Jack Daniels Barrel Aged Raisin Old Ale
Willimantic Brewing Co.

 

Rusty brown with no real head or lacing. Chocolate syrup-like aromas abound and are joined up with some other nice aromas, such as: red wine, fruit, raisins, booze, TH-like mollasses, et al. Taste is great as well. A lovely melange of intense spice, booze, dark fruit, and barleywine/old ale flavors blend wonderfully. Mouthfeel is thick, but not too cloying. Drinkability is good, but the flavors are too intense to "session" this one, not that you would want to at nearly 9.5%abv. Great stuff though!

12 oz snifter.

Almost a non-existant head by the time it made it to the table, but some thin lacing with decent strength. Pretty much opaque plum/black in color.

Very vinous in aroma: dark grapes, plum, dried raisins. A very warming alcohol along with a nice oak finish. There's also almost a touch of vinegar that actually compliments the darker fruits.

Dark cherry, plum, raisin with big bourbon and oak flavors. The complexities of each fruit flavor seems to change with each sip. Unlike the regular Raisin Old Ale, this one is not as dry or chocolate-filled. The smokiness, the bourbon, and the oak compliment the tart, vinous fruit flavors.

Full bodied; smooth and very mellow on the palate which is a triumph, given the alcohol intensity and flavor dynamics. Very little carbonation that makes this one go down so smooth.

The alcohol presence would keep this strong ale from being a session brew. Probably the best brew I've had from the Willimantic Brewery.

pours black with a light tan foam. sticky on the glass. served at room temperature in a small teardrop. aroma is a sweet boozy smell. the whiskey is reflected minus the familiar sting in the nose. tastes of sour age, refined whiskey sugars. warm and mellow in the raisin flavor, giving way to caramels and wood. super smooth and vanillaey. creamy. less alcohol flavor than the original. top three brewpub beer of all time. would kill a homeless person for a barrel of this in my house.