Bourbon Barrel-Aged Matriarch
Jackie O's Taproom & Brewery

 

 

 

 

2010, bottle 99 of batch 204

Pours the typical IPA golden color with a thin bone white head. Pretty clear, no carbonation

Smells like a sour beer, no aroma of sticky hops OR Bourbon barrel. Could be due to the age

Again, this could be due to the age but hardly any hop flavor. A strong sour tang and a soft wooden aftertaste. Good but definitely old

Medium body and good carbonation but leaves the palate dry and aftertaste finishes quickly.

Overall its a good beet but this one has passed its prime. Both hops and barrel flavors have diminished which is a bummer because I'm sure it was good fresh

 

 

 

 

 

 

A- Pours a golden amber color with just a few bubbles for head. Head is gone pretty quickly and leaves no lacing.

S- I'm not really picking up any hops here. Overall, I'd say this one is pretty sweet. Woody, bourbon, vanilla, caramel and touch of alcohol.

T- Not like any other Double IPA out there for sure. Pretty much no hops or bitterness. Wood, bourbon, and vanilla seem to dominant the flavour. Not really fitting into the style.

M- Medium in body and low carbonation.

O- The oddest DIPA I've had thus far.

The pour was very nice. Rich amber in color with a nice clarity to it. Head of white foam rose up to about three inches and then settled down with lots of sticky lace. Rich aroma of piney hops and sweet oak like notes. Really well done here with a very nice balance. Nice notes of vanilla as it warms. The first taste sealed the deal for me. Lots of orange and pine, nice balance with hints of vanilla and woody essence coming through loud and clear. Smooth, medium body with a mellow carbonation and a all but hidden huge ABV profile. I could have drank this one all night, though i started to catch up with me by the end of the bottle.

Overall I was really impressed with this one

Reviewed from notes. 2010. Bottle No. 173/204. Sorry, don't remember who shared this.

A: Pours a golden yellow with a small white head and little lace.

S: Nose is like an almond marzipan sweet candy.

T: An oaky tannic bitter bite followed by sugary sweetness. There is a cotton candy element in this too.

M: Somewhat oily, bitter and sweet.

O: Really odd creation here. Never had a bourbon barrel aged DIPA before. Quite challenging for most and not highly regarded.

(bottle at Dak's Final Four tasting tasting!) Pours hazy apricot with off-white head. Aroma of dank hops and fruits. Taste is sweet malt with some bitterness. Medium bodied. OK beer, but very glad I got to try this. This was one of several Jackie O's beers at the tasting.

Presentation: 22 oz. bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada XXX Anniversary glass. Split with a couple friends. Big thanks to Agentzero for this.

Appearance: Golden brown in color with a nice one finger white head and average retention.

Aroma: Big butterscotch notes upfront. Caramel, vanilla, and pine notes round out aroma.

Taste: More pronounced butterscotch notes. Definitely a unique beer. The bourbon lends some burn and a touch of vanilla. Pine and bitter hop notes are way in the background. The barrel notes definitely overwhelm the hops.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and very creamy. Adequately carbonated.

Overall, an interesting beer. The butterscotch and bourbon notes really overwhelm the hops. I would go so far as to say that this a an unbalanced butterscotch bomb. Definitely worth a try though.

Chilled bottle into a glass. A very generous gift from beerbeerbeerbeer. Jackie O's has piqued the curiosity of my ticking-... whoops, Freudian slip there. My tasting group. My tasting group. Tickd717-... dammit. Nickd717 wants to tick these-... I give up.

A: Pours a deep, burnt orange. It's hazy, but it shows some clarity. One finger of off-white head; decent retention, no lace. But it has a small cap on the beer.

S: Candy corn. I can't shake it. Don't get me wrong; I like candy corn, even though I am convinced it epitomizes everything wrong with manufactured food. But that overpowering butterscotch / honey / caramel aroma here is reminiscent of barrel-aged candy corn. It's good at first, but it quickly becomes cloying.

T: Same in the flavor. Initially dominated by butterscotch, vanilla, honey, and caramel (the latter are probably the bourbon contribution). It has a nice floral hop presence. It's sweet until the finish, when it abruptly drops off and erupts with an oaky astringency and hop bitterness that reminds me of orange rind. Very jarring.

