Whiskey Barrel Aged Wheatwine
Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

A chill haze dissipates to a beautiful and clear burnt orange-amber with a moderate khaki head setting to a fine film and creamy yet bubbly collar.

This is more in the old school hoppy American #life vein, but taking that into account, it's not bad at all. Toffee and graham meet pine resin and flame licked orange as a fine carbonation lifts a touch of prune before the semi-dry, warming finish.

However, the barrel doesn't seem to bring a lot besides a drying heat, and maybe a faint hint of caramel-vanilla on the exhale. But as it warms, a light, peppery accent surfaces.

Tasted from a 500 ml bottle bought in Albuquerque in April 2019.

L - Dark copper color and slightly hazy. Light tan head is immense on initial pour and persists as a strong sheet of foam and thick lacing.

S - Strong malt and alcohol aromas, but whiskey is not immediately evident. Barrel aging comes through as a mix of oak and vanilla. There is also an herbal note that may be from hops.

T - Strong malt of a barleywine is overlaid with butterscotch, vanilla and light oak. Again, the whiskey does not show directly. There is also a low herbal flavor that I interpret as an oxidized note; this is not unexpected for a barrel aged beer and doesn't detract from the flavor for me.

F - Thick body. Moderate, creamy carbonation. Moderate to high hops bitterness. Big alcohol presence.

O - This is an outstanding beer. The wheat doesn't stand out and neither does a whiskey character, but the base beer is enjoyable and the barrel aging gives interesting notes.