Granny’s Tipple
Danville Brewery

my first ever beer from these guys, and its a cool one, 2023 vintage, listed on the bottle at 12.0% abv, rye whiskey barrel aged, i think all of this is barrel aged, but maybe there are multiple versions, ours had red wax. gabf and world beer cup medals on the label, this one is well decorated! its a neat beer, dense and deep amber colored, matte but not hazy and messy really, maybe a light frosted thing to it, short tan head bubbles up, decent carbonation for what it is. immediately malty and interesting, english but very rye forward, strong and sweet, with a lot of middle malt nuance, wet chewed on cigar, rum soaked raisin, toffee and toast, caramel and maple, fig and dehydrated red apple, the oak and vanilla notes are strong, the rye is spicy, some liquid bread and bread pudding depth, flatting oxidation but a decent bit of that, nice sweetness and alcohol strength together. the flavor is equally complex, leathery and earthy, sugary up front, more rye spice and booze later, very strong, a bit fusel, wrinkles of butterscotch, vanilla bean, finely ground white pepper thats been in the spice drawer well past its expiration date, cedar closet, brown sugar, and old wood. its obviously rye whiskey, like decidedly not bourbon, even with the richness and vanilla nuance, its rye for sure, and thats cool, and i love the english malts in here, long boiled and reduced into one another, bread crust heartiness, sort of an old ale vibe with the oxidation, papery or every cardboard-like at the end, but in a way thats delicious, calls attention away from the barrel and back to the grain, and softens the alcohol a little bit, this has been well barrel aged, but not well cellared as well, its drinking great. subtle chestnut, date, and even hazelnut at the very end, rye spice, creme brulee top, black permanent market, and decaying wood in a wet forest. sturdy and good, thanks to my friend for sharing this, eager to try more from this brewery now. serious grain soup here, warms up well, a nice example of the style, rye barrels were a great choice for it. yum, very wintery and good.