodied and lightly oily feeling with strong, tight carbonation.

Reminds me of the Alltech’s Lexington Brewing Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale mixed with a quality Baltic Porter. Needs either more time in the barrel and/or higher quality barrels to be an improvement rather than distraction from the base. Definitely less than the sum of its parts.

 

 

 

Good head production and decent retention given the ABV and barrel aging. Beautiful beer in the glass, the color of ebony.

Wonderfully sharp and roasty nose, implying high bitterness and a roasty malt base. A decent amount of sweetness, as well, partly from the bourbon, but there are also notes of honey and red grape.

Less bitter and semi-sweet on the palate. Still very much a Baltic Porter in the vein of an RIS. Notes of red grape, honey, chocolate, charcoal, prune, espresso.

A touch thin for the ABV, but that's in line with the style, and it makes for an impressively drinkable experience.

2021 Batch #1 pours an effervescent chestnut color with a sliver of mocha colored head. Some lacing & head retention, vicious

S: Dark fruit, carob, cola notes & a little vanilla, All fade as this warms, Maderia & Black Currant notes as well

T: Cola notes, vanilla, woody barrel notes, some Bourbon heat as well, pretty dry & a touch of tea up front. A touch of raisin & prune as this warms, barrel rawness, touches of dark rum & even a little choke cherry & figs, plus leafy hops. Finishes with barrel warmth, dark cherry, leafy hops & figs

MF: Medium body, cola like carbonation. Warming, carbonation goes almost still

Well thought out take on the style. Glad they didn't get heavy handed with the honey, dry just the right amount. Flavors expanded as this warmed. as they should. Pretty darn complex, pretty drinkable, all things considered