Jubilee Ale (Bourbon Barrel Aged)
Island Brewing Company

 

2015 release

Look - Pours a deep murky walnut brown with a garnet hue when held to light. Minimal head that dissipates to a thin film, tiny bubbles. Good distribution, no lacing. 3.75 paws.

Smell - Very pungent alcohol when first poured, after letting it breathe I get dark fruit, nuts, vanilla, bourbon. Smells of pecans or almond cream, chewy dates or raisins and a hint of oak. 4.5 paws.

Taste - Lots of dark fruit, raisins and prunes. Almond praline, vanilla, bourbon presence is fairly strong with a lingering alcohol burn even at a (relatively) low 8.5%. 4 paws.

Feel - A bit thin, would like to get a bit more chewiness. Has a surprising amount of carbonation. 3.5 paws.

Overall - Most of Island's offering are fairly mediocre, but I've always been impressed with their barrel aged offerings (with the exception of the barrel-aged saison). 4.25 paws.

Bottle 188 of 275; 2009 vintage. Signed by the brewmaster. Poured from a purple-wax capped 22oz bomber into a snifter.

Clear maroon liquid, looking similar to the wax on the bottle really, though shot through with rods of scarlet highlights. A soft curl of beige bubbles forms a lackadaisical collar and a weak skin. Average retention.

Ash, plums, and an oven cleaning cycle come out in the nose. Soapy and burnt, with a touch of sherry and black malt.

Char and diacetyl greet the palate upon first sip. Cheap wheat bourbon notes suggest pecans, a hint of butterscotch, and faint alcohol. A pleasant fruitiness tames the initial displeasure and a sweet lightly bitter finish nearly salvages the profile...though a whisper of DMS then gets in the way. Rustic, muddled, and the barrel doesn't seem to serve much purpose.

Medium-bodied, smooth, with low carbonation and maybe a smidgen of tannins.

Not terrible, but still quite disappointing - the bourbon barrel aging comes across as lipstick on a pig - not worth your time or money.