Brandy Barrel-Aged Braggot
Barley Brown's Brewpub

insanely weird curiosity beer here, a barrel aged braggot from what i know to be a straight ahead ipa maker for the most part, packaged still in a clear glass wine or whiskey looking bottle, very strange and unexpected, nice pickup by the homie, and definitely one for sharing, even a little of this feels like a lot still, but it sure is a trip on the palate. cool honey in this, quality barrels, an interesting project, far more ambitious than i generally know these guys to be. rusty orange colored, leggy and viscous without any bubbles, light haze but still some shine too, slick and sugary looking, but not messy at all. it doesnt smell or taste a lot like beer, honey and spirit yes, some brandy apparent, floral waxy real honey in a concentrated even candied form, but not a lot of grain in this to me, no real hops, and there isnt a fermentation profile that can push through the booze and sugar, so its a little odd when considered as a beer, but it seems like braggot and mead drinkers would be in heaven, as i think the honey profile is lovely and what the barrel treatment does for this is way cool. hints of bourbon, cooked pear, scraped vanilla pods, apple cider, and marzipan, really layered as it warms up, warmer is better, but also insanely alcoholic, as much distilled and fermented to me, so intense there, and it really is as limiting as the sugar if not more so. quality product, neat barrel depth, but a small doses thing for sure. autumnal and interesting, cool use of the honey, and majorly unexpected from this brewery. a treat to share with the extended work family, never had one quite like it!