M: Starts off syrupy and sweet, but as I mentioned earlier, it falls off and becomes bitter rather abruptly.

D: It's not awful -- I wouldn't consider it torture to drink it -- but it's decidedly subpar, and I was content to pour it out in favor of other beers. I'm not a big fan of this idea of barrel-aging DIPAs, but I recall liking Great Divide 15th and 16th Anniversary as well as Southern Tier Oak-Aged Unearthly quite a bit. This one falls flat.

Short pour shared by Brad when visiting the brewery. Pours a bronzed brown. Murky with a decent amount of head. Not a very pretty brew. Smells bourbon heavy. Mostly vanilla on the nose. Very sweet on the nose. Very subtle oak and hops on the nose. An interesting balance. Tastes very interesting... carmel, bourbon, vanilla, and a solid hop profile. There are some interesting citrus flavours going on that compliment in a unique way. Very interesting combo. Very sweet thick on the tongue. A solid sipper :) Thanks Brad for this strange but tasty brew

Live review of bottle 124/204 of the 2010 Batch.
A: Deep burnt orange, it poured with a half-finger dark cream head that died to big bubbles around the collar.
S: Mostly bourbon, it has a caramel backbone and a "candied" sweetness with oranges and honey. Not good for a DIPA, but their stuff is always bending styles.
T: A little hot. It comes off mostly as bourbon burn-your-throat whiskey with a crisp bitterness like orange zest. It's almost like an orange cocktail. As a drink, it's good, as a double IPA?... Not to mention it's a fierce one with the bourbon presence and alcohol content.
M: Crisp mouthfeel like mouthwash after a moderately syrupy start.
D: Not very. Good thing I'm splitting the bottle.

This one gets a poor review based on style and drinkability. I could see a whiskey bar having this one on-tap, though.

Bottle courtesy of csmiley. You're the best, dood! Thanks!

Bottle #92/204

Bourbon Barrel-aged Matriarch is a light bronze color. It's a little hazy. Backlighting gives it an orange-ish gold look. The head is vanilla colored and stands about a finger tall. It's fairly quick to recede, and lacing was on the lighter side of the spectrum. Eh. The color carries the day here.

The nose is interesting. It kicks off with a really strong vanilla scent. Seems to be strongest scent in the mix. It's very sweet and sugary. It has a very interesting candy-like vibe to it. Bourbon is definitely there, but isn't overwhelming. It's complementary. Oak is a little subtle, but is also noted. Caramel malts are easily noted, and are rather prominent. Hops are a little noticeable, but seem to be somewhat lost in the shuffle. There's just a little too much going on. Alcohol is noted, but isn't overly strong. It's alright, but is convoluted.

The flavor is consistent with the nose. It's very sweet and sugary up front. Caramel malts give it a nice base, and aren't overbearing. I was expecting them to be a little too much. The barrel-aging process imparted several interesting flavors. Vanilla is definitely the strongest. It's powerful. So powerful that it overshadows some of the other flavors. Oak and bourbon are there, but have a subtle, complementary effect. Hops creep in and introduce grapefruit, orange, and pine flavors to the mix. It's honestly not very bitter. I think the bitterness is likely countered by the wealth of other things going on. Alcohol is there, but isn't warming or hot. It's blended pretty well. Finishes with a sweet vanilla flavor and a touch of bitterness.

The body is on the light side of medium. Carbonation is very light. Almost too light. I wouldn't mind a few more bubbles. Light carbonation does give it a smooth feel though. Given the light body, it feels rather nice. Drinkability is honestly rather average. The flavor, while interesting, is jumbled and lacks focus. It's definitely a sipper. This bomber is honestly going to take a long time to finish.

Bourbon Barrel-aged Matriarch is a very interesting, unique beer. How is it? Well, it's alright. Perhaps it's a little too complex for my palate, but it just seems convoluted and confused. There's a whole hell of a lot going on. If you're looking for an interesting, very challenging beer, look no further. This is it. It's definitely worth a try in that respect. I'm not exactly loving it, but damned if it isn't interesting. I don't think I've ever had anything like it. Thanks, Chris!