Brave Sir Robin - Bourbon Barrel Aged
Fillmore 13 Brewery

12 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled in 12/2018. Pours hazy very dark ruby red/brown color with a small fairly dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Nice spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, peach, pear, apricot, melon, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, nuts, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, molasses, licorice, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malts, fruity yeast, moderate bourbon barrels, and light earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, peach, pear, apricot, melon, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, nuts, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, molasses, licorice, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Very minimal herbal/grassy bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruits, cherry, peach, pear, apricot, melon, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, nuts, brown bread/crust, coconut, molasses, licorice, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, fruity yeast, moderate bourbon barrels, and light earthy hop flavors; with no cloying sweetness after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety, and slightly slick/sticky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Minimal warming alcohol for 9.5%, with no barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an outstanding barrel aged old ale. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, fruity yeast, moderate bourbon barrels, and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink with the minimally bitter/tannic/drying finish, amazingly soft feel. Fantastic balance of fruity English yeast and rich English malts; with great overall barrel presence/integration, without being boozy/tannic. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.